In addition, he has previously held the position of assistant referee for both the Premier League and FIFA, and also fulfilled that role in the 1998 FA Cup Final at Wembley.
In 1998, he was an assistant referee for Paul Durkin in the FA Cup Final[2] at Wembley on 16 May 1998, when Arsenal defeated Newcastle 2–0.
[2] The step up to Football League referee came in 1999,[2] with his first game being the Third Division tie on 7 August 1999 between Halifax and Darlington at The Shay, when the home side lost 1–0 to a Marco Gabbiadini goal.
[7] Burnley's assistant manager Sam Ellis said: "We had a word with him after the game and praised him for his part in a match of such quality.
[8] In 2004, he received praise from Darlington's manager, David Hodgson, after reviewing a decision made during their FA Cup first round tie at home to Yeovil Town on 13 November 2004.