YORK Tennis Club chairman John Linfoot will be officiating at his 25th successive Wimbledon when the world's major tennis championships are held from June 26 to July 9.

He will become one of only 20 people who have so far qualified for a special 25-year certificate which he will receive at a presentation ceremony after play on Tuesday, June 27 at the Umpires' Cocktail Party. This will be presented by a member of the All England Lawn Tennis Club Committee.

Linfoot has umpired and line-judged at the championships, having graduated from the outside courts to the major show courts including the famous Centre Court and Court One.

Highlights have been acting as a line judge for the finals of the men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.

"There is no doubt which was the best match I was ever involved with and that was the 1990 men's singles final when Stefan Edberg beat Boris Becker on a blisteringly hot day.

"The standard of tennis was incredible - it had to be seen to be believed and you might say I had one of the best seats in the house!" said Linfoot.

The York official has worked hard for tennis over many years. In addition to being chairman of the York Club, based at Clifton Park, he is chairman of Tyke Petroleum York Men's Doubles League and secretary of York Junior Team Tennis. He is also County Co-ordinator for the National Rover Junior League with 69 teams in Yorkshire under his jurisdiction.

Linfoot is still a regular player at York in men's and mixed doubles' teams.

After showing promise as a junior, Linfoot, who is 56, became York men's singles champion in 1977 beating Harold Pickup in the final. He lost in three other finals.

He won the veterans' (over 45) singles' five times in succession from 1988-93) in the City of York Championships (formerly the York Municipal tournament).

He also won the National Parks Veterans' singles' title at Telford after qualifying by winning the York event and then a regional round. He completed a national parks double by winning the veterans' doubles with an old friend from junior days, Keith turner.

Victor Fielder, another leading player in York over the past two decades, will also be officiating at Wimbledon this year. He has been an umpire and linesman for 20 years.