Select Group referee Neil Swarbrick is the man in the middle for Dale’s league meeting with Wigan on Saturday lunchtime.

The Preston-based official became a Football League referee for the 2005/06 season, before joining the Premier League list in the summer of 2011.

He has since taken charge of 74 games in the top flight, most recently last Sunday when Neil refereed Liverpool v Crystal Palace.

You have to go back to November 2010 for his last Dale appointment which came in a midweek fixture at Carlisle that ended all-square at 1-1.

In December 2007, Neil sent-off David Perkins at Accrington, but Dale still came out 2-1 winners, while his first Dale game in January 2006 ended in a 1-0 victory for Stockport at Spotland.

However, a more memorable game with Mr Swarbrick in the middle was the 5-0 home thrashing of MK Dons in January 2007, which suggested Keith Hill might have something about him as a football manager!

He was also in charge on a balmy night at Morecambe in September 2009 where Dale came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3.

The full list of Neil’s Dale matches is:

Jan 06 Rochdale v Stockport L 0-1

Jan 07 Rochdale v MK Dons W 5-0

Dec 07 Accrington v Rochdale W 2-1

Feb 09 Rochdale v Morecambe D 1-1

Sep 09 Morecambe v Rochdale D 3-3

Nov 10 Carlisle v Rochdale D 1-1

All told this season, he has taken charge of 11 games, showing 44 yellow cards and three red.

Photo: Action Images

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