The upcoming Championship match features Ipswich Town facing Coventry City, with referee Anthony Backhouse officiating the game. Backhouse, a Cumbrian official and EFL referee since 2017, will be taking charge of his first Ipswich game of the season, with his last Town match being a 2-0 League One victory against Derby County in April 2023. In that game, he issued seven yellow cards, including three to Ipswich players. Backhouse has refereed only three Ipswich games overall, with a record of one win, one draw, and one loss. His previous Coventry fixtures include 13 matches, with his last being a 3-2 defeat at Wrexham, where former Town player Kieffer Moore scored a hat-trick. So far in the 2025/26 season, Backhouse has officiated 13 games, mainly in the Championship, issuing 60 yellow cards without any red cards. The match is significant as it marks the final game of 2025 for Ipswich Town, with Kieran McKenna's side aiming to conclude the year positively. Assistant referees Paul Hodskinson and Matthew Smith, along with fourth official Stephen Martin, will support the officiating team.