We get TVOS to work on his usual pre-match dossier on the match referee. This time he takes on Graham Salisbury of Preston for this all Lancastrian affair.
Graham Salisbury is one of those referees who just goes about his job with quiet efficiency.
He’ll never reach the Premier League and tends to officiate mainly in Leagues One and Two, but you never hear of much controversy involving him.
We last saw Mr Salisbury at the pre-season friendly at Radcliffe in July, but his most recent senior fixture involving Dale was last season’s 1-1 home draw with Macclesfield.
In 2005/06 Graham was in charge of four Dale games, including both home and away fixtures against Notts County.
In that season he also refereed one of the most remarkable Dale matches of modern times. That was our 3-2 LDV Vans Trophy loss at Tranmere when Paul ‘The Difference’ Tait scored not once, but twice. That’s right, TWICE!!!
Delving even further back we find that Graham took charge of Paddy McCourt’s first game in a Dale shirt – the 2-0 LDV defeat of Southport in October 2001.
He was also in the middle when bury fluked a 3-0 win at Spotland in August 2004.
This will be Mr Salisbury’s second Lancashire derby of the season, as he took charge of Accrington’s fine 2-1 win at bury in September.
Most recently he refereed the Championship encounter between Barnsley and Newcastle, while on Boxing Day he was down to officiate at Norwich v Millwall.
REFWORLD PROFILE: http://www.refworld.com/referee/166/1/graham-salisbury
5 famous Grahams
4 famous Salisburys