Former Premier League and FIFA referee Bobby Madley is the man in the middle for Dale’s crucial Papa John’s Trophy tie at home to Salford City on Tuesday.
If Dale avoid defeat in their first-ever meeting with The Ammies, they will progress to the second round of the newly-named competition.
Bobby will experience a very different Crown Oil Arena against Salford compared to his last visit, which was for Dale’s thrilling FA Cup fifth round tie versus Tottenham in February 2018.
When asked about this game on Twitter during his time in exile from refereeing, he replied, "It was one of the best matches I ever refereed and one of best atmospheres I have experienced in my career.”
Based in Ossett, Madley 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 then progressed to become a FIFA referee and regularly took charge of high-profile Premier League fixtures, as well as games in 2017/18 like the Community Shield and Liverpool v Everton in the third round of the FA Cup.
Bobby ended that campaign with Middlesbrough v Aston Villa in the Championship play-offs and a friendly international in Iceland, before he was hit by scandal involving an ill-advised video sent from his phone.
He was forced to resign from the Premier League and FIFA lists and went to live and referee in Norway for over a year, before releasing this statement last December: https://therefereesword.blogspot.com/2019/12/time-to-move-on.html?m=1
It was then announced by Bobby ( https://therefereesword.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-new-chapter.html?m=1 ) that he would be returning to England to resume his refereeing career in the EFL and up to the weekend, when he was in charge of Harrogate v Skelmersdale in the FA Cup, he had overseen eight matches this term, including Bolton v Oldham.
As far as we are concerned, Tuesday will be Mr Madley’s seventh Dale match, starting with a 3-1 home win over Bristol Rovers in February 2011.
The full list of his Dale appointments is:
Feb 2011 Bristol Rovers (h), W 3-1
Feb 2012 Scunthorpe (a), L 0-1
Oct 2012 Bury (h, JPT), D 1-1 [lost on pens]
Dec 2012 Burton (a), L 2-3
Dec 2014 Fleetwood (h), L 0-2
Feb 2018 Tottenham (h, FAC), D 2-2
Finally, Bobby’s brother, Andy Madley, is currently a Premier League and FIFA referee.