Jack Taylor: The World Cup Final referee from Wolverhampton who knew no fear

The late Mr Taylor, who is rated by many as the greatest referee of all time and took charge of the 1974 final between Germany and Holland, is among 222 people making their debut in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB).

He joins fellow famous Wulfrunians including Wolves and England defender Billy Wright, Wolves' most successful manager Stan Cullis and late Wolverhampton MP Enoch Powell in the list.

"It is a wonderful tribute," his wife Sue said.

"I'm delighted that he is still remembered. He would be so honoured. Jack was a very modest man who took everything life had to throw at him in his stride.

"I always thought he was a strange character, because he had such phenomenal success yet it never went to his head.

"He thoroughly enjoyed what he did, and he knew he did it well."

Mr Taylor's entry in the ODNB opens by saying that he left school at 14 after failing his 11 plus.

"Living above his father's butcher's shop, it was probably assumed that he would go into the business, although as a young man he was keen on horses with thoughts of becoming a trader," the biography continues.

"In the event, he did work in the shop, but it was football at the weekends that became a central life interest."

The progress of Mr Taylor, who refereed footballing greats such as Pele, George Best, Johann Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer, was "extraordinary" according to the ODNB.

He was only 31 when he refereed the FA Amateur Cup final between Crook Town and Hounslow Town in 1962.

In a profession that is as much-maligned as traffic wardens, Jack always cut a popular figure, not just with his colleagues, but with fans and players alike.

And that had nothing to with him being a soft touch, because that is an accusation that could never be levelled against Jack.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, he officiated in excess of 1,000 matches, including over 100 international fixtures.

In the eyes of many he still ranks as the finest referee of all time.

The son of a Dunstall butcher, he never forgot his roots and long after he became the country's most well known man-in-the-middle he still took a key role in local refereeing matters.

It is worth revisiting his infamous display in the 1974 World Cup Final between Holland and West Germany.

With just a minute gone - and before a German player had even touched the ball - Dutch star Johan Cruyff was hauled down by Uli Hoeness.

There had never been a penalty awarded in a World Cup Final before, but Mr Taylor took one look at the incident and pointed straight to the spot.

For most people making such a major decision so early in the biggest game on the planet would have been too much to handle.

Not Jack.

"It was clear cut in my opinion," he told the Express & Star back in 2010.

"It wasn't in everybody's opinion of course, particularly the Germans, but I was quite happy with it."

His ability to stay calm in such high pressure situations was one of the qualities that made him so great at his job.

You could call him a consummate professional, although Jack would probably hate that.

He refereed because he loved doing it, and never fully came around to the idea of professional referees.

"Jack always said that whether or not he was paid he would still do the job to the best of his ability," his wife Sue told me.

"Becoming professional didn't matter one bit to him."

Jack's place in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is richly deserved. It is another in a long line of fitting tributes and accolades for a man who did his city proud.

In 1966, he refereed the FA Cup final between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley, and then took charge of the 1971 European Cup final, between Ajax and Panathinaikos.

In 1974 he became the first referee to award a penalty in a World Cup final. In fact, he awarded two penalties in the first thirty minutes of the clash between Holland and West Germany in Munich.

He received the OBE for services to football in 1975.

Once when he refereed a match at Luton Town, his face was cut when a fan threw a penny at him.

Legend has it that after the match, comedian and Luton fan Eric Morecambe went to see him to make sure that he was alright, and also to check that he wasn't going to report Luton for the incident.

When Mr Taylor confirmed that he wouldn't be reporting the matter, Morecambe replied: "Good,now can I have my penny back?"

Mr Taylor later became commercial director at Wolves and was also a Wolverhampton magistrate for twenty five years.

He was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame in 1999 and in 2013 became the first referee inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

He was 82 when he died of pneumonia at his home at Shifnal in July 2012.

Former referee Alex Hamil met Mr Taylor in the late 1950s when he was a young up and coming referee in the Wolverhampton leagues.

"Jack was already a football league referee by then," said Mr Hamil, 80, from from Ettingshall Park.

"He took me under his wing and was always there to offer help and support.

"Jack didn't have an enemy in the world. He was loved and respected wherever he went. He produced some wonderful pieces of refereeing.

"But even when he was at the very top he never forgot his roots. He was a proud Wolverhampton man."

Mr Hamil recalls an incident during a Football League Referees Alliance meeting that he says sums up his old friend.

"One of the national newspapers wanted to run a contest to vote in the best referee in the country," he said.

"Jack stood up and said he was completely against it, arguing that we shouldn't start picking out referees as we were all in it together.

"Everyone was shocked because we all knew there would only have been one winner....Jack!

"He didn't care about the personal accolades. That was his nature."

Wolves club historian John Hendley said Mr Taylor's latest honour is richly deserved.

"He was always renowed by the players as one of the best in the game," Mr Hartley said.

"If the players think you are the best then you must be pretty good, and it came from the best players in the world.

"He was quality at his job.

"In the World Cup Final that he refereed, he showed no fear in awarding the penalty in the first minute or booking the German captain.

"Both penalties he awarded were the right decisions.

"He also booked Johann Cruyff in that game. Cruyff didn't know that a Dutch linesman had taught Jack some Dutch swear words, so when Cruyff was swearing at him he knew exactly what he was saying.

"He was a very quiet man, a decent man."

"Jack was respected by everyone in Wolverhampton and this award is fully deserved.

"Football is a bit of a different game nowadays, they earn more money than Jack could have dreamed of.

"But he was in it for the love of the game, not the money.

"He loved the game and loved it to be played properly."

Mr Hendley recalls an anecdote Mr Taylor once told at a dinner about Denis Law. The former Manchester United and Manchester City star was the player who gave him the hardest time on the pitch.

"One day Law just wouldn't shut up, and Jack asked him: 'Who's refereeing this game, me or you?' said Mr Hendley.

"Law replied: 'At the moment, neither of us!'

He added: "At Molineux, the referee's room is named the Jack Taylor Room. It gives visiting referees something to aspire to.

"If they could become half as good as Jack was, they wouldn't be a bad referee."