Referee Dean Whitestone will take charge of Dale for the second time in 11 weeks when we visit Sheffield United on Saturday.

The Northamptonshire-based official was in the middle for our 2-0 defeat at Notts County in September, which in itself was the first time we had seen him since the 2-1 loss at Port Vale in December 2008 when he gave Dale a penalty and sent off the home side’s Danny Glover.

Dean also featured in another meeting with Notts County as earlier in 2008 he refereed the fine 4-2 home win over The Magpies as we closed in on the League Two play-offs.

Twelve months earlier Dean was in the middle for the tempestuous final home game of the season against Hartlepool which Dale won 2-0, although three red cards, two penalties and a mass brawl kept the referee on his toes.

We also saw Dean for Dale’s 2-1 win at Grimsby in October 2007 and the 1-1 draw at Cheltenham in February 2006.

So far this season Mr Whitestone has refereed 17 games, showing 56 yellow cards and two red.

His last match was the League Two encounter between Barnet and Macclesfield a fortnight ago, in which he gave The Bees two penalties and showed NINE yellow cards, SEVEN of them to an ill-disciplined Macc team.

Photo: Action Images

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