Nicknamed 'Rain Man', Alan Mills was the Tournament Referee of The Championships at Wimbledon from 1983 � after six years as an assistant to Fred Hoyles � to 2005, responsible for the smooth running of the grass-court major championship. The Lancastrian, born in Stretford, Manchester, was well-known for appearing in the corner of Centre Court, to millions of television viewers worldwide, clutching a walkie-talkie and glancing up at the sky whenever rain clouds threatened the All England Club. He continues to work as a referee at major tennis tournaments around the world. He was a junior and senior county champion in Lancashire aged 17, and twice a winner of the RAF title as a national serviceman. Between 1955 and 1972, he reached the fourth round at Wimbledon on two occasions, once beating Jaroslav Drobny before losing to Rod Laver. He was a Wimbledon doubles semi-finalists in 1966 with Mark Cox and was the first Englishman to beat Laver in 1961. On his Davis Cup debut in May 1959, Mills became the first man in the competition's history to win 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 in just 32 minutes against Joseph Offenheim of Luxembourg. He represented Great Britain in three ties in 1959, 1961, 1964 (3-1 record). He has been a member of the All England Club for over 40 years. Married to Jill, the couple have one son, Barry. In 2005, Mills published an autobiography, titled 'Lifting the Covers', detailing his playing career and association with the All England Club. He was presented with the Lawn Tennis Writers Association Services to Tennis award in December 2005. He was awarded an O.B.E. in 1996 and a C.B.E. in 2006. Bio: James Buddell