By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Howard Webb will take charge of Newcastle's Premier League fixture at home to Manchester City on Sunday (1.30pm kick-off).It is the fifth time the Yorkshire-based official has been appointed to a Magpies match this season. He was in the middle of the Tyne-Wear derby win at Sunderland last August, that memorable 3-0 home victory over Manchester United at the start of January, and United's injury-time 2-1 defeat away at Arseanl in March.
Most recently, he refereed Newcastle's 2-0 Good Friday victory in Swansea, where Papiss Cisse struck a double. On that day in South Wales, Webb booked two players - Swansea's Ashley Williams and United centre-back Mike Williamson.
In total this season, the whistler has overseen 45 games, issuing 147 yellow cards and five reds.
Webb began officiating in his local Rotherham leagues in 1989 and worked his way up the football pyramid before being added to the National List of Football League Referees in 2000.
He stepped up to the Select Group for the Premier League three years later, with his first match being a goalless draw between Fulham and Wolves in October 2003.
Webb is widely recognised as one of the best referees in the business and took charge of both the 2010 Champions League final and the 2010 World Cup final.
On Sunday at the Sports Direct Arena, he will be assisted by Steve Child and Mike Mullarkey, with Mark Halsey the game's fourth official.
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