Scott Oldham is the man in the middle for Dale’s first game of 2023 at Barrow on Monday.

This will be his second Dale appointment this season after he appeared at Spotland in August for the Carabao Cup tie against Burton Albion.

The self-employed joiner from Poulton-le-Fylde is in his sixth campaign on the National List and has been a regular sight at our games since 2017.

His first Dale appointment came in October that year 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.

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