Career
He became a Football League linesman in 1989 and four years later was elevated to the National List of referees at the age of forty one. However his age meant his chances of promotion to the Premier League were extremely slim as the policy at the time (since relaxed a little) was only to promote younger officials with prospects of a long Premier career or FIFA status.
His appointments by the late nineties suggested he was held in high regard by the Football League, including 10 play-off semi-final appointments and four play-off finals at the Wembley Stadium. His performances culminated in 1999 when he was appointed to the League Cup Final between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. His fifth major Wembley appearance in only three years. Heilbron is the only referee to be appointed to a major English final without ever officiating in the top division.† Tottenham won the game 1–0, despite having Justin Edinburgh dismissed. Daily Mail made reference to Heilbron's man of the match performance in the following days paper.
The following season was his last but saw more Football League and League Cup appointments. He visited Highbury in the third round for Premier League side Arsenal's tie with Preston of the then Second Division, and handled a semi-final first leg in the same competition as Aston Villa entertained Leicester City. His last ever match was the Division One play-off final at Wembley in May 2000 as Ipswich beat Barnsley 4–2 to secure a place in the Premier League. After retiring he became a National List assessor. Without doubt Heilbron was the countries ouststanding referee during the late nineties.
Read more about this topic: Terry Heilbron
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