Tofik Bakhramov
Encyclopedia
Tofik Bahram oglu Bahramov (Azeri: Tofiq Bəhram oğlu Bəhramov ; 29 January 1925 — 26 March 1993), commonly known as the Russian linesman in England, was an Azerbaijani
football referee notable for being the linesman
who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final
against West Germany
. He was later rumoured to have been presented with a golden whistle by Queen Elizabeth II for his "services to England". As a referee earlier in the tournament, he drew attention for denying a Swiss goal in a first round game between Switzerland
and Spain
.
panel of referees in 1964. After retiring as a referee, he subsequently served for some years as general secretary of the Football Federation of Azerbaijan
.
, with the score at 2–2 and after 11 minutes of the first period of extra time, Geoff Hurst
of England fired a shot on goal which bounced off the crossbar sharply downwards, and then bounced back in the field, away from the goal. There were some moments of indecision by referee Gottfried Dienst
before he noticed that Bahramov, who was the linesman at that end of the ground, was signalling to him. Eventually, Dienst awarded a goal to England, who went on to win the game 4–2.
The decision to award the third England goal is still debated. In England, it is commonly believed that the decision was correct, while in Germany
it is commonly said that Bakhramov made a mistake, and the goal has entered the German vernacular, as any dubious goals that should not have been awarded are described as a "Wembley-Tor". After the match, many newspapers referred to the "Russian linesman" who awarded the goal, as Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union
at the time, and the nickname stuck to the point where his real name was all but forgotten.
The Germans argue that, according to the Laws of the Game, the ball would have had to cross the goal line, with its full diameter behind the full width of the line. If that were the case, it would likely have bounced from there into the net, not out on the field as it did. In addition, German players claimed to have seen chalk dust, which would indicate it was not a goal. The English counter by saying that the back-spin put on the ball after hitting the crossbar could just as likely have caused the ball to bounce behind the line and then back out of the goal—as had happened in a later match between the two countries. Roger Hunt
claimed to have seen the ball bounce behind the line.
When Bahramov wrote his memoirs
, he stated that he believed the ball had bounced back not from the crossbar, but from the net, so the further movement of the ball was already insignificant, and not visible for him either. Bahramov loved refereeing and the game of football in general, and described football matches as,
A 1996 study by Ian Reid and Andrew Zisserman (University of Oxford
) came to the conclusion that the ball was at least 6 cms away from being a goal.
is named the Tofik Bahramov Stadium in his honour. When England were drawn in the same group as Azerbaijan
in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup
, a ceremony was held prior to the meeting at the Tofik Bahramov Stadium to honour his memory, with attendees including Geoff Hurst
, Michel Platini
and Sepp Blatter
. A statue of him was also unveiled at the ceremony and he become the first referee to have a stadium named after him. During the same visit, his son Bahram Bahramov met representatives of the English fans and expressed his pleasure that the famous "Russian linesman" of 1966 had finally regained his true nationality. "Now that Azerbaijan is independent it’s very right for him to be remembered as a member of the Azeri nation. People like Tofiq Bahramov are only born once in a hundred years.”
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
football referee notable for being the linesman
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
who helped to award a goal for England in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final
1966 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...
against West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. He was later rumoured to have been presented with a golden whistle by Queen Elizabeth II for his "services to England". As a referee earlier in the tournament, he drew attention for denying a Swiss goal in a first round game between Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
Career
Bahramov was originally a footballer, but a serious leg injury prevented him from continuing his playing career and he became a referee. He was elected onto the FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
panel of referees in 1964. After retiring as a referee, he subsequently served for some years as general secretary of the Football Federation of Azerbaijan
Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan
The Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan is the governing body of football in Azerbaijan. It organizes the Azerbaijan Premier League, the Azerbaijan Cup and the Azerbaijani national football team...
.
"Wembley Goal"
In the 1966 World Cup Final1966 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth football World Cup. The match was contested by England and West Germany on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium in London, and had an attendance of 98,000. England won 4–2 after extra time to win the Jules Rimet...
, with the score at 2–2 and after 11 minutes of the first period of extra time, Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
of England fired a shot on goal which bounced off the crossbar sharply downwards, and then bounced back in the field, away from the goal. There were some moments of indecision by referee Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst
Gottfried Dienst was a Swiss football referee who was born in Basle. He is possibly best known for being the referee in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final, in which he awarded a controversial goal to England after consulting his Soviet linesman Tofik Bakhramov.At the time he was considered the best...
before he noticed that Bahramov, who was the linesman at that end of the ground, was signalling to him. Eventually, Dienst awarded a goal to England, who went on to win the game 4–2.
The decision to award the third England goal is still debated. In England, it is commonly believed that the decision was correct, while in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
it is commonly said that Bakhramov made a mistake, and the goal has entered the German vernacular, as any dubious goals that should not have been awarded are described as a "Wembley-Tor". After the match, many newspapers referred to the "Russian linesman" who awarded the goal, as Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
at the time, and the nickname stuck to the point where his real name was all but forgotten.
The Germans argue that, according to the Laws of the Game, the ball would have had to cross the goal line, with its full diameter behind the full width of the line. If that were the case, it would likely have bounced from there into the net, not out on the field as it did. In addition, German players claimed to have seen chalk dust, which would indicate it was not a goal. The English counter by saying that the back-spin put on the ball after hitting the crossbar could just as likely have caused the ball to bounce behind the line and then back out of the goal—as had happened in a later match between the two countries. Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
claimed to have seen the ball bounce behind the line.
When Bahramov wrote his memoirs
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, he stated that he believed the ball had bounced back not from the crossbar, but from the net, so the further movement of the ball was already insignificant, and not visible for him either. Bahramov loved refereeing and the game of football in general, and described football matches as,
"duels...full of unforeseen turns and even real miracles. And who does not want to be a magician if even for just 90 minutes?"
A 1996 study by Ian Reid and Andrew Zisserman (University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
) came to the conclusion that the ball was at least 6 cms away from being a goal.
Legacy
The Azerbaijan national stadiumNational stadium
Many countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
is named the Tofik Bahramov Stadium in his honour. When England were drawn in the same group as Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, a ceremony was held prior to the meeting at the Tofik Bahramov Stadium to honour his memory, with attendees including Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
, Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
and Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
. A statue of him was also unveiled at the ceremony and he become the first referee to have a stadium named after him. During the same visit, his son Bahram Bahramov met representatives of the English fans and expressed his pleasure that the famous "Russian linesman" of 1966 had finally regained his true nationality. "Now that Azerbaijan is independent it’s very right for him to be remembered as a member of the Azeri nation. People like Tofiq Bahramov are only born once in a hundred years.”