Ref Watch – Millers v Leeds United

Rotherham United travel to take on Leeds United on Saturday where Andy Madley from West Yorkshire has the whistle at Elland Road.

Andy was last in the middle of a Millers game in November 2020 when Luton Town were the visitors at the New York Stadium. This was an evening of missed chances for Rotherham and after James Collins scored on seventy minutes some good defending from the Hatters. Mikel Miller was the only home player booked.

Earlier that season Andy had been at our game at St Andrew’s Stadium in when Rotherham took on Birmingham City. With it looking like it would be a goalless draw the visitors got a penalty after Jeremie Bela clipped the heels of Ben Wiles with Kieran Sadlier putting Rotherham in front with just three minutes to go. But in time added on a foul on Jon Toral by Billy Jones saw the Blues get a spot-kick which Bela scored with to make it one-all.

Before that the Millers and Andy met in May 2019 when Middlesbrough were the visitors to the New York Stadium. A Clark Robertson foul on Britt Assombalonga saw the ‘Boro striker pick himself up and score the resulting penalty on twenty-eight minutes with a John Obi Mikel eleven minutes later making it two-nil to the visitors. Four minutes from time Kyle Vassell, who had come off the bench and rattled the woodwork minutes earlier won a penalty which Michael Smith took to give the hosts a consolation goal.

Weeks before Andy was again at the New York Stadium with Aston Villa the visitors for a mid-week game. It was a game of three penalties with Tammy Abraham’s spot-kick being saved by Millers ‘keeper Marek Rodak and minutes later Villa’s Tyrone Mings saw a second yellow for handball in the area with Will Vaulks giving the hosts the lead from the twelve yard spot. Minutes after coming on Jonathan Kodjia put his penalty away after a handball from Semi Ajayi to equalise for Villa with Jack Grealish making it two-one to the visitors on fifty-one minutes.

In February of that season the Millers were at the Den in a goalless game when Andy was again in the middle and showed yellow cards to Richard Wood, Clark Robertson, Matt Crooks and Kyle Vassell.

Andy’s only other time in the middle for a Millers game was in September 2016 when Bristol City were the visitors at the New York Stadium. Izzy Brown opened the scoring for the hosts on six minutes with an Aden Flint own goal giving the Millers a two-nil lead. But goals from Tammy Abrahams and Bobby Reid in the last finite minutes of the game sent City home with a point. That afternoon Andy booked Lee Camp and Danny Ward of the Millers.

So far this season Andy has been in the middle for twenty-one games which include Premier League, Champions League, Europa Conference, International Friendlies, FA Cup games and one other Championship tie and has shown eighty-five yellow cards and three red cards.

Running the line on Saturday we have Nick Hopton and Sian Massey-Ellis with Neil Hair being the Fourth Official.