Tofig Bakhramov: life, career and interesting facts about the famous football referee

A man named Tofik Bakhramov was very famous during the Soviet times in the world of sports. It's not just a football referee. He became the second Soviet judge, who judged at the world championships. And he was the first who was trusted to be an arbiter in the finals of European cups.

Start of activity

The city of Agjabadi (Azerbaijan) is the place where the future arbiter Tofik Bakhramov was born. The date of birth of the judge is January 26, 1926. He began his career in 1940. Then he played for a local children's club called "Spartacus." Then he moved to another team, FC "Neftyanik". Tofik spoke only at the level of the championship of the Azerbaijan SSR. True, his career as a fielder did not work out. He suffered a serious leg injury, because of which he underwent a serious operation.

But he became famous in judicial work. This hero of our article began to study at the age of 25, i.е. Since 1951. First served matches, held in the championship of the USSR. Then, much later (to be precise - in 1964), his debut in the international arena took place. Two years later, at the World Championships in 1966, which was held in England, he was a line referee. And it was then that Tofik gained his fame. However, about this - a little later.

Personal life

Tofik Bahramov comes from an intelligent family. His father named Bahram is a man with a higher education. He graduated from high school in St. Petersburg. However, he was repeatedly repressed. Tofik's mother, Sariy Seidbeyli, comes from an Azerbaijani family with noble roots. The referee himself was married. He was married only once. His son was named after Bahram's grandfather. When he grew up, he started doing business. A daughter named Gulnara is a teacher of secondary school in Baku.

Tofik Bakhramov himself in the last years of his life served as the general secretary of AFFA.

Final of the World Cup in 1966

Tofik Bakhramov, whose biography is quite interesting, was appointed as a line referee to the World Cup 66 final. Then the match met the England team and the team of Germany. The game was very tense. As a result, when the main time was over, the score was 2: 2. Additional time was assigned. And then something strange happened.

Jeffrey Hurst, an attacker of the English national team, took over the ball in the 11-meter mark. And he was back to the gate. He turned and in the fall struck. And the ball hit the crossbar. Then he jumped down and flew back to the football field. And while it was not visible, what part of the earth he touched - the one that was in front of the gate line, or behind it. At that moment, the English fans rejoiced. Gottfried Dean, who was then the main judge, stopped the game and rushed to Tofik. He nodded his head affirmatively, confirming that the goal must be scored. Then the German players surrounded him and began to protest indignantly. However Tofig Bakhramov is a football referee, who has an unyielding character. It was not possible to convince him of the German players.

The game continued. And just a few moments before the whistle, Jeffrey Hurst scored his third goal in this match. It is interesting that he owns the first and so far the only hat-trick, drawn up in the finals of the World Cup in football. Thus, the game ended with a score of 4: 2.

Comments after the match

The final of the World Cup-66 caused a storm of emotions in all people who in any way were associated with football. Tofik himself said that after the game Uwe Seeler, who played in that match as part of the German national team, approached him, and apologized for their behavior with the team. He admitted that he was wrong. And then he clarified that they with the team revised the repetitions and saw the very same goal.

And Jeffrey Hurst wrote in his memoirs that it is still difficult for him to say whether the ball actually crossed the goal line. A bit later and Tofig Bahramov, photo of which is provided above, said an interesting thing. That the ball, in his opinion, bounced not from the crossbar, but from the grid.

Monument

In March 1993 Tofik Bahramov died in Baku. He was buried at the alley of honorable burial. And in October 2004 a monument was opened in his honor. He was erected in Baku near the Republican stadium. He, by the way, since the mid-nineties bears the name of Bahramov.

It is interesting that the opening of the monument took place on the eve of the game, which was planned between the national teams of England and Azerbaijan. She passed in the qualifying cycle of the World Cup 2006. Direct participation in the opening of the monument was taken by Jeffrey Hurst. He, along with Hans Tilkowski, goalkeeper of the German national team of the 60s, laid flowers on 6 June 2011 in memory of Bakhramov.

Interesting Facts

It should be noted that Tofig Bakhramov became one of the heroes of a small film, dedicated to the World Cup, held in 2006. To shoot an episode in honor of the arbiter, a television group from Germany flew to Baku. Specialists interviewed Tofik's closest relatives and shot a story in the main arena of Azerbaijan. This stadium, as mentioned above, bears the name of Tofig Bakhramov. Another arbiter appeared in the cartoon, mounted to the same World Cup.

It is also worth noting that to get to the FM-66 as an arbitrator Tofik turned out to be quite sufficient to sue two matches held at the international level.

This is not known to everyone, but Bahramov somehow changed jobs. He became the head of the football club called Neftchi (Baku). But he stayed there only for a year. Then he decided to return to the refereeing.

Everyone knows that in 1992 Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of Great Britain, flew to Baku. And she specifically requested a meeting with the famous referee. The ex-prime minister said that she, along with her compatriots, remembers the just act of Tofik. And I noticed that without her meeting with Bahramov her visit to Baku would not be complete.

Finally it is worth noting that in our time in Russia, jointly with Azerbaijan, mini-football tournaments are held in honor of the memory of the great arbiter.