Kevin Friend
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| Full name | Kevin Friend | ||
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| Born |
8 July 1971 Bristol, England |
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Kevin Friend (born 8 July 1971) is an English professional football referee based in Leicester. He is a member of the Leicestershire and Rutland County Football Association.
In 2009, Friend was promoted to the list of Select Group Referees who officiate primarily in the Premier League. His most notable appointments have been to referee the 2012 Community Shield, played at Villa Park, and the 2013 League Cup final which was held at Wembley Stadium.
In 2016 Friend was controversially prevented from officiating a Premier League match between Stoke City F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. due to his being a supporter of Leicester City F.C.
Friend started refereeing at the age of 14 in his home county of Leicestershire. He officiated in the Leicestershire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance before being promoted to the National List of Referees, and later to the Select Group of Referees ahead of the 2009–10 season. His first Premier League fixture was on 20 September 2009: a 2–1 victory for Wolverhampton Wanderers over Fulham; Friend showed two yellow cards during his debut appointment in England's top-flight.
Friend issued his first Premier League red card on 15 December 2009 to Sunderland captain Lorik Cana for a second bookable offence in his team's 2–0 defeat to Aston Villa.
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