Dale’s rearranged home game against Brackley Town on Tuesday night will be refereed by GARETH THOMAS.

The Sheffield official was promoted to the National List for this season and Dale saw him in September when he refereed our National League Cup group game at home to Blackburn Rovers U21.

At that point he was still awaiting his first appointment in the National League, but Gareth has since refereed seven times in the fifth tier.

His first appointment was at Morecambe v Halifax, while Mr Thomas’s most recent National League game was Gateshead v Morecambe last Wednesday.

Last term saw Gareth referee in National League North and at the end of the campaign he was in the middle for the National League South play-off final between Boreham Wood and Maidstone United.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters