There is a change in the middle for the Millers game on Saturday against Bolton Wanderers when it will now be John Brooks from Melton Mowbray in charge.
John came through the ranks as an Assistant Referee before becoming the man in the middle in the Conference in 2014 and reffed the 2016 Football Conference Play-Off between Braintree and Grimsby.
When he was an Assistant Referee he caused a bit of controversy at The Emirates when he urged the visiting Manchester City team to go to their fans and ‘thank them for coming and paying £62 for the privilege’. He was dropped for his next game. (Personally, I think that was a bit harsh on him – a team shouldn’t need telling to go and thank their fans in my opinion).
This will be just the second time John has been in the middle for a Millers game, the first being in September last year when Oldham Athletic were at the New York Stadium. The Millers started well going in front on eight minutes with a goal from Michael Ihiekwe but Oldham equalised on twenty-one minutes thanks to Craig Davies. But the last seventeen minutes of the game saw the hosts score four more goals – two from Kieffer Moore and one each for Anthony Forde and Jamie Yates – to give the Millers a five-one win. Jon Taylor was the only Miller booked that day.
In the eleven games John has been in the middle for this season he has shown forty-three yellow cards (four of which were to our visitors this weekend, Bolton) and three red cards.
There is no change to the assistant officials with the men with the flags being Matthew McGrath and Mark Jones while Scott Ledger from Barnsley is the Fourth Official.
