With only 20 referees in the top flight this season, the second group of ten officiated their first league matches this weekend. Amongst them was last season's White Stick award winner Iturralde González, who was in charge for a record 263rd time, one more than Mejuto González, who retired this summer. Iturralde had already set a new record for red and yellow cards during last season, and if his performance in the Villarreal v Espanyol match is anything to go by, he looks as if he means to establish an unbeatable tally before he finally has to leave us. Our old friend produced no less than twelve yellows and a red, but even so he missed a chance to improve on that when Rossi stopped in the middle of his penalty kick run up to send Kameni the wrong way. The move is considered to be unfair, and as Rossi was already on a yellow card he could even have been given a second booking for the action. (15.09.10)