The man in charge of the first leg of the Play-Off Semi Final between Rotherham United and Scunthorpe will be Tim Robinson from West Sussex.
Tim began his career in the Sussex League working as a Contributory League Assistant and Supply League Referee and rose through the leagues until August 2010 saw him referee at Conference Premier level. Two years later Tim was in charge of his first League game which was a League Two game between Southend and Accrington.
The last time Tim was in the middle for a Millers game was on April Fools Day 2017 when Fulham were the visitors to the New York Stadium in the Championship with a Sone Aluko goal on sixty-six minutes giving the visitors all three points. Ben Purrington came off the bench and soon saw yellow for Rotherham with Stefan Johansen being booked for the Cottagers.
Earlier that season he was in charge of our game at Hillsborough that saw a late winner from the penalty spot for the Owls. Richard Wood was sent off for ‘fouling’ Lucas Joao in the area but the decision was overturned three days later. The second penalty decision Mr Robinson got wrong for the Millers!
Before that season he was last in charge of a Millers game in February when Rotherham were away at Turf Moor. A penalty when Lloyd Doyley tripped George Boyd just outside the box on twenty-seven minutes was neatly put away by Sam Vokes followed by a goal four minutes from Scott Arfield four minutes from time gave Burnley all three points. Chris Burke and Richie Smallwood saw yellow for the Millers that day with Andre Gray and Ben Mee getting the same for Burnley.
The other two games Tim was in the middle for involving Rotherham were firstly at the New York Stadium in November 2015 when Bristol City were in town. Jonson Clarke-Harris opened the scoring for the hosts on nine minutes and doubled his and the Millers score from the penalty spot eighteen minutes later (and what a thumper of a penalty it was!) The game was finally put to bed fifteen minutes from time with a goal from skipper Lee Frecklington making it a three-nil victory for Rotherham. Tim booked five players on the day – Kirk Broadfoot from the Millers and City’s Luke Ayling, Marlon Pack, Luke Freeman and Jonathan Kodjia.
March 2014 was the first time Tim was at the New York Stadium and it was a game of goals! Notts County were the visitors and the game was just twelve minutes old when James Tavernier put the hosts one up. Haris Vuckic made it two four minutes later with Alex Revell getting the third on twenty-six minutes. A Kieran Agard penalty made it four-nil going into half-time. Vuckic got his second and the Millers fifth on the hour mark with Tom Hitchcock coming off the bench to make it six-nil to the Millers. Just two yellow cards that day were shown to Hayden Mullins and Jack Grealish of County.
Tim has been in the middle for forty-six games this season, mostly in the Championship, and has shown one hundred and forty-six yellow cards and eleven red cards.
Nick Greenhaigh and James Mainwaring both from Lancashire will be running the lines with the flags and Peter Bankes from Merseyside is the Fourth Official.
