Rotherham United travel to Nottingham on Saturday to take on Nottingham Forest for the thirty-seventh league meeting between the two sides.
In the middle for the game at the City Ground is Rob Jones from Merseyside who was in charge of our game last month at Elland Road where second half goals from Luke Ayling and Kemar Roofe gave Leeds a two-nil victory. The only yellow showed that afternoon was to Jon Taylor of the Millers.
Rob was also in the middle for our League One Play-Off Final at Wembley which saw Richard Wood’s two goals beat Shrewsbury Town two-one.
Before the League One Play-Off Final Robert’s last time in the middle of a Millers game was in January this year when Portsmouth were the visitors to the New York Stadium which saw a goal in the last minute of the game from Joe Mattock gave the hosts all three points. Josh Emmanuel was the only player yellow carded during the afternoon.
He was also in the middle earlier in the season, again at the New York Stadium, when, strangely enough, Shrewsbury Town were the visitors. The Millers missed an early penalty with Kieffer Moore’s spot kick being well saved by Shrews’ ‘keeper Dean Henderson. Minutes later Jon Nolan gave the visitors the lead but on the fifty-third minute the Shrews were down to ten men after Abu Ogogo hacked down Shaun Cummings and was sent for an early bath. Richie Towell equalised for the hosts with fifteen minutes to go but in time added on at the end of the game Stefan Payne won the game for the visitors from close range. Apart from the straight red for Ogogo yellow cards went to Richard Wood of the Millers and Town’s Aristote Nsiala.
The first time Robert met the Millers as a referee was in April last season which saw a rare away point for Rotherham with Richie Smallwood scoring on nine minutes at Deepdale. Unfortunately for the Millers Steve May scored four minutes before half-time to give Rochdale a point. Smallwood was the only person to get a yellow card that afternoon.
Rob has reffed seven games this season showing twenty-one yellow cards.
Running the line at the City Ground we have Nick Hopton and Robert Hyde with the Fourth Official being Kevin Johnson who hails from Somerset.
