Dale’s Carabao Cup preliminary round tie at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday will be refereed by OLIVER MACKEY.

The 30-year-old Leicestershire-based official is in his third season as a member of the National Group and this is only his second Dale appointment.

We previously saw him towards the end of the 2023/24 season when he refereed our final home game of the campaign – a 0-0 draw with Boreham Wood – which was only his second appointment in the National League.

Since the match officials’ lists were aligned ahead of the 2024/25 season, Mr Mackey has found himself officiating more often in League One/Two, with the occasional National League fixture throw in for good measure.

Last season he oversaw four games in League One, 13 in League Two, seven in the National League and two in the Carabao Cup, producing 101 yellow cards and two red cards.

Oliver’s only previous Tranmere match was their 2-2 home draw with Morecambe in League Two in December 2024.

Footnote: Saturday’s game will be the first in England to trial the new procedure that attempts to eradicate tactical time outs by goalkeepers.

Read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyjxd53zkpo

MATCH STAT
This is only the second League Cup tie between Dale and Tranmere Rovers.

At the start of the 1987/88 season, we met in the first round of what was the Littlewoods Cup, with Dale winning 3-1 in the home leg, before losing 1-0 at Prenton Park in the return.

Dale went on to play top flight Wimbledon in the second round.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters