Rotherham United welcome Hull City to the New York Stadium on Saturday for the Third Round proper of the FA Cup where Anthony Backhouse from Cumbria is the referee.
Anthony began his refereeing at the tender age of fourteen in Cumberland rising to officiating in the Blue Square Premier League in 2012 being promoted to the National List of Referees for the start of the 2017/18 season.
This will be the second time this season Anthony has been in the middle for a Millers game the first being at the Greenhous Meadow in August in the EFL Cup which saw a four-nil victory for the Millers over Shrewsbury. Matt Crooks and Kyle Vassell put Rotherham two up in three minutes with Freddie Ladapo adding a third on the stroke of half-time and Richard Wood scoring another six minutes from time.
Before this Anthony had twice been in charge of Millers firstly in our Checkatrade Trophy game when a Manchester City U21 side came to the New York Stadium which saw David Ball put the Millers ahead only for a Benjamin Garre goal sending the tie to penalties in the last minute of the game. The young City side won the shoot-out four-two.
The only time that Anthony and Rotherham have met in the league was on Boxing Day in 2017 when the Millers travelled to Gigg Lane to take on Bury. David Ball put the visitors in front on five minutes with Lee Frecklington doubling the score five minutes later. Will Vaulks gave the Millers a three-nil away win with seven minutes to go. Anthony showed yellow cards to Anthony Forde and Ryan Williams that afternoon as well as two Bury players.
In the nineteen games Anthony has been in the middle for this season he has shown sixty-five yellow cards and two red cards.
Running the line on Saturday we have Natalie Aspinall and Helen Edwards (neither can be as bad as the lino on the Family Stand side on New Years Day) and Joe Hull is the Fourth Official.
