Jack Taylor

John Keith Taylor (21 May 1930 – 27 July 2012) was an English football referee. Later described by the Football League as "perhaps the finest English referee of all time", The first of these penalties, awarded after just a minute of play, was the first penalty kick awarded in a World Cup final. The only English official selected for the Mexico tournament, he was also a linesman in three matches. He was again selected for the 1974 tournament for which he became most noted;

The kick off had to be delayed when Taylor spotted the ground staff had forgotten to put the corner flags out on the pitch. They had been removed to accommodate the closing ceremony which took place before the final. After just a minute of play he created World Cup history when he awarded a penalty kick, the first ever awarded in a World Cup final. The Netherlands were given a penalty after Uli Hoeneß threw himself into a challenge just on the right edge of the German penalty area, felling Johan Cruyff; it was successfully converted by Johan Neeskens. the last of four players cautioned by Taylor during the final.

Taylor said of the incidents: "The first penalty wasn't difficult to call. All I remember is thinking it was a 100% correct decision. As the ball went on the spot the whole stadium went quiet. Beckenbauer, the German skipper, came to me and said 'Taylor, you're an Englishman'. The kick went in and there was complete euphoria."

"What really does annoy me is the suggestion that I gave [the second penalty] to even things up. It was a trip or an attempted trip and the laws of the game are that's a penalty."

After closing his butcher's shop he spent two seasons refereeing in Brazil before returning to England to become Commercial Director at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1979. He was sacked in August 1982 when a new consortium took charge of the club. Taylor later became a refereeing coach in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China and Brazil.

Honours Taylor was awarded an OBE in the 1975 New Year Honours.

According to his obituary in The Independent:

Personal life Taylor was born at 33 Sweetman Street in Wolverhampton, the son of a butcher, Albert Taylor, and his wife, Olive Gertrude (née Lane). on 27 July 2012, aged 82.

Books Soccer Refereeing : A Personal View, Jack Taylor (January 1978, Faber & Faber) Jack Taylor, World Soccer Referee, David Jones & Jack Taylor (January 1976, Pelham Books)