Like many people in the game, David started with a brief playing career for a few different Sunday League teams back in the 1970’s.  A key date in David’s history was the 1974/75 season where he bravely decided to “take up” the whistle by successfully completing a referee course and by words of his own admission, “quickly got the referee bug”. 

He enjoyed a very successful 25 year career as a referee.  A tough question when asked what his stand out moments were across this time but David believed his appointments to UEFA games abroad, being an assistant referee at the 1998 FA Charity Shield game at Wembley between Arsenal and Manchester United, and a 13 year career on the National List of Referees, were a few highlights that came to mind. 

In the 1999/2000 season he came to the age of compulsory retirement but was invited back to the Northern Counties East League as Referee’s Officer.  “This was the league I started on before progressing through to the Referees List of the Panel competitions Central League and Conference League, it’s still a league which is very close to the heart”. 

David is still the only referee to date to have refereed the final of the Northern Counties East League Final twice – an honour which he is extremely proud of. 

David began a football administration career in 2000/2001 with an appointment of Referee’s Officer of the Northern Counties East League before becoming Chairman in 2007, another position which he also very proud of. 

In 2008/09 David was elected to The FA Steps 5/6 Focus Group and served eight years as its National Chairman before been honoured with FA Council membership for this level of football.  David’s exciting new challenge will commence this month at the next FA Council meeting.

“I am honoured and proud to have been afforded this membership and would like to thank the many friends that I have made throughout my football career to date since without the support and friendship that this great game of football brings none of this would have happened and I hope to bring positive contributions to the level of football that I will proudly represent” commented David.

More recently David was also appointed as a member of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Board of Directors/Trustees.  Roger Reade, General/Company Secretary of S&HCFA added “David has been a close friend of Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA for many years – so we are all absolutely delighted for him to have secured this wonderful opportunity to work alongside our Chairman on the full FA Council”.