have had another two years before retirement and had that happened he would have completed twenty years and become the longest-serving referee since the 1920s.‡ However, he did gain experience in Europe as a fourth official and assistant referee. He returned to the assistants' list for the first time since 1987, although he did handle three games as a referee in the Football Conference North in season 2005–06 before finishing his top-class career completely. References Print Football League Handbooks 1984–1987 Rothmans / Sky Sports Football Yearbooks 1987–2006 Rothmans Football Yearbook (1997), Headline, (†p14) ‡ Gilbert Upton (2005) Football League and Premiership Referees 1888 to 2005, Soccerdata, p20. Internet External links Paul Danson Referee Statistics at Soccerbase.com 1958 births English football referees People from Leicester Living people English Football League referees Premier League referees