Rotherham United take the short trip to Oakwell for their next Championship game when they take on Barnsley and the referee is Gavin Ward from Surrey.
Gavin joined the list of Assistant Referees at the start of the 2002/3 season progressing to the National List of Referees in 2007, when he officiated in the Euro 2008 qualifying game between Denmark and Liechtenstein in the September.
Gavin was last in charge of a Millers game in February at Deepdale when an own goal from Joe Rafferty gave the Millers the lead. Ben Wiles made it two ten minutes into the second half with Preston pulling one back on sixty-five minutes from Ched Evans. Michael Ihiekwe, Dan Barlaser and Matt Crooks got booked that day. Earlier this season, in December at Vicarage Road, he was in the middle again when two goals in the opening fifteen minutes for Watford gave them the two-nil win. Billy Jones and Michael Ihiekwe got yellow cards that Tuesday night.
Before that he was in the middle for our home game with Bristol City in October 2018 which ended goalless. Before that Gavin met the Millers in September 2017 in League One at Portman Road when a Jon Taylor goal on the thirty-sixth minute gave Rotherham a win over Ipswich Town and former Boss Kenny Jackett.
February 2015 saw Ipswich Town the visitors to the New York Stadium with Gavin having the whistle. Matt Derbyshire put the Millers ahead on the thirty-eighth minute with a Conor Salmon goal on sixty-four minutes making it two-nil to the hosts. Zeki Fryers, who was on loan from Crystal Palace, saw yellow for the Millers that day. A month after the game Zeki joined Ipswich on loan until the end of the season.
The time before that Gavin was at the New York Stadium was March 2014 for our two-one win over Bristol City. James Tavernier opened the scoring on just two minutes but Wade Elliott equalised for the Robins three minutes into the second half. On the hour mark another goal from Tavernier gave the Millers all three points.That season we also had him officiate our three-nil loss to Crawley Town in March.
The season before Gavin had been in the middle for our FA Cup game at the EEB Stadium against Aldershot. A hat-trick from Danny Hilton for the hosts gave them a three-nil lead before Mr Ward gave the Millers a penalty which Lee Frecklington put away. Kari Arnason (84 minutes) and Hylton (85 minutes) saw red cards that day.
September 2011 saw Gavin at Don Valley which saw the Millers beat visitors Dagenham and Redbridge three-one. Gareth Evans opened the scoring on eight minutes only for Scott Doe to equalise thirteen minutes later. Two goals from Lewis Grabban before half-time gave the Millers the win. Marcus Marshall of the Millers and the Daggers’ Damien McCrory were booked that day.
A goalless draw away at Brentford was the game Gavin was in charge of in August 2008 with the only card of the day being a yellow for Rotherham’s Reuben Reid.
The first time Gavin was in charge of a Rotherham game was at Millmoor in December 2007 where he sent off Matty Crowell of Wrexham on fourteen minutes for a two footed lunge at Millers loanee, Ian Ross. Five minutes before half-time Derek Holmes put the home side in front, getting a second on seventy-two minutes. Marc Newsham pitched in with a third ten minutes from time to give the Millers a well deserved victory.
This season Gavin has been in the middle for thirty games showing one hundred and thirty yellow cards and four red cards.
Running the line on Saturday we have Mark Dwyer and Bhupinder Gill with the Fourth Official being Oliver Langford.
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