Former FIFA referee George Smith, from Edinburgh, has died aged 75. Smith took charge of three Scottish Cup finals and two League Cup finals. He was the man in the middle at the notorious 1980 Scottish Cup final when a riot took place between fans at Hampden Park after Celtic had beaten Rangers in extra–time.
Smith also represented Scotland at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, taking charge of a group match between Austria and Czechoslovakia where he handed out seven yellow cards. He retired as a referee observer due to ill health in October last year and was then appointed honorary president of the Edinburgh and District Referees Association.
Source: The Scotsman
