Dale’s trip to the Gateshead International Stadium on Tuesday night will be refereed by PAUL MARSDEN.

This will be the sixth time Paul has refereed a Dale game – sort of!

We say ‘sort of’ as back in April 2015, he was a linesman at Spotland for the final home game of the season against MK Dons when an injury to the match referee saw Mr Marsden pressed into action in the second half.

That was one of a number of Dale appointments on the line for the Leyland-based official, but his promotion to the National List in 2018 saw him return to Spotland in a refereeing capacity in his own right in February 2019.

On that occasion Paul was the man in the middle for the home game against Coventry, which the visitors won 1-0 with a goal midway through the second half.

Eleven months later, he was back at Spotland for the 2-2 draw with Gillingham and continued to officiate in League One and League Two until the season was curtailed by the pandemic.

When the 2020/21 campaign kicked-off, it emerged that Mr Marsden had dropped back down to the National League, although the merging of the lists means he can now also referee in the EFL again.

We last saw Paul in February at the home game against Solihull Moors, which the visitors won 2-1 on a pitch that became wetter and muddier by the second.

The Headteacher at Saint Bede’s Catholic High School in Lytham St Annes, Mr Marsden started this term with seven appointments to the end of September, including three in EFL competitions, but Tuesday is his first outing at this level in two months.

Photo: Action Images

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