Thanks for posting, code1390. Every article about him through the years has seemed to show him to be a class act. He had a full body of work, but I wonder if any other referee will be known--visually--his whole life via one famous still photo, the way he has with the foul on Cruyff. I would venture to say that few famous people, nevermind referees, are remembered in such a way.
I'm assuming it's this photo? http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/art...+win+a+penalty+watched+by+referee+Jack+Taylor
Indeed, Jack Taylor was a fantastic referee and I remember well the world cup final 1974 between Holland and West Germany.
old fart I don't even remember WC'74. Then again, that was college - there are several missing years there. RIP Mr. Taylor. Maybe the queen will bump you up a notch so we can officially call you sir, as many players did.
Here is another article I can across the other day about the great man. "Remembering one of the greatest referee performances in World Cup history."
I don't know about you, but if I were walking out there to referee the World Cup final, with the whistle (remember that, in his time, there were no FIFA Assistant Referees, so the other guys had also had the whistle in earlier matches), I would be so overwhelmed by the whole thing that it would be like I was in a coma for at least the first 10 minutes. Certainly true of some players! But Jack Taylor walked out there and immediately asked the question, "Where are the corner flags?" They'd been removed for pre-game ceremonies and the grounds keeper hadn't thought to put them back. There's no bigger game in the world but Jack Taylor was in total control.
He gave Cruyff a yellow at halftime too for bitching about the WGER penalty decision. That was the first time I had ever seen it that.