He is most famous for refereeing the Leeds United v West Bromwich Albion match when he stepped in for Steve Bennett, who had been called up for an important cup match the day after.
The score finished 3-2 to Albion and Swarbrick sent Leeds' ex-boss Dennis Wise to the stands after he complained about how long it took for West Bromwich's striker Diomansy Kamara to leave the pitch when being subbed.
Wise continued his frustration after the match by saying in the news conference "I wish we'd had Steve Bennett in charge today. The referee's performance was very poor and he didn't control the game."
| Season | Games | Total  | Per Game | Total  | Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/2006 | 29 | 57 | 1.97 | 2 | 0.07 |
| 2006/2007 | 34 | 96 | 2.82 | 9 | 0.26 |
| 2007/2008 | 38 | 76 | 2 | 8 | 0.21 |
Another moment of controversy saw then Leicester City boss Ian Holloway take his lap-top into referee Swarbrick after the match to show him a replay of a disallowed goal in the 53rd minute.
The decision to cancel out Barry Hayles's header for the narrowest of offsides prevented Leicester taking the lead in a tight game.
Holloway said: "I was disappointed the referee disallowed that goal. I didn't think it was offside and I took the lap-top in to show him."