John Brooks will be the man in charge when Rovers travel to Blundell Park in the Carabao Cup first round on Tuesday August 13.
Brooks was promoted to the National List of Referees in 2016 following two seasons in the National League. He was fast tracked after a good season in Sky Bet League One and League Two and now referees mostly in the Championship.
He began his career as an assistant referee and was running the line in the Premier League aged just 21. He is considered a rising star by many of the top referees in the country.
He took charge of just one Rovers match last season - a 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe at Glanford Park. The season before he oversaw five Rovers games in the previous season – Rovers lost two and drew three. Rovers last victory with Brooks in charge came in the League Two season – a convincing 3-1 away win over Barnet.
Brooks will be assisted by Jonathan Hunt and Akil Howson. The fourth official is Daniel Middleton.