George Reader - 1950 FIFA World Cup

1950 FIFA World Cup

As an adjunct to their participation, FIFA requested that a team of British match officials journey to Brazil with the English team for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Despite reservations about his advanced age, Reader’s international experience had placed him amongst those the Football Association could call on, and he was selected alongside Mervyn (Sandy) Griffiths (of Wales), George Mitchell (of Scotland) and the two English referees Reg Leafe and Arthur Ellis.

Given charge of the opening match, Reader’s powers of control were put to the test just after Brazil scored their first goal against Mexico. As was the custom, the goal heralded a mass invasion by reporters demanding immediate responses from goalscorer and goalkeeper. Ellis, watching on, later wrote, in his book "The Final Whistle": "How could any one man restore law and order? Somehow, George Reader did just that within a few minutes. He cleared the pitch almost single-handed and re-started the World Cup curtain-raiser as if it were an end-of-the-season fixture in the Yorkshire League." In their next match against the Swiss, the Brazilians voiced their criticisms of the Spanish referee, Ramón Azon Roma, stating that he had cost them victory (Jacques Fatton equalising in the 88th minute) and, as a result, the editor of a daily newspaper in Sao Paulo, "Gazeta Esportivo", sang the praises of the British referees, telling his readers that even if they were to face England, Brazil would demand a British referee. "We must strongly demand that Brazil shall not take the field again in this World Championship if a British referee is not in charge. Even should we finally meet the English we shall still demand a British referee and have full confidence in him", he wrote. With England's early exit this unlikely event was averted. However, all four matches that Brazil played thereafter were refereed by one of the British contingent.

So, as Brazil won their way through to the final match, and as public expectation grew so much that it threatened to engulf even the massive Maracana, each Brazilian game came to be refereed by one of the British team, including the decisive match of the final group stage.