Dale’s first trip to Kidderminster since December 2004 will be refereed by PAUL JOHNSON.

On that occasion 19 years ago, Dale lost 2-1 and the referee was Paul DANSON, which is where we hope the slight similarities end!

Mr Johnson is based in Surrey and this is his second full season officiating in the National League.

He was promoted midway through the 2021/22 campaign and continued into last term when he refereed seven games, showing 35 yellow cards and two reds. The gap between appointments suggests he suffered some sort of injury over the winter months.

Saturday will be Paul’s first game of this season.

Photo: Action Images

whallopAOTS added 22:32 - Sep 9 I don't know how to describe Paul Johnson's display, today, without using the sort of bad language that is elsewhere described as an objective correlative, but frowned upon used here... Suffice to say Johnson is an appropriate name, performance wise, and, hate it as I do, had VAR existed at this level he could have watched his display 'from arsehole to breakfast time' and been as appalled by it as the watching spectators were.

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