Mark R. Halsey (born 8 July 1961) is a retired English professional football referee who was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, later based in Bolton, Greater Manchester. Halsey primarily refereed in the Premier League from 1999 to 2013 and was on the league's list of Select Group Referees from its creation in 2001 until his retirement.
His first Premier League appointment was a fixture between Wimbledon and Coventry City in August 1999 and over the course of his professional career he refereed a number of notable matches, including the FA Community Shield in 2007 and the 2008 final of the Football League Cup.
In 2009 Halsey underwent chemotherapy to treat a cancerous tumour in his throat. He returned to refereeing in the top-flight in 2010. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season.
Halsey spent 12 years playing non-League football with teams such as Cambridge City and Hertford Town before he started refereeing in 1989. In December 1984 he played one game for Barnet before joining St. Albans City.
Tuesday mornin' sports page
I've got coffee in my cup
A smile creeps across my face
The Braves had beat the Cubs
I hate Chicago
I'm changing planes in Dallas
I ain't going through O'Hare
It's a thousand dollars more I know
But I don't really care
I hate Chicago
Sara told me that she only
Needed space to think things out
Then she met some guy named Tony
Guess where they live now?
I hear the food is great
I hear the summer sure is nice
It's beautiful at Christmas
There's three more reasons why
I hate Chicago
From their WGN station
To their seven feet of snow
The rock band in the 80's
To the Oprah Winfrey Show
I hate Chicago
Sara told me that she only
Needed space to think things out
Then she met some guy named Tony
Guess where they live now, Chicago
Sara used to talk about
How one day we would settle down
Find ourselves an old farmhouse
On the outskirts of a small town
And then she told me that she only
Needed space to think things out
Then she met some guy named Tony
Guess where they live now?
That's right, I hate Chicago
I hate Chicago
Man, I hate Chicago