Webb gets nod to referee World Cup final

ENGLAND’s Howard Webb will be the referee for Sunday’s World Cup final.

The 38-year-old from Rotherham has been chosen for the final by FIFA’s referees committee.

Webb and his assistants Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey will officiate in the final between Spain and the Netherlands at Johannesburg’s Soccer City.

He will become the first Englishman to referee the final since Jack Taylor in 1974.

Webb has refereed three matches in this World Cup so far, starting off with Spain’s shock defeat by Switzerland.

There was some unhappiness in Spain but Webb’s team really impressed in Italy v Slovakia where Cann was spot on with a tight call to rule out a Fabio Quagliarella equaliser. In the first knock-out round match between Brazil and Chile, Mullarkey was praised for his decision to allow Luis Fabiano’s goal while Chile defenders were claiming offside.

Webb will make a little piece of football history in that he will become the first person to have refereed the Champions League or European Cup final and the World Cup final in the same year.

The Yorkshireman has emerged as the Premier League’s leading referee following the retirement of Graham Poll, the last World Cup referee from England.

Poll’s World Cup in 2006 ended in disaster when he booked the same player three times.