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The National (Scotland)

Sport

Matthew Lindsay

A final snub, a sinister plot and a Vatican visit: Scottish referees at the World Cup

World Cup the World Cup Scotland Fifa Alex McLeish Bobby Moore Steve Clarke Adi Dassler George Mitchell John Cox

None of the Scotland players who have been put through their paces by manager Steve Clarke and his coaching staff in the sweltering heat and stifling humidity at the Atrium Health Performance Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, in recent days has given any thought to going all the way to the World Cup final.

Andy Robertson and his compatriots know that getting through the knockout rounds for the first time ever, even as one of the eight best third-placed teams, over in the United States will be a significant achievement for one of the smallest of the 48 competing nations.

There have, though, been three men from these shores who have been involved in the denouement of the tournament, albeit not in a playing capacity, during its 96 year existence.

“A Scottish referee has never taken charge of the World Cup final,” said Drew Herbertson, the former head of disciplinary and refereeing at the SFA. “Nonetheless, three Scots have officiated either as a linesman or a fourth official. It is a remarkable record for a small country, a terrific achievement.”

Scotland’s footballers may have become synonymous with ignominious defeats, squandered opportunities and excruciating failures at the World Cup over the decades.

But Scotland’s International Football Referees: 1872 to 2025, the engrossing and often surprising book which Herbertson has just had published, highlights that our officials have scaled giddy heights at the finals and been present on the pitch during some historic matches, iconic moments and almighty stooshies.

Hell, one of them even got his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966.

George Mitchell was the first referee from this country to officiate at a World Cup in 1950. He was chosen to run the line at the last group match, the de facto final, between the tournament hosts Brazil and their unfancied South American rivals Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro.

Fourth official Hugh Dallas holds back Germany manager Rudi Voller during the 2002 World Cup final in Yokohama (Image: Shutterstock)

A world record crowd – the official attendance was 173,850, but it was estimated that over 220,000 filed through the catracas - crammed into the Maracana hoping and expecting to see the home favourites record, at the very least, the draw which they needed to lift the trophy. When Friaca put them ahead just after half-time everything appeared to be going to plan.

Then the unthinkable happened. Juan Schiafffino equalised and Alcides Ghiggia scored what ultimately proved to be the winner. Never have so many people made so little noise. It remains one of the greatest upsets in sporting history. “You could have heard a pin drop,” said Mitchell. “The shocked silence was amazing.”

The public perception of Scottish referees is currently at an all-time low in the wake of some high-profile VAR controversies last season - but it was a very different story during that sepia-tinted era.

“The qualities of British officials were held in very high regard around the world,” said Herbertson. “There was a game that was officiated by a team of British referees very early on in that competition. All the other referees were required to attend it to see how a game should be controlled.

“Stanley Rous, the FA secretary who was the chairman of the FIFA referees’ committee and a former referee himself, led the way in early refereeing development and he wanted to show referees how it should be done.

“In the late 1940s, the Argentinian Football Association actually came over to Britain to recruit the services of their referees and they were used for many years, right through to the mid-1950s.

“The things that were happening to Argentina referees were horrendous. There was a lot of violence. They were assaulted, threatened and chased at games. Some of them gave in to the pressure. The association wanted to get better, more impartial, officials.

“There were a few Scots, John Cox, Willie Brown and Jimmy Provan, who went out there and did really well. They became full-time officials. It was quite lucrative for them. Cox established quite a good reputation for himself and was there for over a decade.

“He got contracts in Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia and, despite never being a FIFA referee, refereed in a World Cup qualifier as well as in the South American Championship.”

The wonderfully named Charlie Faultless was put forward by the SFA to attend the World Cup in Switzerland in 1954. He took charge of the quarter-final between Austria and the home favourites in Laussane. That last eight encounter finished 7-5 and is still the highest scoring match in the tournament history.

Scotland's International Football Referees by Drew Herbertson (Image: Promotional)

So did he do Scotland proud? “After every match he could say he gave a faultless performance,” said Herbertson.

Those finals were famous for the match that became known as The Miracle of Bern. The great Hungary team of that time, Zoltan Czibor, Sandor Kocsis, Ferenc Puskas et al, quickly went 2-0 up against West Germany in a final that was played in heavy rain.

But at half-time, Adi Dassler, the Germans’ unofficial kit man, increased the length of the screw-in studs in the boots which his new company Adidas had supplied the players with. They coped far better than their celebrated opponents with the underfoot conditions in the second half and came back and triumphed 3-2.

Sepp Herberger, the winning manager, afterwards praised the major contribution of Dassler to the victory in what was the first televised World Cup final and the Adidas brand became famous both in their homeland and overseas as a result.

It would, though, have been a different story if Faultless had been the referee. “He expressed the opinion that West Germany would never have won if their studs had been properly checked,” said Herbertson.

Jack Mowat refereed Sweden’s win over Hungary in the group stages of the World Cup in Sweden four years later. The start of that match was delayed by 12 minutes because he insisted the Magyars change their studs. But his involvement in those finals was not a positive experience.

“I was very fortunate to have a chat with Mr Mowat once,” said Herbertson. “He told me that he regarded Stanley Rous as his nemesis and felt that he was denied progression in the competition because of the friction between them. He didn’t elaborate on why, but that is how he felt.”

Bobby Davidson had a better time in Chile in 1962. He did well enough to be named as one of the linesman for the final between Brazil and Czechoslovakia. The holders would come from behind to win 3-1 and become the first country to retain their crown.

“Bobby wanted a memento from the game,” said Herbertson. “So he stuffed the linesman’s flag down his trouser leg and smuggled it out of the stadium.”

Davidson was publicly critical of FIFA for failing to take the necessary disciplinary action following the infamous group game between Italy and Chile, the Battle of Santiago, that summer.

“Punches were thrown, two players were sent off and police intervention was required on four occasions,” said Herbertson. “The level of violence was incredible. Bobby felt the referees should have received better backing.”

Tom "Tiny" Wharton tells off Alan Ball of England (Image: Colorsport / Shutterstock)

Defending champions Brazil drafted in no fewer than three Scottish referees, Willie Syme, Archie Webster and Tom Wharton, to help them to get ready for the 1966 finals in England.

“The preparation they put in for that World Cup was beyond belief,” said Herbertson. “They brought referees from Europe over to South America to officiate at their matches during the build-up so they could get accustomed to the European style of refereeing. Willie, Archie and Tom were there or six weeks and were well remunerated.”

Their extensive homework, though, proved to no avail. Hilderaldo Bellini and his team mates lost to Hungary and a Eusebio-inspired Portugal and failed to reach the knockout rounds.

Hugh Phillips was the Scottish referee at those finals and was involved in group games between West Germany and Switzerland and Spain and Switzerland as well as the quarter-final between West Germany and Uruguay.

He was presented with a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy which England captain Bobby Moore lifted by FIFA in thanks for his efforts and it would take pride of place at his home in Motherwell for years afterwards.

Davidson was back at Mexico in 1970 and again at West Germany in 1974. At that latter tournament he was told by Ken Aston, the vice-chairman of the referees’ committee, that he was going to be awarded the final. But the following morning he was devastated when he learned that honour had gone to his room mate Jack Taylor.

“Davidson had been on the line in the Netherlands v Brazil match and FIFA’s disciplinary committee wasn’t entirely satisfied with him because they felt he should have seen an incident and didn’t,” said Herbertson. “The Brazilian defender Marinho Peres punched the Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens off the ball and he missed it.

“The Netherlands reached the final and he had officiated at three of their matches, once as the referee and twice as a linesman, so that also goes some way to explain the fact that he didn’t get the final. But he had been tipped off that he would get it and it was a huge disappointment to him when he didn’t. As soon as he learned he took himself off home.”

Bob Valentine, through no fault of his own, was involved in a huge controversy at Spain ’82. When West Germany went 1-0 ahead against Austria in their final Group 2 match, a game which the Scot was refereeing, both sets of players reduced their effort levels as they knew that scoreline would send them both through.

The Algerians who were in the crowd, who had watched their national team defeat Chile 3-2 earlier, were outraged by what they were witnessing. They tried to scale the fence around the pitch and riot police had to move in to restore order. The bizarre encounter, which finished 1-0, has since been dubbed The Disgrace of Gijon.

The Algerian Football Association, whose national team were knocked out on goal difference, branded it a “sinister plot”, claimed that Valentine should have intervened and demanded that he be thrown out of the tournament by organisers FIFA.

Former SFA head of disciplinary and refereeing Drew Herbertson (Image: Promotional)

“I knew Bob very well,” said Herbertson. “He was one of the top European referees of the 1980s. What was supposed to do in that situation? Should he have said to them, ‘You’re meant to be playing football boys! Why don’t you try to score some goals?’

“That match ended deciding group games being played at different times. Why did it take so long for the penny to drop? Issues like that were always going to arise. But very often something needs to happen for something to click into place.

“Bob, who was also a linesman for the classic semi-final between West Germany and France at that World Cup, was contacted by journalists from all over the world asking him about that game for years afterwards.”

George Smith refereed the group match between Czechoslovakia and Austria and ran the line at the Italy against Czechoslovakia game at Italia ’90 but he did not, like Scotland, progress to the knockout rounds. The highlight of his tournament was when he was among a delegation of match officials which was granted an audience with the Pope at The Vatican.

Hugh Dallas made more of an impact at France ’98. He was handed the quarter-final between hosts France and Italy and was praised for his performances afterwards. He was struck by the benefits of dedicating himself full-time to refereeing. “I’ve been a professional for five weeks,” he said. “There’s time to concentrate fully and prepare.”

Another Scottish official, Eddie Lennie, took a circuitous route to those finals. “Eddie had been a referee in this country and got as far as Class 2,” said Herbertson. “But he had slipped down to Class 3 and his career was on the wane. He emigrated to Australia without intending to continue refereeing.

“But he got back into it, worked his way through the ranks, got on the FIFA list, refereed at the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and, and, lo and behold, went to the World Cup in France in 1998. It was a totally amazing story.”

The last World Cup match that a Scottish referee was involved in was the final between Brazil and Germany in Yokohama in 2002 – Pierluigi Collina was named the match official but his close friend Dallas was the fourth official.

“Hugh was a world class referee and was highly thought of within both UEFA and FIFA,” he said. “He was once asked by FIFA to go out to South America to referee a qualifying game between Brazil and Uruguay. That was a rare appointment in those days.”

No whistler from this country has been selected by FIFA to go to the World Cup in 24 long years, but Herbertson is hopeful that Nick Walsh, who was promoted to the UEFA elite category last year, will be in Morocco, Portugal and Spain in 2030. If he does make the cut, he will have rather a lot to live up to given what his predecessors achieved.

Scotland’s International Football Referees: 1872 to 2025 by Drew Herbertson is available to buy now.

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