Hussein: “It’s the same rules on the pitch as in the pharmacy”

On the pitch, she is "the boss". Her job as a referee is to ensure that players adhere to the Laws of the Game, while she makes decisions that are not always popular and has to mete out disciplinary measures whenever someone is in contravention of the rules. But like everyone else at the moment, Riem is out of action in sporting terms. "I’m really missing football," she said in an interview with FIFA.com. "My working life has actually not changed very much. I’ve always had a full-time job away from refereeing, but now I’m missing sporting competition. I’m still obviously training in a very well-balanced way – perhaps more even than I would be during times when there are competitive matches because I can plan my training how I want. Games, travel and other considerations don’t have to be taken into account, so from that point of view, my life has calmed down a little bit.”

When Riem talks of her “working life”, she is referring to her job as a pharmacist. In 2017, the two-time referee of the year teamed up with her brother Fadi and sister Fadwa to take over their father’s pharmacy in the Bad Harzburg spa resort in Germany. Managing to balance her two occupations is not always an easy task. "When I’ve got matches or tournaments that I can plan a long time in advance, it’s no problem," the 39-year-old explained. “We work from Monday to Saturday lunchtime and we’re open throughout the day. A pharmacist has to be there at all times for legal reasons, which is a specific element to be taken into consideration when dividing up our working hours, and it’s tough. There are three of us though, and we manage to sort it out pretty well. When I work in the third division as a referee or in Bundesliga 2 as a fourth official, the officials only get their assignments a few days before kick-off, and matches can be played at any time from Friday through to Monday. By then we’ll already have worked out our rosters a long time in advance, so when the assignments come through, that’s when I really have to start planning things. I swap shifts around with my brother and sister and try to balance my work and my free time so that no-one gets the short straw in terms of the shifts. I tend to work most of the weekends when I don’t have matches and have time off when I am refereeing. But this organizational stress is something that has quite simply disappeared in recent times." 

While one aspect of the stress has gone away, it has been replaced by a whole new kind, with pharmacists like Riem feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic at first hand. "March was a particularly stressful time for us. There was a lot of work and almost every day we had new announcements from the federal government to deal with or from the Robert Koch Institute (government agency for disease control). "Experts made new discoveries on a daily basis and gave new recommendations on how to act. We always have to be there for our clients so we were the first point of contact when it came to questions that needed to be answered and clearing up uncertainties that the people we deal with were having. We’ve been advising, calming and dealing with people as well as giving them their supplies, and sharing the experience that we had acquired from other infectious diseases with our customers. We were on the front line every day, but we weren’t scared," she says of how the coronavirus has totally changed her daily life. "I think that that was exactly the right way of doing things – letting people know that we were taking this very seriously but without curling up into a ball and hiding away. It was very important to send out a signal like that to those around us." When she is out on the pitch as a referee, Riem knows that she has to manage all sorts of different characters, from the regular kind to those who are a little tougher to handle, and that is also reflected in her working life. "Every day, we have to deal with a lot of pressure as we endeavour to meet the needs and emergencies of our customers. There are supply bottlenecks at the moment when it comes to mouth and nose masks, disinfectant and a lot of other pharmaceutical products and that pushes us to our limits. My experiences as a referee help me to deal with all this," said Riem, who was born and bred in Bad Harzburg where she now works. "I use factual explanations and combine that with my personality to explain to customers what is happening and in most cases, we can come to a good understanding. As a referee you learn how to choose the right tone when it comes to addressing people and recognizing the one to use in particular situations when you most need it. Fortunately I haven’t had to hand out any yellow or red cards in my pharmacy just yet. But it’s the same rules on the pitch as in the pharmacy. I make a lot of my decisions based on intuition." The last few weeks have had quite an effect on Riem and her team, physically and mentally, and have proved to be very demanding. "Weekends and daily training help me to recharge my batteries, as does the current fasting period of Ramadan, which means that this month I’m cleansing my body. Other than that, I try to get enough sleep and to put all of the worries that each of us has to one side. Fortunately I have a job which means that I don’t have to worry about my financial situation. I am incredibly lucky that my profession is part of an essential sector which was allowed to keep its doors open, even during times of lockdown. And the knowledge that my family is all safe and well gives me a lot of energy and strength." 

Source: FIFA

Rizzoli explains Inter - Juventus VAR controversy

Refereeing designator Nicola Rizzoli hit back at suggestions from a former FIGC prosecutor that VAR clips ‘disappeared’ from Inter-Juventus. ‘It never existed.’ The controversy erupted when former FIGC prosecutor Giuseppe Pecoraro revealed he had requested the audio of the conversation between referee Daniele Orsato and the VAR for Miralem Pjanic’s potential second yellow card offence, but that it was ‘missing’ from the file they received. 

“It’s important to clarify here and not create further confusion,” replied refereeing designator Rizzoli on Sky Sport Italia today. “The protocol states that only certain conversations are recorded and those are made not by the referees, but by the Lega technical provider, who put this clip at the disposal of the AIA (Italian Referees’ Association) if they want to use it for instructional purposes. Only five or six of those per game go online, which we can then download for use in teaching referees about incidents. These clips are also sent to the IFAB and are not in possession of the AIA. Pecoraro requested the recording of the entire match, but that simply doesn’t exist for any Serie A game. Nobody has it in their possession, it never existed and so could not have been provided. The only ones that were recorded, as per protocol, were around the straight red card and the penalty. A yellow card, whether it is a second or a first, is not recorded for VAR. We tried to request the recording, but it simply was never made in the first place.” Inter and Scudetto contenders Napoli complained after that 3-2 Juventus victory in 2018 that Miralem Pjanic should’ve received a second yellow card for his foul. “In dubious situations, the VAR will communicate with the referee and say ‘stop play’ until they’ve checked it,” continued Rizzoli. “The moment he then says ‘silent check complete, you can resume,’ there is nothing more to be said. In this case, he didn’t need to say whether it was a yellow card, the VAR could only state it was not a straight red. In any case, going back to that incident, the correct decision was not made by the referee. That was confirmed by the fact the referee was not designated in the following week.” 

Source: Football Italia

Clattenburg has hair transplant top up before going into lockdown

The ex-official filled in a patch of thinning hair on his crown and is sprouting his new locks while the UK hunkers down against coronavirus. And when the country emerges from isolation, Clattenburg, 45, is hoping to have a full head of hair again. 

The whistler underwent his second hair transplant at pals Ryan Giggs and Michael Vaughan’s new MHR Clinic in Harrogate recently. The thinning ref has worked abroad in Saudi Arabia and China since quitting the Premier League in 2017. In the same year he decided to add another 1,700 hairs to his original 8,500 hair transplant after losing more hair on his crown. The media pundit told staff at the clinic: “It was time for a top up procedure. The hair on my crown thinned while I worked abroad and I needed another hair transplant. The procedures are so easy. Now I’ve got a full head of hair again.” 

Source: The Sun

UEFA refereeing family is keeping fit

Thanks to careful planning, detailed research and preparation, expert advice, and a spirit of teamwork and positive thinking on all sides, the match officials – referees, assistant referees and video assistant referees (VARs) – are still training and analyzing their ‘trade’ while football waits to return. The chairman of UEFA’s Referees Committee, Roberto Rosetti, explains how UEFA has put a plan into operation to keep the referees ‘in business’ in these difficult times. “The first steps that I took at the onset of the pandemic,” Rosetti told UEFA.com, “was to write an open letter to the referees, in which I asked them first and foremost to take care of themselves and their families – I also promised them that we’d continue to work together as a group during the crisis, and find solutions to keep active. We then contacted the referees one by one – myself and the UEFA refereeing officers Dagmar Damkova, Hugh Dallas, Marc Batta and Vlado Sajn – because we felt that human contact was vital in this difficult period, to show that we’re together and united as a ‘family’. Then we started out on the task of setting up technical and training activities for them.” Vast experience was already at hand: Prof. Werner Helsen, UEFA’s long-standing sports scientist and referee training expert from Belgium (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), embarked on collecting and researching information and ideas from a wide range of sources. The fruits of his dedication have been the launching of a referees’ training programme featuring home training routines and online group training sessions. “Of course,” Rosetti explains, “this programme must always be adapted to circumstances in each country.” 

‘Perception 4 Perfection’ 

Alongside this programme, an online tool for decision-making training – ‘Perception 4 Perfection’ – has been set up for referees, video assistant referees (VAR) and assistant referees, comprising video clips and footage of fouls, offside and goal/no goal situations, and includes feedback from the UEFA refereeing officers. Clips from matches have also been produced for the referees to study performances and identify potential areas of improvement. The match officials exchange feedback with the referee officers on the various clips – with the result that continuity in the referees’ study and analysis work is still guaranteed during the Covid-19 crisis. 

Physical and mind training 

The various home training and group exercises drawn up by Werner Helsen cover a variety of different and interesting facets. In addition to physical exercise – including strength training, cardiovascular exercises and functional training at home with little or no equipment – the programme includes tips on ‘mental training’ – such as keeping calm, holding stress at bay, and practising yoga and mindfulness. “Our referees are already extremely resilient, because they learn to deal with pressure,” Rosetti emphasises. “But in these exceptional times, we felt it was important to give them the opportunity to do ‘mind training’ to help them along the way.” Rosetti is keen to underline the crucial contribution currently being made by Helsen and his team: ”We’ve worked together for many years now,” he reflects. “He’s one of the best in the world at his profession, and we’re lucky to be able to count on his huge experience and know-how at this particular moment.” 

UEFA’s referees – a team in their own right 

The spirit of togetherness that binds the UEFA refereeing community is a key component in the present environment. “It’s always part of our overall concept that we function as a solid group,” says Rosetti. “And this is especially the case now. The referees are in contact, encouraging each other, showing concern for each other’s well-being – it’s something that makes our referees so strong as a team.” Meanwhile, Rosetti and the UEFA referee officers are holding a video meeting every week to plan and discuss strategies and steps for now and the future. How does Roberto Rosetti envisage the time when the crisis passes, and referee teams are once again managing matches and carrying out their role as ambassadors for football’s image? “I love football and refereeing, so I’ll obviously be as delighted as anyone who cares for our game,” he says. “But I also feel that there’ll be a wider effect. We’ll all still have our goals and ambitions - but I really think we’ll all have learned for the better about life’s proper priorities.” 

UEFA sports scientist and training expert Werner Helsen talks about training Europe’s referees in the Covid-19 crisis: “As a sports scientist, I’m fortunate to have access to the most up-to-date information. Furthermore, we’re trained to always think ahead about new tools and technologies to support the match officials in the most professional way. As a result, I was able to provide the referees with information shortly after the last UEFA Champions League games were played - how to train and eat to boost immunity from Covid-19; functional training at home under Covid-19; mental and mind training; simple and effective tips to sleep well during quarantine; training exercises to do at home; how to preserve muscle mass during quarantine…all kinds of information that is valuable to the referees in a similar way as it is to players.” Leading referees are top athletes like the players, and they’re also trained to be mentally strong. How important are the mental training elements that you’re offering them at present? “They’re very important indeed. They’re extremely complementary to the physical training sessions, and also a distraction in these special times. Consequently, I’ve provided the referees with a list of potential exercises and websites for ‘brain training’, stress management and mindfulness. In the online group sessions, we have also worked on brain and body activation.” What are you advising the referees not to do in this situation? “We’re recommending that they don’t practice too intensively! Excessively intense training can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of being contaminated by Covid-19. For these reasons, we recommend avoiding too intense training during the epidemic period and also to limit the high intensity sessions to two sessions of a maximum one hour per week.” This is a new experience for you in your role and work. What do you think that you’ll learn from the experience… and what do you think the referees will learn? ”Personally, I’ve learned new opportunities in terms of technologies for online training and coaching, reflected in the work that we’ve been doing in the last few weeks. As Johan Cruyff once said: “Every disadvantage has an advantage. We’ve also shown how flexible we all can be. It’s unbelievable how quickly we all complied with the quarantine instructions, given they have such a huge impact on our daily personal and professional life. And this also applies to referees. They’re being equally flexible in their training approach at this time.” Like Roberto Rosetti, are you also feeling the famous 'team spirit' that exists among the match officials? “More than ever! One of the main reasons why referees appreciate the online group training sessions is to see and meet each other. It’s a great way to stay in touch! In these difficult times, we need to act as a team, more than ever before!” You must be looking forward to the day when you’ve got the referees together again out in the open air at a UEFA course? “Of course, it will be something special for all of us. In the meantime, we’re also impressing on the referees to use ‘visual imagery’. For example, we’re asking men’s referees to imagine being involved in the preparatory workshop for Euro 2020, or even the tournament itself. It’s designed to help referees to think in a positive way about the future challenges that will come. 

Source: UEFA

Webb and Geiger on their most talked-about calls

Howard Webb and Mark Geiger, two of the most well-known referees produced by England and the United States, respectively, are now among the lead staff at the Professional Referee Organization, which was created to support and improve officiating in Major League Soccer and across the American soccer men's and women's pyramid. They are also living, breathing evidence that even the best and most respected refs can have tough moments behind the whistle. As Webb (PRO's general manager) and Geiger (PRO's director of senior match officials) began an informational session on Friday to explain their mission to club staff members at Columbus Crew SC, they also spoke frankly about their most infamous moments and how they can define otherwise exemplary careers. One of Webb's most talked-about calls came in the biggest spotlight imaginable, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and the Netherlands, when he showed only a caution for then-future LA Galaxy Nigel de Jong's studs-to-the-chest tackle on Xavi Alonso (pictured below). 

To this day, Webb says, why he failed to produce a red is often the first question he gets wherever he goes. Having built a strong reputation in the English Premier League, some even ask him whether the out-of-character error came because of a directive from FIFA, which to this day he flatly says is untrue. "I simply just didn’t have a very good viewing angle. I knew that de Jong was late, but of course I didn’t see what you can see now," Webb said during Friday's call, referencing a presentation that showed another image of the challenge. "To be fair, (in a) World Cup final, I needed some certainty to put a team down to 10 men because you’re going to change the game. So without that level of certainty, not even a level of strong gut feeling, I decided to show a yellow card. And only later did I see that image, and realize at that point that the introduction of Video Review would’ve helped me massively." Fortunately for Webb, the decision ultimately did not impact the match's outcome. Eventually the Netherlands' Johnny Heitinga would leave Webb no choice but to issue the center back a second caution and reduce the Dutch to 10 men. Andres Iniesta went on to score a very late extra-time winner and give Spain their first World Cup crown. 

Geiger, whom MLS and Concacaf fans had watched for many years before he ascended to his role at PRO, was not so fortunate. A year removed from becoming the first-ever American referee to take charge of a World Cup knockout phase match at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, Geiger was again in charge of a Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal between Mexico and Panama. It was there he whistled Inter Miami defender Roman Torres for a deliberate handball in the penalty area that allowed Mexico to equalize at the death and sent many in the Panamanian side threatening to leave the pitch in protest. Mexico eventually won the game on another more clear-cut penalty, then beat Jamaica in the final while Panama were forced to play a third-place match against the United States. Amid suspicions that the decision owed to tournament organizer's desire to have Mexico in the final for the purpose of selling tickets, Concacaf even took the unusual step of issuing an official statement where Geiger admitted his error. "Panama left the field, and rightfully so, they were upset," Geiger said on Friday. "When I got into the locker room after the game and I was watching the highlights on the TV, and they showed the challenge, up to this point I did not know that I was wrong. But they showed the challenge, and my heart just sunk and my stomach sunk. All I could think of and I said, that’s not what I saw. And we are very sure when we give penalty decisions and we give red cards. We’re very sure in what we saw. But in this case I had a very poor angle. And what I saw was not actually what happened." Geiger continued to referee in MLS, but he admits it took a while before he returned to his normal self. "My confidence was low. Just like any player," Geiger said on Friday. "For the next year, I didn’t feel like I had my confidence, and I was questioning every single decision that I was making." Geiger rebounded and eventually earned another knockout round appointment for England's triumph over Colombia on penalties in the second round of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Not long after, he went on board under Webb at PRO. 

Source: MLS

FIFA's plan for 5 substitutes to be fast-tracked for approval by IFAB

The IFAB, football's lawmakers, will move quickly to approve FIFA's proposal that teams can make up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak. While the IFAB expects to make a decision soon, ESPN has been told there is not yet a definitive date for the IFAB board to rubber-stamp the plan. "After a period where FIFA and The IFAB have been considering ways in which they might assist football when it resumes, The IFAB is now working with FIFA on their proposal for a temporary dispensation of Law 3 (The Players) allowing competitions to give teams the option to use a maximum of five substitutes in up to three occasions during the match, plus half-time," an IFAB statement to ESPN read. "This proposal has been well received and The IFAB is aiming to facilitate a decision quickly. More information will be available in the coming days, once the formal approval processes have been completed." 

The proposal gives managers the option of letting teams use five substitutes across 90 minutes. However, each team will only have three substitution opportunities (not including half-time) which means the temporary law could not be used for additional time-wasting. Cup games which go to extra time will still give teams an additional, sixth substitution. The law change will be optional, so leagues may choose not to apply it this season to protect sporting integrity. It is likely each association will make its own individual decision based upon the frequency of games once competitions restart. "When competitions resume, such competitions are likely to face a congested match calendar with a higher-than-normal frequency of matches played in consecutive weeks," FIFA said in a statement. "Safety of the players is one of FIFA's main priority then. One concern in this regard is that the higher-than-normal frequency of matches may increase the risk of potential injuries due to a resulting player overload. In light of this and in light of the unique challenge faced globally in delivering competitions according to the originally foreseen calendar, FIFA proposes that a larger number of substitutions be temporarily allowed at the discretion of the relevant competition organizer. In competitions where less than five substitutions are currently allowed, each team would now be given the possibility to use up to five substitutions during the match, with the possibility of an additional substitution remaining during extra time, where relevant." It is proposed that the temporary law also covers the 2020-21 season, which is also likely to be severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It would also apply to all national team games through to the end of 2021 - including next season's international tournaments should governing bodies choose. World Cup qualifying is already behind schedule in Asia and South America, and will be impacted in Europe next year. One solution would be national teams playing three competitive games instead of two during the 10-day periods when clubs are mandated to release players for international duty. Three substitutes were introduced into the game in 1995, and there will now be speculation that this temporary measure may eventually become permanent. The IFAB has also confirmed that the new Laws of the Game, that become active on June 1, do not have to be applied by leagues that restart after this date to finish their seasons. 

Source: ESPN

Player suspended 50 years for violence against referees

Portuguese Ricardo Ferreira (1986), an amateur player of the Portugal Futebol Clube of the Swiss Fourth Division, was suspended for 50 years, in 2014, for having hit a referee at the end of a match. 

According to a report in the Swiss newspaper "Blick" in November 2014, Ferreira lost his temper at the end of the match, went to the referee and hit him in the face, causing the referee to faint. The footballer did not stop there, because he also threw water at him and continued with the insults until he was stopped by his teammates. The worst of the case (and the main reason for the harsh sanction), is that Ferreira already had a history of being aggressive with the referees. In 2009 he was punished for a year, because he also hit a referee, while in 2014 he had already been sanctioned with a 45-game suspension, for constant attacks on rivals and referees. The situation escalated so much that at that time, the same newspaper "Blick" reported that the lawyer of the Swiss Soccer Federation, Robert Breiter, alleged that "we do not need such a player on the playing fields." It was for this reason that the Federation decided in the first instance that the punishment was for an "indeterminate time", but at the insistence of Ferreira himself to know the total time of his punishment, the sanction was imposed for 50 years, which will end on June 5, 2064, when the man will be 78 years old, since in 2014 he was 28. "I am known among the referees and in the Federation, it is true. I could expect a sanction of a year or two. But 50? Soccer is my life", said Ferreira at the time, who undoubtedly set a negative precedent in the history of world football. 

Source: Mediotiempo

Spanish referees still receive the "fixed" amount agreed with RFEF

A few weeks ago we found out that the First Division referees stopped receiving some payments as a result of the suspension of professional competition, amounts that have been modified once this situation was extended after April 26. We always talk about amounts derived from their work as a referee or activity as a VAR, but today we can confirm that the fixed amounts mentioned in the Professional Referee Payment Agreement, signed by the RFEF and LaLiga on 9 August 2018 will not be affected in any way. The agreement was signed for five seasons and sets the fees for the match officials who perform the role of referee, assistant referee, VAR and AVAR. In 2019-2020 season it amounts, in global terms, to 16,109,865 euros and will increase by 5% in each of the three remaining seasons: 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.

In the First Division, the fixed amount paid monthly to the professional referees is 14,000 euros. The match fees are 4,100 euros as referee and 2,000 euro as VAR. During the first 5 weeks, Spanish professional referees in the First Division lost around 16,000 euros (3 matches as referee and 2 as VAR) or 14,000 euros (2 games as referee and 3 as VAR). These amounts will increase as the days go by, although they will recover if the competition is restarted and it ends-up being played. If the competition does not return until early June, it would be 10 weeks without refereeing. In economic terms, it would be around 35,000 euros (approximately 24,500 for 6 games as referee and 10,000 for 5 VAR appointments) or 32,000 euros for 5 five matches as referee and 6 games as VAR games. Travel allowances should be added to these amounts. In the Second Division, the referees are paid a fixed monthly amount of 7,861 euros that they will continue to receive. In this category, in the absence of competition, they will lose about 1,765 euros (or 900 euros as VAR) per game, in addition to the expenses for meals and general allowance.

Source: iusport

Yellow card for “unhygienic behaviour”?

Footballers could be on the receiving end of a booking from referees for spitting in games due to the potential spread of coronavirus from saliva, says FIFA's Medical Committee chairman. As well as numerous health concerns with the potential return of football, spitting may be punishable by a yellow card and banned outright, as saliva which stays on the pitch for hours risks spreading Covid-19.

With football nearing a comeback and with clubs slowly returning to training, Michel D'Hooghe has warned that footballers will have to change their mannerisms on the pitch for health and safety reasons. “This is a common practice in football and it is not very hygienic,” D'Hooge told The Telegraph. “So when we start football again I think we should have to avoid that at maximum. The question is whether that will be possible. Perhaps they can give a yellow card. It is unhygienic and a good way to spread the virus. This is one of the reasons why we have to be very careful before we start again. I am not pessimistic but I am rather skeptical at the moment.”

Scientific experts say that coronavirus could be spread from player to player if spitting was allowed to continue as normal, especially given players could be asymptomatic whilst competing. Virologist at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Ian Brierley, added: “If the person is infected but asymptomatic, or infected and symptomatic, the virus is present in the throat, and can be ejected into the environment by spitting. Players may have to develop new celebrations so that they are not in close contact with each other. Pre-match handshakes, huddles at the start of a game and shirt swapping at the end of the match would also send out a poor message.”

Source: Daily Mail

50th anniversary of yellow and red cards in football

It all started from a fracas which occurred during the 1966 World Cup quarter-final at Wembley between England and Argentina which resulted in the Argentinian captain Rattin being sent off... and after the match England footballing brothers Bobby and Jack Charlton finding out that they had been “booked” although they were not aware this had happened! “Word of mouth affirms that later that same evening, Ken Aston drove home from Wembley Stadium in his sports car, with Jackie Charlton's confusion and all the mouldering controversies at the forefront in his mind. As he was waiting for a red light to change at Kensington High Street, it suddenly dawned on Ken that a colour-coding scheme based on the same amber/yellow (steady) - red (stop) principle as used on traffic lights would traverse language barriers and make it obvious to players and spectators alike what disciplinary decision the referee had just taken. So the system whereby referees show a yellow card for a caution, and a red card for an expulsion, was processed by the authorities in time to be introduced for the 1970 World Cup tournament in Mexico. The best innovations always look so obvious in hindsight. It is a good job the lights were against him on that homeward journey.” It is said that the first prototype cards were made by Mr. Aston’s wife Hilda at their home, cut to fit into a pocket in his referee’s shirt. 

But it is not just in football that “yellow” and “red” cards became common place. They have been adopted for use in other sports and aspects of life away from sport. Regrettably, Mr. Aston has not been given the public acclamation for this innovation – nor some others in football. He was the first referee, in 1946, to wear what became the distinctive all black referee’s strip with white trim. It was Mr. Aston who, the following year, introduced bright yellow and red flags for linesmen instead of the colours of the home team as was previously the case. He also introduced, in 1974, the display boards for substitutions so that both players and spectators were aware of which players were involved. Another of his suggestions, however, was not successful. This was that to determine who had won a knock-out match which had ended with the scores level. He proposed that the side with the fewest “red” and “yellow” cards and fewest free kicks conceded should be declared the winner. Instead, football’s decision makers opted for a penalty shoot-out. 

Ken Aston qualified as a referee in 1936. He progressed through the leagues with highlights being refereeing the 1961 European Nations Final, at the 1962 World Cup in Chile and the FA Cup Final in 1963. He served on the FIFA Referees Committee for eight years, four of them as Chairman. He was made an MBE in 1997. The Referees’ Association honoured Ken Aston in 1969 with the Long and Meritorious Service Award, in 1986 with the 50 Years Membership Award, and in 1990 Life Membership. He spent the latter years of his life living in the USA where he contributed greatly to the development of football there. He died aged 86 in October 2001. 

Source: Daily Gazette