Select Group 2 referee Peter Bankes is the man in the middle for Saturday’s home game against Bury.

The Liverpool official is in his third season on the referees’ list, but this is only his second Dale game.

We last saw him just over a year ago for the 2-1 home defeat of Scunthorpe, while Peter’s most recent Bury game was their 1-0 home win over Chesterfield in December.

Mr Bankes was promoted from the Conference list at the end of the 2013/14 season and refereed Newport v Wycombe as his first league appointment.

He made good progress in his first term and was rewarded at the end of the season with the League Two play-off semi-final first leg, Plymouth v Wycombe.

Last season saw more high profile appointments, as well as Barnsley v Walsall in the League One play-off semi-final second leg.

At the end of last term, Peter was named as one of the new Select Group 2 referees, who mainly take charge of Championship fixtures and games such as today’s in League One and League Two.

His Championship appointments this season have included Wolves v Ipswich, Newcastle v Norwich and Preston v Aston Villa, while on Tuesday he will referee Leeds v Wigan.

All told, Mr Bankes has refereed 11 games this season, showing 52 yellow cards and five red.

Photo: Action Images

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