In April 1982 he took charge of an FA Cup semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City and that summer was elevated to the FIFA list of international referees.
In 1985, he was appointed to the Milk Cup Final between Norwich City and Sunderland with the Norfolk team winning via a Gordon Chisholm own goal.
At the start of the 1986–87 season, he was awarded control of the 1986 FA Charity Shield match[2] between Everton and Liverpool at Wembley, which finished 1–1, the trophy being shared.
On 16 May 1987, he stepped out once more at Wembley to take charge of the FA Cup Final between Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur, which finished 3–2 to the 'Sky Blues'.
[4] Midgley reached the standard retirement age in 1991 but was granted a one-year extension due to his strong performances.