Will referee be centre of attention at Leeds United? (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Will referee be centre of attention at Leeds United?

3:00pm Thursday 26th April 2012 in Leeds By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter

All eyes will be on the referee when Leeds United bring down the curtain on their npower Championship campaign on Saturday.

Their final-day clash with Leicester will be officiated by Danny McDermid, the army major whose last appearance at a Whites game caused major controversy.

Middlesex-based McDermid has never refereed at Elland Road before. But Leeds fans will not have forgotten what happened when he took charge of a game at Gillingham in 2007.

The 1-1 draw in the club’s first season in League One was dominated by the events that happened after the final whistle.

McDermid had red-carded Tresor Kandol and Jermaine Beckford, as well as sending boss Dennis Wise to the Priestfield stands.

Afterwards, the officials were pelted with missiles by furious travelling fans and Wise accused the referee of swearing at him.

McDermid was later cleared by a Football Association disciplinary panel.

No such drama is expected this weekend between two sides whose play-off ambitions have been over for a while.

But defender Tom Lees can play for Leeds after delaying surgery on his broken nose until the season is over.