The match officials for Newcastle United’s Premier League clash at home to AFC Bournemouth have been confirmed.

They say you should let bygones be bygones, but Newcastle United’s FA Cup clash at Aston Villa last season certainly puts that theory to the test.

The Magpies won 3-1 at Villa Park, but the match was best remembered for a string of controversial refereeing decisions. The officials at the centre of it all? Chris Kavanagh and his assistant, Nick Greenhalgh, who had no VAR to rely on.

Greenhalgh failed to flag Tammy Abraham offside for Villa’s opener, while Kavanagh opted against sending off Lucas Digne for a high challenge on Jacob Murphy before Villa were eventually reduced to 10 men after goalkeeping Marco Bizot came charging off his line to hook down Murphy.

The referee then failed to award Newcastle a penalty for a handball against Digne in the second half, despite the ball clearly being inside the area.

Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn of Newcastle United react after referee Chris Kavanagh and assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh failed to award a penalty during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United on February 14, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) | Getty Images

placeholder image — Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn of Newcastle United react after referee Chris Kavanagh and assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh failed to award a penalty during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Aston Villa and Newcastle United on February 14, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Gazette has launched a WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.

Greenhalgh had a clear view of the handball but kept his flag down. Fortunately for United, Sandro Tonali scored from the resulting free-kick to equalise before the Italian struck again to put the Magpies ahead. Nick Woltemade then added a third late on.

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney described the decision to award a free-kick rather than a penalty as ‘one of the worst’ he had ever seen.

Kavanagh and Greenhalgh were subsequently dropped from the following weekend’s Premier League fixtures. Now, Greenhalgh is set to officiate a Newcastle match for the first time since that February evening, with the assistant referee involved in Saturday lunchtime’s kick-off versus Bournemouth.

Merseyside referee Rob Jones will take charge, with Greenhalgh and Alistair Nelson as his assistants. Ruebyn Ricardo is the fourth official, while Matt Donohue and Ian Hussin will be on VAR duty.

Hopefully, Villa Park provided enough controversy to ensure Greenhalgh enjoys a drama-free afternoon on Tyneside.

Your next NUFC read: Premier League experts predict where Newcastle United will finish after £270m summer spend.