IF Rotherham United’s game goes ahead on Boxing Day against Middlesbrough the Man in the middle for the Riverside Stadium clash will be Michael Salisbury from Lancashire who is the son of referee Graham Salisbury and this is just his fourth season refereeing in the Football League although as an assistant referee he has been involved in games throughout the leagues and Premier League as well as being involved in Europa League Qualifiers and the EURO Qualifiers.
The last time Michael was involved in a game with the Millers was at the New York Stadium in February last season when AFC Wilmbledon were the visitors. Max Sanders opened the scoring for the visitors on the half-hour mark with second half goals from Matt Crooks and Freddie Ladapo giving the Millers the lead until a trip on Joe Piggott three minutes into time added on saw a penalty awarded which Kwesi Appiah duly put away making it two-all.
He’d also been in the middle for our game that same season away at the Memorial Stadium which saw former Miller Jonson Clarke-Harris score the only goal for Bristol Rovers to give them all three points. There were no cards issued that day.
Before that Michael has reffed Rotherham four times the first time was on 12 August 2017 when a Kieffer Moore hat-trick plus goals from Joe Newell and Ryan Williams saw Rotherham beat Southend at the New York Stadium. Newell and Moore saw yellow that afternoon as well as the visitors Simon Cox. The same season in the February saw Michael in the middle for our two-nil home win over Wimbledon. The game was just less than a quarter of an hour old when Michael Smith scored the first goal, the second one coming two minutes into time added on at the end of the game when Michael Ball scored from a re-bound after Ryan Williams saw his shot saved.
In March 2018 Michael had the whistle for our game at Stadium:mk. Semi Ajayi headed the visitors in front on nine minutes but two first half goals from Robbie Muirhead and Peter Pawlet gave MK Dons a two-one lead at half-time. Muirhead scored another twelve minutes into the second half with Jon Taylor scoring for the Millers with fifteen minutes to go but Rotherham couldn’t get an equaliser and the Dons won three-two.
In the twelve games he has been in charge of this season Michael has shown thirty-two yellow cards and one red card.
Running the line on Boxing Day will be Jonathan Hunt and Mark Dwyer with the Fourth Official being Robert Madley.
Share this article
Related Articles
