Ref Watch – Millers v Accrington

Rotherham United’s Boxing Day game sees the Millers travel to Accrington Stanley when the referee will be Andrew Kitchen from Durham.

After an injury saw him on the bench more often than in goal Andrew found himself watching the refereeing and he decided to take a course. In his first full season as an adult referee he was promoted from level seven to level five and he became the youngest referee to take charge of a Cup Final in the Consett Sunday League. Having spent two seasons in the National League, Andrew was promoted to the National Group List.

This is Andrew’s second time in charge of Rotherham, the first being in October in the Papa John’s Trophy game at the New York Stadium when Scunthorpe were in town. Will Grigg and Freddie Ladapo gave the hosts a two-nil lead going into half-time with the Iron halving the score on sixty-five minutes before goals from Hakeem Odofin and Michael Smith gave the Millers a four-one win.

Running the line at the Wham Stadium are Steven Rushton and Richard Woodward while the fourth official is Thomas Parsons