Dale’s first Saturday home match for 77 days (weather & pitch permitting) against Yeovil Town this weekend will be refereed by SCOTT OLDHAM.

Mr Oldham was a regular in the middle at our matches in the Football League and Saturday is his first appointment of the season in the National League under the new arrangement that sees a single list covering all the divisions.

This will be Scott’s first Dale game since that fateful day at Stockport in April 2023 when our relegation from the EFL was confirmed.

That was his 13th Dale appointment going back to when he joined the list ahead of the 2017/18 campaign

The self-employed joiner from Poulton-le-Fylde first refereed Dale in October 2017 when he oversaw a 1-0 home win over Bristol Rovers, although on that occasion he was a late replacement for Tom Nield.

Scott returned to Spotland in March 2018 for the 1-1 draw with AFC Wimbledon and then three weeks later, he was an 11th hour replacement for Andy Haines in Dale’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Portsmouth in which Matt Done scored a heart-breaking injury-time own goal.

Mr Oldham appeared at Spotland again in October 2018 for the 3-2 home loss to Doncaster, before taking charge at Walsall four months later where both Ethans – Ebanks-Landell and Hamilton – were on target in Dale’s 2-1 defeat of The Saddlers.

In November 2019, he was in the middle when Ipswich won 1-0 at Spotland on their first-ever visit to our part of Lancashire, before refereeing three of our games in the 2020/21 campaign.

Two of those appointments were both league fixtures against Accrington – Dale losing 2-1 at the Wham Stadium, but winning 3-1 at Spotland – and the FA Cup first round loss at home to Stockport County.

Dale Appointments

Oct 2017 v Bristol R (h), W 1-0
Mar 2018 v AFC Wimbledon (h), D 1-1
Apr 2018 v Portsmouth (h), D 3-3
Oct 2018 v Doncaster R (h), L 2-3
Feb 2019 v Walsall (a), W 2-1
Nov 2019 v Ipswich T (h), L 0-1
Oct 2020 v Accrington S (a), L 1-2
Nov 2020 v Stockport C (h, FAC), L 1-2
Apr 2021 v Accrington S (h), W 3-1
Aug 2021 v Shrewsbury T (a, CC), W 2-0
Nov 2021 v Stevenage (h), D 2-2
Aug 2022 v Burton (h, CC), W 2-0
Apr 2023 v Stockport (a), L 0-1

Scott’s most prestigious appointment came last April when he was appointed to the EFL Trophy Final at Wembley between Peterborough United and Wycombe Wanderers.

A few weeks later he was in the middle for Doncaster Rovers v Crewe Alexandra in the League Two play-offs.

So far this season, Scott has refereed 20 matches in League One, League Two and the cups, showing 77 yellow cards and four reds.

His most recent game was Walsall v MK Dons last Saturday, while seven days earlier he took charge of Exeter City v Oxford United in the FA Cup third round.

Photo: Action Images

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