I was going to post this in the appointments thread, but thought it deserved it's own dedicated thread. I haven't watched the entire film and don't think I was aware of it before tonight, but it seems very well done. I'm posting here because of the window into the referee's prep. Skimming it, I've flagged the following sections below. Link here: 7:05 - 9:15: Webb and team inspect the field, check their radios and then have coffee with Jack Taylor, Mike Riley and others. 17:41 - 18:52: Pre-match meeting with someone who looks very familiar, but I can't place a name right now. Given how the match ended up going, this section is fascinating--even if it's just a little snippet. 30:09 - 30:40: Travel to the match. 36:50 - 37:15: Trying to figure out the timeline and pitch inspection while the closing ceremony is going on. 43:32 - 43:52: Lining up in the tunnels. 44:31 - 45:05: Pitch invader tries to get at the trophy as the ref team observes. 45:35 - 45:45: Webb greets Blatter and the South African President; talks about what Blatter said to him. 48:33 - 48:43: Webb talks about butterflies disappearing. 49:13 - 49:36: Webb talks about the beginning of the match. 50:46 - 50:57: More Webb talking about the game not settling down. 51:07 - 51:10: "It was harder than I expected." 52:00 - 52:50: Halftime in the referees' locker room. 54:39 - 55:22: Webb talking about the match as a whole. ~56:28... Puyol admits he committed a DOGSO foul; seemed prepared to accept his fate if Robben went down. I find looking back on this and what the Dutch coach says particularly interesting, given the reputation he's earned since then. Puyol also talks about the difficulties of refereeing. 59:06 - 59:21 - Webb talks about the red card and overall card count. 1:04:13 - 1:04:39 - Webb talks about the fulltime whistle, Dutch protests and his feeling of relief. 1:06:10 - 1:06:30 - Webb talks about being booed while getting his medal. Fascinating stuff on the referee front, though never incredibly detailed (still, a window into things we never see). Also seems to be fascinating stuff regarding doping, protocols, balls, etc. Just seems like an interesting movie.
Sounded Scottish. First thought was Hugh Dallas, but as far as I know he had no involvement with FIFA.
As a former striker, I could definitely see it. You're haunted by big misses in your career and I can't help but assume that Robben looks back on that game and thinks, "If I had only went down, Puyol would have been off."
The accent is Northern Ireland. My guess would be Jim Boyce who is the chair of the FIFA Referees' Committee.
I thought you nailed it, but a Google image search makes it seem like that guy is way too young and too fit to be Boyce--even 4 years ago. And the audio at this link just sounds different: http://talksport.com/football/exclu...up-qatar-would-be-impossible-fans-13081255313 Plus, Boyce wasn't on the Referees' Committee in 2010, so his involvement would seem odd.
A touching moment in the film when Webb meets the previous English official to referee the final:- Jack Taylor, who officiated the '94 final between West Germany and The Netherlands.
It is Leslie Irvine, a former FIFA referee from Northern Ireland and now a FIFA Referee Instructor. PH
Irvine worked two FIFA Finals. The 1995 U-17 (Brazil-Ghana) as referee and the 1991 U-20 as AR. (In the latter, one Raul Dominguez refereed the semifinal between Brazil and the Soviet Union!) PH
It should be noted that Jack Taylor was not the only the English official to referee a previous WC final, although he was the last one before Webb. There have been four in total (1950 & 1954 {and yes, I do know 1950 was not a real final, but it was the actual last match and so counts in the listings!}) PH