We look at the man in charge of Saturday's game with Chesterfield.
Second year referee Phil Gibbs will make his second appearance of the season at Spotland when he travels up the M6 from Birmingham to take charge of Saturday’s game against Chesterfield.
The 43-year old Assistant Headteacher was here in August for our first home fixture of the campaign against Aldershot when he sent-off Nathan Stanton early in the game for dragging back the Shots’ Marvin Morgan, who had a clear run on goal.
However, Mr Gibbs then awarded Dale a debatable late penalty for handball, which Tom Kennedy converted to wrap up our first win of the season.
Our only other encounter with Mr Gibbs was 13 months ago when he refereed our match at Notts County.
In that game he gave the Magpies a dubious penalty from which they took the lead, only for Lee Thorpe to turn the match on its head with a second half brace to steer Dale to a 2-1 win.
Phil has so far refereed 14 matches this term, showing 43 yellow cards and that solitary red to Stanton.
Last Saturday he was in the middle at the FA Cup tie between Accrington and Salisbury, while on the two previous weekends he refereed League Two fixtures at Bournemouth and Torquay.
Mr Gibbs’ last Chesterfield game was their 2-1 loss at Gillingham 11 months ago.
REFWORLD PROFILE: http://www.refworld.com/referee/184/1
Other famous Phils
Other famous Gibbs