Mark Halsey

Early career

Halsey spent 12 years playing non-League football as a goalkeeper with teams such as Cambridge City and Hertford Town before he started refereeing in 1989. In December 1984 he played one game for Barnet before joining St Albans City. Halsey was a National List referee for the Football League from the mid-1990s until 1999. He refereed the 1999 Second Division play-off final between Gillingham and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, which City won 3–1 on penalties (the match having finishing 2–2 after extra time).

Select Group and FIFA lists

In 1999 Halsey was promoted to become a Premier League referee, his first appointment being a 1–1 draw in August of that year between Wimbledon and Coventry City. In 2000, Halsey was added to the FIFA list of referees, officiating in the Toulon Tournament of that year. In 2001, he was a referee for the football tournament at the World Student Games in Beijing and in 2002 at the FIFA World Disabled Championships, held in Japan. Also in 2002, he was appointed as fourth official to Mike Riley for the FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium, where Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2–0. Halsey's first major FIFA appointment came in 2004 when he refereed a friendly match between Belgium and France in Brussels. In August 2007 Halsey took charge of the FA Community Shield match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. After the game finished 1–1 after extra-time, the Premier League title holders United…