Who has refereed every Sunderland Premier League game this season, the result and the cards under each referee, and the VAR overturns in those games. 5 games, 5 different referees, up to 20 September 2026.
Next game: Sunderland v Brighton, Saturday 10 October 2026, 15:00. Referee: not yet published. The Premier League announces each round's officials on the Monday of match week.
Sunderland's referees, game by game
| Date | Opponent | Result | Referee | Sunderland yellows | Sunderland reds | VAR overturns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 22 Aug | Ipswich (A) | L 1-2 | Farai Hallam | 3 | 0 | None recorded |
| Sun 30 Aug | Fulham (H) | W 1-0 | Michael Salisbury | 0 | 0 | None recorded |
| Sat 5 Sept | Brentford (A) | D 1-1 | Tom Bramall | 2 | 0 | Goal ruled out after VAR review (Sunderland, Daniel Ballard, 9') |
| Sat 12 Sept | Arsenal (H) | L 0-2 | John Brooks | 6 | 1 | None recorded |
| Sun 20 Sept | City (A) | L 3-5 | Rob Jones | 1 | 0 | Goal awarded after VAR review (Manchester City, Erling Haaland, 83') |
Covers every finished Premier League game up to Sunday 20 September 2026 (Matchweek 5). Updated 30 September 2026.
Sunderland's record under each referee
| Referee | P | W | D | L | Sunderland yellows | Sunderland reds | Games this season (all clubs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farai Hallam | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| John Brooks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Michael Salisbury | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Rob Jones | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Tom Bramall | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Referees Sunderland have not had yet this season
Michael Oliver (5), Darren England (4), Jarred Gillett (4), Andy Madley (3), Chris Kavanagh (3), Peter Bankes (3), Sam Barrott (3), Stuart Attwell (3), Tony Harrington (3), Craig Pawson (2), Paul Tierney (2), Adam Herczeg (1), Josh Smith (1). The figure is each referee's Premier League games so far. This is a list, not a prediction.
What is counted here. The data feed records that VAR intervened and what the outcome was: a goal ruled out, a goal awarded, a penalty overturned, a card upgraded. It does not record whether a decision was right, and neither does this page. "In favour" and "against" describe whose goal, penalty or card the overturn concerned. The only bodies that rule on correctness are the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel and Pro Ref, the referees' body formerly known as PGMOL; where the panel has published a verdict it is quoted with its date on the KMI panel page.
Common questions
Who is refereeing Sunderland's next game?
Not yet published. Sunderland v Brighton is on Saturday 10 October 2026; the Premier League publishes the round's officials on the Monday of match week and this page updates then.
Which referee has taken the most Sunderland games this season?
Farai Hallam (1); 5 different referees have taken Sunderland's 5 games up to 20 September 2026.
Does this page rate the referees Sunderland have had?
No. It lists who refereed each game, the result and the cards, and the VAR overturns in those games, all from the data feed. Verdicts on decisions come only from the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel, quoted on the Sunderland VAR page and the KMI panel page.