Dale will be hoping West Midlands-based referee Oliver Langford proves a lucky charm once again when he takes charge of Saturday’s home game with York.
Mr Langford was in the middle for arguably our best results of last season – the 2-0 win at QPR in the Carling Cup and the 1-0 league victory at Preston.
Saturday will be his sixth Dale fixture, with his first – our 3-1 home defeat of Barnet in August 2008 - being Oliver’s debut game at Football League level.
Mr Langford also refereed Dale twice in the 2009/10 promotion campaign.
On Boxing Day of that season he was in charge of the exciting 2-2 draw at Crewe, in which Kallum Higginbotham scored his terrific long-range goal.
Four months later he was back at Spotland for the visit of doomed Darlington, a game which everyone expected would clinch Dale’s place in League One.
As it was The Quakers won 1-0 and we had to wait four more days for promotion to be secured.
So far this season Oliver has officiated at 17 matches, showing 28 yellow cards and three red.
He has been well-travelled over the course of the last month, refereeing at Aldershot, Barrow, Cardiff and Exeter in the space of a fortnight.