Graham Laws will blow the first whistle of City's 2008/09 campaign when he takes charge of their away trip to Blackpool on Saturday.

The Tyne & Wear official has been appointed for the big Championship season opener at Bloomfield Road this weekend, and will be assisted by Andrew Hutchinson (Cheshire) and Dave McCallum (Tyne & Wear).

Danny Roberts from Greater Manchester has been appointed fourth official for the match.

Laws has been a Football League referee for eight years and progressed from the lower leagues through the Northern Premier League.

The official's biggest claim to fame came in 2002 when he took charge of the Division 2 (now League One) play-off final between Brentford and Stoke City.

Ironically Laws ended last season at Bloomfield Road for the Blackpool v Watford fixture - in which he sent off Hornets striker Darius Henderson.

The last time he officiated at a City fixture was back in 2004/05 in a 3-2 away win at Sheffield Wednesday.