Dale’s game at home to Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday night will be refereed by SIMON MATHER.

This is a quick return to Spotland for the Manchester-based official who was in the middle for our home pre-season friendly against FC Halifax Town.

Mr Mather was promoted to the National Group in the summer of 2021 and Tuesday will be his sixth Dale appointment in the meantime.

We first saw him at Swindon in October 2021, where George Broadbent and Liam Kelly scored for Dale in a 2-2 draw under Robbie Stockdale, while the following September, Simon was at Spotland when we went down to a 1-0 midweek loss to Leyton Orient in which Scott Quigley missed from the penalty spot.

Mr Mather was also in the middle in the first game of 2023 at Barrow, which ended in a tame 0-0 draw, while last February he was back at Spotland for Dale’s impressive 4-1 win over Boreham Wood.

Tuesday will be Simon’s fourth appointment of the season and in his two league games to date – Harrogate v Solihull Moors and Bristol Rovers v Newport – the home side has scored five goals!

MATCH STAT
Dale lost 2-0 when Shrewsbury were last at Spotland in March 2021, ending a run of seven consecutive home wins over the Shropshire outfit.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters