Carpenter took up refereeing in the early 1960s when his playing career with
St Patrick's Athletic was cut short by a broken leg. He progressed through the Dublin & District Schoolboys' League, the Leinster Junior League and the
Athletic Union League before joining the
League of Ireland panel in 1964. Carpenter also had a distinguished career in European club competitions, refereeing 37 matches and culminating in the
1982 UEFA Cup Final. He also refereed 15 full international matches between 1970 and 1983; however, he failed to make the referee panel for the
1974 FIFA World Cup, instead being selected as a reserve referee. When the
North American Soccer League was launched, Carpenter was one of a small number of European referees who were invited to officiate. ==Personal life==