Bobby Stokes by Mark Sanderson

Author:Mark Sanderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pitch Publishing
Published: 2016-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

13

Spotlight

THE name Brian Marchant doesn’t mean a thing to people in Southampton; it should do. Once the 1976 FA Cup Final was over and the fans had left the Wembley terraces, the pundits on television were still going over the slow-motion replay of Bobby’s goal, looking to prove whether or not he was onside. Meanwhile, Brian Marchant, the man who had the definitive answer, put down his red flag in the quiet of the match officials’ dressing room. In terms of Southampton’s history Brian’s contribution is as significant as that of the Russian linesman who allowed Geoff Hurst’s vital England goal against West Germany in the 1966 World Cup Final, their third of the afternoon. In reality, Tofiq Bahramov wasn’t Russian, he was from Azerbaijan, but that’s life for a linesman. Make a mistake and it’s the hangman’s rope, do something memorable and nobody tends to pick up on the exact details.

Ted Croker was on edge. As the Football Association’s secretary he didn’t want English football’s 1976 showpiece game overshadowed by controversy – not on his watch. Having carried out his own post-mortem by watching the instant replay of Bobby’s goal he made a beeline for the officials’ room, congratulating Brian for making the right call. Ted had needed to watch the replay five times first though. Brian appreciated the sentiment, but he didn’t need reassurance. He had the best view in the house and said the goal was definitely onside.

The 1976 FA Cup Final wasn’t only the pinnacle of Bobby’s career, it was Brian’s too. He was a Herefordshire-based referee who worked as a linesman for the Football League. The referee that day was Clive Thomas, a Welshman with an idiosyncratic way of doing things, once disallowing a Brazilian goal in a World Cup match because it came as he blew his final whistle. He admitted to not being in the best position to decide whether or not Bobby was onside, although from where he stood towards the halfway line Bobby looked offside. Clive put his faith in Brian. Like Ted Croker, he told Brian that it looked like a tough one to call. Brian disagreed, saying there was no debate.

Brian passed away a few years ago. His son Neil has kept many press cuttings from his father’s career, revealing his thoughts about Bobby’s goal. Nerves still played a part in officiating on the big stage, as Brian once said, ‘It’s not so much the 100,000 crowd that puts the fear of God into you as you wait in the players’ tunnel – it’s the knowledge that 40 million people will be watching the match on television.’ While the FA Cup Final drew a large televised audience, the majority of them were expecting a Manchester United victory. ‘If my dad had put up his flag that day there probably wouldn’t have been many complaints,’ said Neil. ‘United were the team expected to win and TV replays weren’t what they are today.’ Thankfully for Southampton, Brian’s judgement wasn’t swayed by tricks of the mind.

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