Rotherham United welcome referee Peter Bankes from Merseyside back to the New York Stadium on Saturday for what will be his third time in charge of the Millers this season.
Last time Peter was in the middle at the New York Stadium was in September when Frank Lampard’s Derby County were the visitors. Former Miller Tom Lawrence saw red for the Rams for a reckless challenge on Richie Towell while his Manager was also sent to the stands with ten minutes to go. In between this Kyle Vassell was brought down in the area and Ryan Manning stepped up to score from the resulting penalty kick which gave the hosts a one-nil win on the day.
The first time Peter was in the middle for a Millers game this season was in August when Wigan Athletic were in town for the first round of the Carabao Cup. Rotherham won the game three-one with two goals from Jamie Proctor and another from Semi Ajayi with James Vaughan replying for the visitors. Wigan’s Alex Bruce was the only booking of the evening.
Peter began refereeing at the age of fourteen in his native Liverpool area. Spending two years as a Select Group Assistant Referee, he was appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2014.
In December last year Peter was in charge of our game at Bloomfield Road. Blackpool went in front with a goal from Kelvin Mellor but two second half goals from David Ball gave the visitors all three points. Richard Wood, Michael Ihiekwe and Will Vaulks saw yellow for the Millers that afternoon.
He had also been in charge of our second round game at Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup in the August. Despite Semi Ajayi scoring for the Millers in the first minute, Huddersfield scored two in two minutes in the second half (a Phillip Billing penalty and a goal from Joe Lolley) to give the hosts a third round tie away to Crystal Palace.
The first time Peter was in charge of a Millers game was in October 2015 for our Friday night game at home to Burnley in front of the TV cameras and the one where caretaker Manager Eric Black was in the dugout. Andre Gray opened the scoring on nine minutes but with fifteen minutes to go a wonder strike from Grant Ward levelled things up. Unfortunately for Rotherham six minutes later Sam Vokes made it two-one to the visitors giving them all three points.
The 2016/17 season saw the Millers and Peter meet a few times, the first being in the September when Nottingham Forest were the visitors to the New York Stadium. Jon Taylor put the Millers in front on the half-hour mark but Forest scored twice in the second half from Matt Mills and Apostolos Vellios. In between the visitors goals Mr Bankes gave Darnell Fisher a second yellow card banishing him to the dressing rooms. A goal three minutes from time again from Taylor gave the Millers a point on the night. Also booked that evening was Joe Mattock and Izzy Brown for the hosts plus three Forest players. He was also in charge of our game away at Ashton Gate in February when a goal on seventy-five minutes from Milan Djuric gave Bristol City the three points.
This season Peter has shown sixty-nine yellow cards and two red cards in the fifteen games he has been in charge of.
Running the line for this South Yorkshire derby we have Timothy Wood and Jonathan Hunt with John Busby as the Fourth Official.
