Saturday marked the end of the regular 2013/14 Football League season but for one man it was the end of an era.
Referee David Philips officiated his last match as a national list referee when he took charge of Brentford’s Sky Bet League One win over Stevenage on Saturday, May 3.
He spent 11 seasons in the professional game, with five years as an assistant referee and the last six as a National List referee.
Mr Phillips has officiated in 325 matches as either as a referee or assistant in professional football.
By co-incidence, Brentford’s League Two match versus Grimsby Town on Saturday August 16 2008 was Mr Phillips’ first game as a National List referee.
His last was at Griffin Park almost six years later.
He took charge of nine Brentford matches in total – his penultimate visit to Griffin Park came when Brentford drew with Carlisle United last August and eight of his Brentford appointments have been in TW8.
He was in charge when The Bees beat Peterborough United in October 2010 and Tranmere Rovers’ visits in April 2010 and August 2011.
He has refereed three more Brentford games, the win over Hartlepool United in October 2012 and the draws with Shrewsbury Town in October 2008 and at Southampton in August 2009.
To mark his retirement, Brentford captain Kevin O’Connor presented Mr Phillips with a salver on behalf of the Club after the match.