Referee Profile – Mark Halsey
Building up to the start of the football season I will be profiling the Men in Black that will be seen on the Premier League this season. With the Charity Community Shield this Sunday it seems a good place to start with Mark Halsey. Mark started refereeing in 1989 and was appointed to the Football League in the 90′s. He officiated the 1999 Play off final between Gillingham & Manchester City. The next season he was promoted to the Premier League, and in 2000 was added to the FIFA list of Referee’s and officiated at the famous Toloun Tournament. He was 4th official in the 2002 FA Cup Final to Mike Riley at the Milenium Stadium.
Mark has written an “ask the ref” column for the Bolton match day programme, having moved to Bolton from Hertfordshire a couple of years back.
Last Season he officiated 42 Domestic games issuing 103 Yellow Cards & 9 Red Cards.
Highlights
1998 League One Play Off Final – Referee
2000 Toulon Under-21 tournament
2001 World Student games in Beijing
2002 FA Cup Final – Arsenal v Chelsea – Fourth official
2002 FIFA World Disabled Championships – Japan – Referee
2004 Belgium v France – First Full International
Hai!Mark Halsey. Im from K.L,M’sia.just dot down some words 4 u.Been watching football 4 the last 2yrs.actually i know nothing abt football but i been watching the way u judge the games.u r really pro..so when is yr next appearance then?so that’s all i can say.hardly 2 get yr contact but finally found!bye.
I was appalled at your decision to send off Liam Trotter in yesterday’s FA cup game. Perhaps you view the game as a non contact sport, but it is your responsibility to apply the laws of the game as they are currently universally applied and understood. You failed entirely to do so. If that challenge was worthy of a red card, no game in any league would ever finish with more than 20 men on the field.I and many others would appreciate the courtesy of an honest explanation of what was said in your earpiece and who said it.Incidentally- the assertion to one of the ITFC coaching staff that you are a professional and 100% right is absurd. Many many professionals have commented on just how bad the decision was. Being a professional doesnt make you right. But it does mean you should have the integrity to be honest about decisions, to rescind bad red cards and to take some notice of the overwhelmingly consistent views of fans, managers (on both sides), pundits, commentators, players- and just about everyone else involved in the game.