Howard Webb has been chosen to referee th World Cup final between Spain and Holland on Sunday. The 38 year old Yorkshireman has a good tournament so far. He has refereed three world cup matches so far in South Africa and has neither showed a red card nor awarded a penalty. What do you thin about Webb

I wish him well. He did a good job during the champs league final.

Hope he makes no serious blunders like dishing 3 yellow cards. Does Graham Poll ring a bell?

Who cares?!

If it was Mr Yakoshima would you have created post.

Howard Webb To Referee Final.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=2871&art_id=nw20100709151745198C858713


[size=16pt]He can't ref his own kids - Webb's wife [/size]


London - The wife of World Cup final referee Howard Webb said on Friday she was amazed her husband was taking charge of the most important game in football given how he struggles to keep control of their children.

Webb, who is now a full-time referee having previously been a police sergeant, will be the man in the middle when the Netherlands face Spain in the World Cup final in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The 38-year-old from Rotherham, northern England, will be the first Englishman to take charge of the showpiece match since Jack Taylor refereed the 1974 World Cup final between West Germany and the Netherlands.

Kay Webb, in an interview with Britain's GMTV television programme, said her husband's refereeing career was a source of mystification given his difficulties controlling son Jack and daughters Holly and Lucy.

"I don't know how he does it," Mrs Webb said.

"He can't take charge of his own children. I don't know how he manages it on a football pitch."

Webb began refereeing as a teenager, having been encouraged by his father Billy who was himself a referee.

"It's in my blood," Billy Webb, a former miner, told GMTV.

"I encouraged my son to take it up.

"But when I watched his first game, I encouraged him to pack up.

"My brother was with me at the time, he was a referee, and he said 'I can see something in this young lad.' History has proven him right and me wrong.

"The whole thing is jaw-dropping. I just can't imagine my son reffing the World Cup final."

Webb will complete a notable double this weekend as he becomes the first referee to have overseen both the Champions League or European Cup final and the World Cup final in the same year.

Taylor, now 70 years of age, said he had no worries about Webb's ability to handle the pressure and if it came to it to award a penalty -Taylor became the first referee to do so in a final in 1974 and ended up awarding two, one to the Dutch to the shock of the German home crowd and then one to Germany.

"It wouldn't get to him (Webb) at all," Taylor told The Times.

"You don't get many penalties in World Cup finals - I awarded the first two - but he would call it as he sees it.

"I've been watching his progress carefully over the past two years and he's an astonishing referee.

"It's wonderful that he's been awarded the World Cup final. He thoroughly deserves it!

"He gets on well with the players most of the time, he's extremely fit and he looks the part."

Sunday's match will see Webb working alongside his regular assistants or linesmen, who are also both from England.

Premier League referees' chief Mike Riley said: "It's not only recognition for their excellent tournament in South Africa so far, but also the progress they have made internationally over the last four years.

"Their appointment is fantastic recognition for English refereeing and should act as an inspiration for all young referees wanting to enter into the game. It just shows what you can achieve if you work hard." - AFP

Spanish media slams Webb choice

Posted: 2010-07-09 15:40

World Cup finalists Spain will encounter a "challenge" in their attempt to win football's biggest honour of all, says the Spanish media.

The Spanish media are incensed with Fifa's decision to appointment Englishman Howard Webb as the referee for the Final, describing the decision as "bad news" for La Roja.

Sunday's Final pits Spain against the Netherlands at Soccer City and Webb becomes the first English referee in 36 years to officiate in a World Cup Final since Jack Taylor in 1974. However, the choice of Webb hasn't been applauded across the board with Spain's sports daily Marca headlined the choice "Bad news – Webb will referee the Final".

Apparently, the objections are related to Spain's first match in the World Cup against Switzerland in Durban, where Webb apparently made two mistakes leading to Spain losing the match 1-0 on June 16. The Spanish media argues that Gelson Fernandes' goal for the Swiss could have been disallowed for offside and another relates to a shout for a penalty after Phillipe Senderos clipped David Silva's ankle in the box.

Webb, a police sergeant, is no stranger to controversy. Poland fans and officials were outraged after their Euro 2008 exit hosted by Austria and lashed out at Webb after he awarded a penalty to the hosts. The game ended 1-1 knocking out Poland out of the competition. Leo Beenhakker, who was then manager of Poland, said "the referee wanted to show that he is a big boy and awarded a penalty. I'm lost for words about what happened."

The Polish players were scathing in their post-match comments. Mariusz Lewandowski said "It is a fxxxking scandal" and Pawel Golanski added he felt "cheated as a footballer". Their Prime Minister Donald Tusk had his choice of words for Webb saying he felt like "killing somebody".

However, it is the same Webb who has been in charge of some high profile matches including the UEFA 2010 Champions League Final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

http://kickoffnigeria.com/2010/news/16672/spanish-media-slams-webb-choice.php