Oliver Langford’s first Football League game was Dale’s opening home league fixture of the 2008/09 season against Barnet.

I can’t recall too much in the way of controversy from Mr Langford that afternoon and it’s safe to say his league career to date has followed the same path.

We have only seen him twice in the meantime and both those games were in the 2009/10 promotion campaign.

On Boxing Day of that season he was in the middle for the exciting 2-2 draw at Crewe, in which Kallum Higginbotham scored his terrific long-range goal.

Four months later he was back at Spotland for the visit of doomed Darlington, a game which everyone expected would clinch Dale’s place in League One.

As it was The Quakers won 1-0 and we have to wait four more days for promotion to be secured.

Before the weekend, when he was due to officiate at Derby v Doncaster, Oliver had refereed four matches this term, including the Carling Cup tie between Accrington and Scunthorpe.

Those four matches had produced just nine yellow cards.

REFWORLD PROFILE: http://refworld.com/referee/189/1

Rochdale Polls