[3] In the same year, he progressed to the National List of Football League referees, taking control of his first match on 9 August 2003, between Football League Third Division sides Kidderminster and Mansfield Town, the home side winning 2–1.
[4] He took charge of the Championship play-off semi-final second leg between Watford and Crystal Palace at Vicarage Road on 9 May 2006, which ended 0–0.
[6] He had already refereed three Premier League games in the previous season as 'trial' matches, the first of which was the encounter between Reading and Everton at the Madejski Stadium on 23 December 2006, with the away side winning 2–0.
[7] However, the second of those appointments, Watford against Wigan Athletic, was abandoned early in the second half due to heavy rain with the score at 1–1.
[8] On 13 May 2007, Tanner was man-in-the-middle for the Championship play-off semi-final first leg between Wolves and West Bromwich Albion at Molineux, which finished in a 3–2 away win.