Referee: Scott Tallis
Assistant Referee: Oliver Bickell, Wayne Grunnill
Fourth Official: Elliot Bell
It’s only our second cup game under Michael Skubala, and the second time we’ve had the pleasure of Scott Tallis as a match official. We saw him last season as we lost 2-0 to Oxford United, a game I suppose was actually a little more important than it felt at the time. I thought he did a decent job that night, although the Oxford physio felt differently, the two had a bit of an altercation after Sam Long had to go off injured.
Tallis was a first-year official last season, and he bounced around between the two divisions, seemingly acting as a good omen for Harrogate—he officiated them twice, and both times, they won. He seemed to officiate as the games dictated, in that he wasn’t particularly card-happy but was willing to draw when needed. In our game, he flashed just two, but when Bristol Rovers beat Portsmouth, he showed ten.
He did get moaned about a bit, the first time as Harrogate beat Doncaster Rovers. It’s a bit harsh to go in on a first-year rookie, but Grant McCann did that, claiming Tallis should have given them a penalty. In what will be no shock at all, Ian Evatt also had a moan back in April, after Tallis replaced Bobby Madely following the former’s injury.
“I thought the standard of the officiating in the second half clearly deteriorated,” he said. “I felt decisions went against us, I have seen the offside back and I still believe that once the ball is passed he is in our half, so offside. We can’t get that wrong.”
However, Tallis remains one of the middle-of-the-road officials, ranking 28th out of 63 for fouls per game last season in League One, 18th for yellows per game (doubtless lifted by that Bristol Rovers game), and 24th for fouls per tackle.
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