Tofik Bakhramov

Tofik Bakhramov (1926-October 12 1993), better known as The Russian Linesman, was a noted football referee from Azerbaijan.

He is famous for being appointed as a linesman (now known as an 'assistant referee') alongside Karol Galba of Czechoslovakia and referee Gottfried Dienst of Switzerland for the 1966 World Cup Final between England and West Germany.

With the score at 2–2 and after 11 minutes of the first period of extra time, Geoff Hurst of England had a shot on goal which bounced sharply downwards off the crossbar and then out away from the goal. There were some moments of indecision before Dienst noticed that Bakhramov, who was the linesman at that end of the ground, was signalling to him. After a discussion, Dienst ruled that a goal had indeed been scored by England, who subsequently went on to win the final 4–2, with Hurst completing a hat-trick in the final seconds.

The decision is perhaps the most debated in all of football. There were no cameras covering the match that provided a conclusive answer as to whether the decision was correct or not: in England, it is commonly believed that the decision was correct, while in Germany it is commonly believed that Bakhramov made a mistake. In 1995, a study was undertaken at Oxford University with the aid of computers to enhance the footage of the incident: they subsequently claimed that the ball did not completely cross the goal line and that the goal should not, therefore, have been given. After the match, many newspapers referred to the 'Russian linesman' who awarded the goal, as Azerbaijan was still part of the Soviet Union at the time, and the nickname stuck to the point where his real name is all but forgotten.

Bakhramov was originally a footballer, but a serious leg injury prevented him from continuing his playing career and he became a referee. He was elected onto the FIFA panel of referees in 1964. After retiring as a referee, he subsequently served for some years as general secretary of the Football Federation of Azerbaijan.

Bakhramov loved refereeing and the game of football in general. When he wrote his memoirs, he described football matches as "duels...full of unforeseen turns and even real miracles. And who does not want to be a magician if even for just 90 minutes?"

The Azerbaijan national stadium is named the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium in his honour. When England were drawn in the same group as Azerbajan in qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, a ceremony was held prior to the meeting at the Tofik Bakhramov Stadium to honour his memory, with attendees including Geoff Hurst, Michel Platini and FIFA president Sepp Blatter. A statue of him was also unveiled at the ceremony.