Tony Harrington from Cleveland has the whistle for the Millers home game against Swansea City.
After refereeing in the Teesside Junior Football Alliance at the age of 14 Tony completed a basic refereeing course whilst at school as part of the Duke of Edinburgh award. After four years as an EFL assistant referee and four years as a National League referee, he was appointed to the EFL Referees List in 2012/13.
The last time he was in charge of the Millers was for the South Yorkshire derby when Sheffield Wednesday were the visitors to the New York Stadium in April 2017. Two goals from Steven Fletcher in the first half gave the Owls all three points. Tony booked Will Vaulks and Joe Newell that Tuesday night.
Tony was last in charge of the Millers in December when Burton Town were the visitors to the New York Stadium. Former Miller Chris O’Grady opened the scoring for the visitors with Jackson Irvine making it two-nil on the forty-first minute. Tom Adeyemi gave the Millers some halving the deficit right on half-time but Burton went home with all three points. Darnell Fisher, Lee Frecklington and Danny Ward were booked alongside three Burton players that afternoon.
The time before that when Tony was in charge of a Rotherham game was on a cold Friday night in December in 2015 at Ewood Park when the only goal of the game was a terrific header from Luke Hyam on the half-hour mark – unfortunately he put it past Lee Camp to give Rovers the win. Kirk Broadfoot was the only player booked that evening.
The season before he was in the middle for our game at the New York Stadium against Blackpool. Jordan Bowery came off the bench and put the Millers ahead on seventy-eight minutes only for Steve Davies to equalise seven minutes later. Tony booked three players that day, all Millers – Paul Green, Ben Pringle and Manu Ledesma.
In October 2013 Tony was in charge of our game against Tranmere when Kieran Agard opened the scoring for the Millers on the hour mark. After having a penalty appeal turned down for handball themselves, the Millers were annoyed when Mr Harrington said that Joe Skarz had pushed former Millers loanee Abdulai Bell-Baggie over in the area and pointed to the spot. Ryan Lowe scored from the spot to make it one-all and a point-a-piece.
Twelve months before saw Southend visiting the New York Stadium which was Tony’s first visit there – and it was one that Millers fans want to forget. The sides went in goalless at half-time but two goals in the second half form Britt Assombalonga plus another from Dave Martin gave the visitors a three-nil win.
Tony has been in the middle for ten games this season showing thirty-three yellow cards and one red card
Running the line on Saturday we have Paul Hodskinson and Geoffrey Russell while the Fourth Official is David Webb from County Durham who recently reffed our game against Stoke City.
