Select Group referee Bobby Madley is the man in the middle for Dale’s FA Cup tie at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
The Ossett-based official took charge of his first Premier League game — Southampton v WBA in April 2013 — before joining the Select Group list permanently for the following season.
He has since progressed to become a FIFA referee and regularly takes charge of high profile Premier League fixtures, as well as games like this season’s Community Shield and Liverpool v Everton in the third round of the FA Cup.
Bobby last refereed a Dale match in December 2014 when we entertained Fleetwood in League One.
The visitors won that game 2-0, although Ian Henderson’s missed penalty in the second half helped them towards victory.
On Boxing Day 2012, Mr Madley was in the middle for our 3-2 loss at Burton and two months earlier he was at Spotland for a JPT tie against Bury, which The Shakers won after a penalty shoot-out.
The 32-year-old referee awarded Bury a penalty and sent-off Dale’s Craig Curran during the first 90 minutes, both decisions being hard to argue against.
We also saw Bobby at Dale’s 3-1 home win over Bristol Rovers in February 2011 and a 1-0 loss at Scunthorpe 12 months later.
All told this season, he has taken charge of 22 games, showing 80 yellow cards and five red. His most recent appointment was Stoke v Brighton last Saturday.
Finally, Bobby’s brother, Andy Madley, refereed Dale’s fourth round tie at Millwall.