Leigh Doughty will become the first ‘new’ referee at a Dale game this season when we face Bolton Wanderers in the Leasing.com Trophy on Tuesday.
The Lytham official is in his debut season on the National List, but he has so far been limited to League Two fixtures and Port Vale v Shrewsbury in the Leasing.com Trophy at the start of September.
Leigh’s first appointment at EFL level was Cheltenham v Scunthorpe and he has also been sent on trips down the M55 and M6 to Forest Green, Newport and Swindon, as well as to Oldham v Morecambe just over a week ago.
A PE teacher at Carr Hill High School in Kirkham, Mr Doughty was only promoted to the National League list in the summer of 2018, but he performed so well last season that he was appointed to a tie in the first round of the FA Cup, as well as Salford v Eastleigh in the play-offs.
That preceded his promotion to the EFL for this campaign, when he has refereed seven games, showing 13 yellow cards and one red.