Consett-born Mark Clattenburg will not referee a match for a second weekend running as he prepares to answer accusations from Chelsea.
The Football Association is investigating a complaint from Chelsea that the match official used "inappropriate language" towards John Obi Mikel during the Premier League match against Manchester United, understood to have been interpreted as being racist.
Clattenburg is due to meet the FA this week and the police, after a complaint was made to police from the Society of Black Lawyers, and has decided not to take charge of a match.
BBC News programme Look North presenter Geoff Brown said: "I covered his first league match when he was just 25.
"He's a very confident man, and very big Newcastle United fan."