Wednesday's Ref Is Keith Stroud
Keith Stroud will take charge of his second Swans game of the season on Wednesday evening when he controls the whistle at the Riverside Stadium.
Stroud was in charge of the 1-1 draw with Coventry last month, brandishing just one yellow card - for the Swans Jake Bidwell. It is also his second time in charge of Middlesbrough - he controlled their 1-0 defeat to Watford in September with again just one yellow card.
This will be his 10th Championship appearance of the season with his previous 9 games so far having seen him brandish 18 yellow cards but not yet had to get the red card out of his pocket. He has though recently taken charge of two League Two games and produced 5 yellow cards and 1 red card.
Stroud was in charge of the first leg of our play off semi final last season when he awarded us a penalty (which Ayew missed) and also sent off Brentford's Rico Henry - a decision that was later on overturned on appeal although it was a decision that Cooper agreed with at the time "You look at the Jake Bidwell one against Bristol City earlier on in the season. I don’t think you can if you compare it to that and if you do what you do you’re endorsing dangerous and reckless challenges" he said after the game.
"There’s a lot of contention. You saw some in the Premier League too. The fact is it was 50:50 and there’s no way it can be overturned."
Cooper blasted Stroud as well last season after failing to show a second yellow card to Reading's Lucas Boye at the Liberty - saying after the game: "I politely spoke with the ref at half-time. I've come across him before. He's a really experienced referee and a decent guy but I think he knew he let himself down a bit.
"I asked him and he's obviously going to have his excuses and reasons, and the fourth official's reaction as well, they knew they probably weren't at their best."
