The man in charge of our Tuesday night game at the New York Stadium will be . . . .
Eddie Ilderton from Tyne and Wear
After having his playing career curtailed due to injury, Eddie was encouraged by his father to become a referee and he began refereeing in the Northern Alliance and Northern Leagues. Eddie has been on the National List of Referees since 2002.
December 2015 was the last time Eddie was in the middle for a Millers game when Hull City were the visitors to the New York Stadium. After Moses Odubajo bundled over Kirk Broadfoot in the area Lee Frecklington scored from the penalty spot and a goal from Joe Newell twelve minutes into the second half gave the Millers a two-nil win. Broadfoot and Luke Hyam saw yellow for the hosts that day as well as City’s Curtis Davis.
Eddie was in the middle for a pretty explosive affair at the Pirelli Stadium between the Millers and Burton in February 2013 in League Two. Burton took the lead on thirty-six minutes with a goal from Billy Kee and the Millers were reduced to ten men after David Noble was booked twice in quick succession leaving the visitors facing the second half with only ten men. Kee scored a second goal ten minutes into the second half and when Michael O’Connor saw a straight red for stamping on Jacques Maghoma it looked like it would be three-nil when a penalty was given. But Michael Symes was unable to beat Andy Warrington in the Rotherham goal.
The time before that Eddie was in charge at Don Valley when Hereford were the visitors. A goal from Lewis Grabban two minutes before half-time gave the hosts all three points with the only booking of the day going to Danny Schofield.
The Millers also won the game the season before when Eddie was in charge at Moss Rose when goals from Jason Taylor and Nick Fenton gave the Millers a win against Macclesfield and that day he booked Dale Tonge and Marcus Marshall.
The 2010/11 season saw Eddie in the middle for two games involving Rotherham – the first in January at Don Valley when two goals before half-time from Adam Le Fondre gave the Millers a two-nil lead against Grimsby. Wes Fletcher got a consolation in the final minute of the game for the Mariners. Four months later Eddie was in charge of our game against Hereford at Edgar Street when goals from Mathieu Manset, Darren Jones and Marc Pugh gave the Bulls all three points.
A game to forget saw him in charge of our game at Christie Park when Morecambe won five-one in March 2008. Matt Blinkhorn opened the scoring of this League Two encounter on eight minutes (and by then they could easily have been two up if not for Millers’ ‘keeper Andy Warrington) and Jon Newby added to this in the ninth and eighteenth minute. Mark Hudson pulled one back on thirty-five minutes but Newby completed his hat-trick before half-time with a goal from Craig Stanley in the second half making it a very bad day at the seaside for the Millers. Peter Holmes was the only player booked that day.
Eddie will probably best be remembered for the game he refereed at Millmoor in February 2007 against Huddersfield. Luke Beckett put the visitors ahead on three minutes but Chris O’Grady equalised from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark after Andy Holdsworth had hand-balled in the area for which he saw red. A minute into the second half Beckett put Huddersfield in front again and Michael Collins made it three for the visitors thirteen minutes later. Rotherham’s substitute Delroy Facey, on for David Worrell) made it three-two and with the Millers going all out for a win the referee equalled things up by giving Ian Henderson a second yellow card after he lunged at Danny Schofield.
2005/6 saw Eddie at Millmoor twice in less than six weeks with the first game in December being a one-nil win to visiting Swindon Town with the goal coming from Rory Fallon and in January it was a one-all draw when Port Vale were in town. Michael Husbands opened the scoring for the visitors with Will Hoskins replying for the Millers. Michael Keane got his marching orders two minutes from the end of the game.
In 2004 Eddie was in the middle for our Championship game at Millmoor against Leicester City with Lilian Nalis putting the Foxes one up just before half-time and Dion Dublin making it two-nil fifteen minutes into the second half giving the visitors all three points.
The first time the Millers encountered Eddie was at Millmoor in November 2003. Walsall were the visitors that Saturday afternoon with second half goals from Chris Swailes and Martin Butler giving the Millers the win.
This season Eddie has been in charge of eighteen games showing fifty-seven yellow cards and six red cards, one of those being to former Millers loanee Tom Eaves
Running the line at the New York Stadium will be . . . .
Anthony Moore from Manchester
and
Oliver Bickle from Derbyshire
The Fourth Official will be . . . .
Gary Hilton from Lancashire
