Ref Watch – Millers Away At Middlesbrough

Rotherham United’s re-arranged game at the Riverside Stadium sees referee Michael Salisbury from Lancashire in the middle against Middlesbrough.

Michael is the son of referee Graham Salisbury and this is just his second year 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.

February 2020 was the last time the Millers and Mr Salisbury met when Rotherham entertained AFC Wimbledon at the New York Stadium. Max Sanders put the visitors in front on the half-hour mark with second half goals from Matt Crooks and Freddie Ladapo giving the hosts the lead but a Kwesi Appiah penalty three minutes into stoppage time gave Wimbledon a point. Earlier that season Michael had been in the middle for our game 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 fourteen games Michael has been in charge of this season he has shown thirty-seven yellow cards and one red.

Running the line on Wednesday night we have James Wilson and Mark Dwyer with the Fourth Official being Robert Madley