Colourful line-up lit way to trophy

LAST WEEK I dealt with how the 1930 World Cup was won by Uruguay – this week, I’ll look back at some of the big personalities involved in that Final.

Let’s start with the referee – Jean Langenus.

The Belgian was around 6ft 2in and always dressed immaculately with his outfit in the World Cup Final consisting of shirt, tie, jacket and plus fours.

Langenus was only confirmed as the referee for the final some three hours before the kick-off and even then, he insisted on a swift return to his boat at Montevideo port straight after the match.

Of the Scots-born players in the USA side, Andrew Auld was later inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

James Brown came back to the UK in 1932 and played for Manchester United, Brentford and Spurs before returning to the USA. James Gallagher was also inducted into the National Hall of Fame, as was Bart McGhee.

Hector Castro, who scored Uruguay’s fourth goal in the final in the 89th minute, lost part of his right arm in an accident with a chainsaw when he was 13 and went on to coach the national team in 1959.

Jose Andrade, a legend in Uruguayan football, believed to have been the first black player to have appeared in a match in continental Europe, had also won gold medals at 1924 and 1928 Olympics.

Jose Nasazzi, who was the Uruguayan captain in 1930, had also won medals in 1924 and 1928 and held the post of national team manager from 1942-45.

At centre-half for runners-up Argentina all through the competition was a star player in Luis Felipe Monti, usually called Luisito. A controversial figure he had a penchant for ‘rough play’.

Many of the incidents that marred the play in games involving Argentina in 1930 could be put down to him.

After the World Cup, he moved to Italy and played for Juventus – and the national side from 1931 to 1939.

He was at centre-half in the 1934 World Cup final against Czechoslovakia then became a manager after his career ended.