JUST IN: West Bromwich vs Sunderland set for devastating EFL decision despite the Black Cats aim of increasing point margin over Title rivals.
**Bobby Madley Named Referee for Sunderland vs. West Brom Clash**
The EFL has announced that Bobby Madley will officiate Sunderland’s Championship fixture against West Bromwich Albion this weekend at the Stadium of Light.
Madley’s last involvement in a Sunderland match came in October when the Black Cats visited Hull City in the league. That game ended in a 1-0 win for Sunderland, courtesy of a spectacular solo goal from Wilson Isidor, but it was not without controversy.
### Hull City’s Frustrations with Madley
Hull City manager Tim Walter expressed dissatisfaction with Madley’s performance in that match. He specifically pointed to Sunderland’s winning goal, which came after a short Hull corner appeared to be disrupted by the referee.
Isidor’s goal saw him start a brilliant run from his own half before delicately chipping the ball over the goalkeeper. However, Walter claimed the referee’s positioning interfered with Hull’s ability to take their corner properly.
Following the game, Walter revealed that Madley had apologized for his positioning during the incident but argued that it didn’t change the outcome. He also criticized the referee for not issuing a red card to Chris Mepham, who he claimed handled the ball to prevent a pass to Gustavo Puerta near Sunderland’s goal.
Walter shared his frustrations:
*”He apologized, but it doesn’t help. If he truly understood how we execute set pieces, he would have been better positioned. It’s frustrating when such situations affect the game, and it’s a story we’ve seen too many times.”*
Despite the grievances, the result stood, with Sunderland claiming all three points in a tightly contested affair.
### Match Officials for Sunderland vs. West Brom
For this weekend’s match, Madley will be joined by assistants Blake Antrobus and Hristo Karaivanov, with Tom Nield serving as the fourth official.
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