Idman.biz
Today marks 33 years since the death of the famous Azerbaijani football referee Tofiq Bahramov.
Idman.Biz reports that the legendary referee was born on January 29, 1925, in the Chukur mahalla neighborhood of Shusha city. His parents were displaced from the village of Incevar in the Zangezur district during the events of 1918. His childhood years were spent in Shusha. Then, due to his father's work, he had to move first to Aghdam, and after a while to Baku.
Bahramov, who started his football career in 1943, first played in the youth team of "Spartak", and then was invited to "Neftyannik". A severe leg injury he sustained during training in a fight with teammate Valentin Khlystov ended his appearances on the green fields early - at the age of 25. His love for football did not allow him to stay away from this sport, and he decided to continue his career as a referee.
In 1951, because the referee did not come to the match "Dinamo" - "Inshaatchi" for the Baku Cup, 26-year-old Tofiq Bahramov was offered to manage the game. His first match ended in scandal. But six months later, he debuted as the head referee in the Republic Championship.
In 1952, Bahramov, who received the title of Republican referee, ensured justice two years later in the game between Tbilisi and Tashkent teams in the lower league of the USSR Football Championship. Gradually justifying his hopes, the referee also managed a friendly match between "Neftchi" and the Ethiopian national teams that year.
Bahramov gained the right to manage international matches in 1965 and became the first referee in the former Union to referee in the final of European Cups. Also in 1972, the UEFA Cup final match ("Wolverhampton" - "Tottenham") was entrusted to him.
The event that wrote the name of our compatriot in golden letters in the history of world football was the final of the 1966 World Championship. The referee's decision to record Jeff Hurst's controversial goal in the decisive match between the German and English national teams was later proven to be completely correct.
Although only head referees were awarded the "Golden Whistle" at that time, the British Queen broke this rule and presented both the "Golden Whistle" and a small model of the "Golden Goddess" to the linesman of the historic match. Hurst, the author of the goal, also remained indebted to Bahramov. He called Bahram Bahramov, the son of the famous referee, to his home and presented him with a T-shirt with the inscription "Thank you very much" in Azerbaijani on it.
The famous referee's unique services to Azerbaijani football were highly appreciated, and the country's number one sports arena, the Republican Stadium, was named after him. A monument to honor a referee was erected for the first time in the world at the entrance of the arena.
Tofiq Bahramov, who went down in world football history as the only linesman to receive the "Golden Whistle", died in Baku on March 26, 1993, at the age of 68, after suffering a third heart attack and was buried in the Second Alley of Honor.
