Sandy Griffiths

Benjamin Mervyn "Sandy" Griffiths (17 January 1909 – 21 January 1974[1]) was a Welsh football referee from Abertillery, Monmouthshire. In his professional life he was a teacher.

Mervyn Griffiths
Full name Benjamin Mervyn Griffiths
Born (1909-01-17)17 January 1909
Abertillery, Monmouthshire
Died 21 January 1974(1974-01-21) (aged 65)
Wales
Other occupation Teacher
Domestic
Years League Role
1939 (WW2) Football League Linesman
1945-1959 Football League Referee
International
Years League Role
1949-1958 FIFA listed Referee

Career

He first took up a teaching post in Devon but soon returned to Newport and began his refereeing career in 1934 in local leagues. Within five seasons he was appointed to the Football League list as a linesman and, after the War, refereed the England versus Scotland clash in 1949,[2] and then the 1953 FA Cup Final, otherwise known as the Matthews Final.[3] It was his decision, with two minutes remaining, that enabled Stan Mortensen to equalise from a free-kick awarded just outside the penalty area.

Griffiths represented Wales at the 1950,[4] 1954[5] and 1958 World Cup Finals.[6] In the first of these he appeared in the opening fixture, and in the second took charge of the semi-final between Hungary and Uruguay, and assisting William Ling in the final. In the closing minutes of the match, and with the score at 3-2 to the West Germans, Griffiths flagged Hungary's Ferenc Puskás offside, just as he beat Toni Turek in the German goal.[7]

He was the first Welshman to referee an international at Wembley, the first from his country to referee an FA Cup Final, and the only Welshman to appear in a World Cup final.

References
  1. Birth and death dates confirmed: zerozero.eu website.
  2. England 1 Scotland 3 Archived 2007-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, 1949, with Griffiths refereeing: EnglandFC.com website.
  3. The "Matthews Final", 1953, with Griffiths refereeing: The Independent website, via the FindArticles service.
  4. 1950 World Cup Finals, example matches with Griffiths in charge: PlanetWorldCup.com website.
  5. 1954 World Cup Finals, example matches with Griffiths in charge: PlanetWorldCup.com website.
  6. 1958 World Cup Finals, example matches with Griffiths in charge: PlanetWorldCup.com website.
  7. Offside flag from Griffiths, 1954 World Cup Final: Ferenc Puskás - International Football Hall of Fame website.
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