Mark Halsey
Encyclopedia
Mark R. Halsey is an English
professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League. He was formerly based in Welwyn Garden City
, Hertfordshire, currently in Bolton
, Lancashire.
Halsey has refereed a number of notable matches, including the FA Community Shield
in 2007 and the 2008 final of the Football League Cup
.
and Hertford Town
before he started refereeing in 1989. In December 1984 he played one game for Barnet
before joining St. Albans City
. In the early 1990s Halsey trained with Barnet in Potters Bar to keep himself prepared for the rigours of officiating top flight games.
Halsey has been a National List referee for the Football League
since the mid-1990s. He refereed the 1999 Division 2
play-off
final between Gillingham
and Manchester City
at Wembley Stadium on 30 May, which City won 3-1 on penalties, the match finishing 2-2 after extra time
.
Also in that year, he was promoted to become a Premier League referee, his first appointment overseeing the 1-1 draw between Wimbledon
and Coventry City
on 14 August.
In 2000, Halsey was added to the FIFA
List of referees, officiating in the Toulon Tournament
in the same 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
on 4 May at the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
, 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 2009 it was announced that Halsey was suffering from lymphoma of the glands and had undergone surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in his throat, currently in remission. He relinquished his refereeing duties during treatment.
In 2010, on 4 March Halsey passed a referee fitness test. His first game back after his illness was Leicester City
Reserves against Scunthorpe United
Reserves. Halsey was due to referee the League 2
match between Accrington Stanley
and Barnet
on 30 March, however it was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. He returned to oversee the League 2 fixture between Rotherham United
and Port Vale
on 3 April. On 9 August it was confirmed that Halsey was to return to officiating in the Premier League, starting with the opening-day fixture, five days later, between Wigan Athletic
and Blackpool
.
match between Manchester United
and Chelsea
.
between Tottenham Hotspur
and Chelsea
.
One incident of note which Halsey was required to act upon was the guidance given by assistant referee Martin Yerby which led to a penalty kick
being awarded to Tottenham in the 70th minute when Chelsea's Wayne Bridge
handled the ball. The penalty was converted to bring Tottenham back onto level terms and ultimately take the game into extra time.
Some Chelsea players and staff were also unhappy with the timing of the full time whistle. The fourth official indicated a minimum of three minutes of injury time to be played, and Halsey blew the whistle just as Salomon Kalou
was entering the Tottenham penalty area with the ball. However, Law 5 of the Laws of the Game indicates that the referee may blow his whistle at any time, and he does not have to wait for an attack to finish. Kalou hit the post with his shot and the game was over.
Statistics are for all competitions. There are no available records prior to 1997/98.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League. He was formerly based in Welwyn Garden City
Welwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
, Hertfordshire, currently in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Lancashire.
Halsey has refereed a number of notable matches, including the FA Community Shield
FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
in 2007 and the 2008 final of the Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.
Career
Halsey, a native of Hertfordshire, spent 12 years playing non-league football with teams such as Cambridge CityCambridge City F.C.
Cambridge City Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:The club was founded in 1908 Cambridge Town F.C., as Cambridge had not been granted city status at that point, and were committed to amateur sport...
and Hertford Town
Hertford Town F.C.
Hertford Town F.C. is an English football club based in Hertford, Hertfordshire. The club are currently members of the Spartan South Midlands League and play at Hertingfordbury Park.-History:...
before he started refereeing in 1989. In December 1984 he played one game for Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
before joining St. Albans City
St Albans City F.C.
St Albans City Football Club is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Premier Division of the Southern League...
. In the early 1990s Halsey trained with Barnet in Potters Bar to keep himself prepared for the rigours of officiating top flight games.
Halsey has been a National List referee for the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
since the mid-1990s. He refereed the 1999 Division 2
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
play-off
Football League Play-Offs
The Football League play-offs are an annual series of football matches to determine some of the promotion places within the Football League. Essentially, each division of the league offers a certain number of automatic promotion places to the top two or three clubs. A further promotion place is...
final between Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
at Wembley Stadium on 30 May, which City won 3-1 on penalties, the match finishing 2-2 after extra time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
.
Also in that year, he was promoted to become a Premier League referee, his first appointment overseeing the 1-1 draw between Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on 14 August.
In 2000, Halsey was added to the FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
List of referees, officiating in the Toulon Tournament
Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament is a football tournament which traditionally features invited national teams composed of under-21 players, although the first tournament in 1967 featured club teams...
in the same year. In 2001 he was a referee for the football tournament at the World Student Games
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, and in 2002 at the FIFA World Disabled Championships held in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Also in 2002, he was appointed as fourth official to Mike Riley
Mike Riley (referee)
Riley took charge of the 2004 Carling Cup final, between Bolton and Middlesbrough, in a game that saw all three goals scored within the first 25 minutes...
for the FA Cup Final
2002 FA Cup Final
The 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001–02 FA Cup competition. It was an all-London affair between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on 4 May 2002...
on 4 May at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, where Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
defeated Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
2-0.
Halsey's first major FIFA appointment came in 2004 when he refereed a friendly match
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
between Belgium and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
In August 2009 it was announced that Halsey was suffering from lymphoma of the glands and had undergone surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in his throat, currently in remission. He relinquished his refereeing duties during treatment.
In 2010, on 4 March Halsey passed a referee fitness test. His first game back after his illness was Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
Reserves against Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
Reserves. Halsey was due to referee the League 2
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
match between Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
and Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
on 30 March, however it was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. He returned to oversee the League 2 fixture between Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
and Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
on 3 April. On 9 August it was confirmed that Halsey was to return to officiating in the Premier League, starting with the opening-day fixture, five days later, between Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
and Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
.
FA Community Shield 2007
In 2007 Halsey took charge of the FA Community ShieldFA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
match between Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
League Cup final 2008
In 2008 Halsey was appointed to referee the League Cup final2008 Football League Cup Final
The 2008 Carling Cup Final was a football match played on 24 February 2008. It was the first League Cup Final to be played at the new Wembley Stadium, and the first to be played in England since the old Wembley was demolished in 2000. The defending champions were Chelsea, who beat Arsenal in the...
between Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
One incident of note which Halsey was required to act upon was the guidance given by assistant referee Martin Yerby which led to a penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
being awarded to Tottenham in the 70th minute when Chelsea's Wayne Bridge
Wayne Bridge
Wayne Michael Bridge is an English footballer who plays as a left back for Manchester City.A graduate of the Southampton Academy where he made his debut in 1998, he has also played for Chelsea and Fulham during his Premiership career....
handled the ball. The penalty was converted to bring Tottenham back onto level terms and ultimately take the game into extra time.
Some Chelsea players and staff were also unhappy with the timing of the full time whistle. The fourth official indicated a minimum of three minutes of injury time to be played, and Halsey blew the whistle just as Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
was entering the Tottenham penalty area with the ball. However, Law 5 of the Laws of the Game indicates that the referee may blow his whistle at any time, and he does not have to wait for an attack to finish. Kalou hit the post with his shot and the game was over.
Card statistics
| Season | Games | Total | per game | Total | per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997/98 1997-98 in English football The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title... |
42 | 161 | 3.83 | 5 | 0.11 |
| 1998/99 1998-99 in English football -Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker... |
46 | 111 | 2.41 | 2 | 0.04 |
| 1999/00 | 38 | 96 | 2.52 | 8 | 0.21 |
| 2000/01 2000-01 in English football The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons... |
33 | 101 | 3.06 | 10 | 0.30 |
| 2001/02 2001-02 in English football The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the... |
37 | 118 | 3.18 | 7 | 0.18 |
| 2002/03 | 34 | 75 | 2.20 | 6 | 0.17 |
| 2003/04 | 41 | 81 | 1.97 | 5 | 0.12 |
| 2004/05 | 32 | 60 | 1.87 | 2 | 0.06 |
| 2005/06 | 38 | 54 | 1.42 | 6 | 0.15 |
| 2006/07 | 42 | 103 | 2.45 | 9 | 0.21 |
| 2007/08 | 41 | 86 | 2.09 | 5 | 0.12 |
| 2008/09 2008–09 in English football The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while... |
44 | 73 | 1.65 | 3 | 0.06 |
| 2009/10 2009–10 in English football The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League... |
6 | 8 | 1.33 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2010/11 2010–11 in English football The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May... |
34 | 68 | 2.00 | 1 | 0.03 |
| 2011/12 2011–12 in English football The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two... |
Statistics are for all competitions. There are no available records prior to 1997/98.
External links
- Mark Halsey Profile at Refworld.com
- Mark Halsey Profile at RateTheRef.net
- Mark Halsey Referee Statistics at soccerbase.com
- Three-way interview, along with Dermot GallagherDermot GallagherDermot J. Gallagher is a retired English-based association football referee, who lives in Banbury, Oxfordshire. He refereed in the Premier League of English football until May 2007.-Career:...
and Mark ClattenburgMark ClattenburgMark Clattenburg is an English professional football referee, who officiates primarily in the Premier League, and for FIFA. He is based in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
, at FourFourTwoFourFourTwoFourFourTwo is a football magazine published by Haymarket. Published monthly, costing £4.50, and at about 164 pages long, it published its 200th edition in February 2011...
.com