To be Frank, it was embarrass match officials for Rams’ rout Madrid left club bosses seein Ing: How of Real g red
It was one of Derby County’s greatest nights under the Baseball Ground lights, but as Anton Rippon explains, the referee and his assistants for the European Cup tie proved to be the much more difficult visitors
DERBY County’s European Cup 4-1 hammering of Real Madrid lives long in the memories of those Rams fans who were in the near-35,000 Baseball Ground crowd on that misty October evening in 1975.
For a former mayor of Derby, however, it is the off-field antics of the Russian match officials that spring to mind whenever anyone mentions one of the most famous nights in the club’s history.
Frank Harwood was then an official of Derby Referees’ Society.
It was his job to look after the referee and linesmen for the Rams’ European games in those golden days under first Brian Clough and then Dave Mackay.
He said: “The routine was always the same. I’d meet them at the railway station, take them to the York Hotel for their stay, and then plan for the evening.
“The following morning, they would meet Stuart Webb, the Rams secretary, then it was back to the York for lunch, and then return to the Baseball Ground at 5pm ready for the match. The following morning I’d put them on the train back to London.
“The officials for the Real Madrid game were Russian. The referee, Anotoliy Ivanov, and the junior linesman could speak only their native language.
“The senior linesman, Tofiq Bakhramov, who was the famous linesman who signalled Geoff Hurst’s shot was over the line in the 1966 World Cup final, spoke only a few words of English, so it was quite difficult to understand what they wanted to do on their first evening.
“It turned out that they wanted to see an X-rated film that was showing at the Regal in East Street.
“I’d been given a box at the Talk of the Midlands in Mill Street that evening, so it was agreed that they would go there after the film. I also invited the Derby Referee’s Society chairman, Roy Boyles, and the manager of the York Hotel, Tony Minshull.
“Norman Wisdom was top of the bill, but before he came on, the referee said that he was tired, and Tony Minshull took all three back to his hotel, while Roy and I stayed to watch the rest of the show.”
“The next morning, I took them to the Baseball Ground. After a couple of hours, Stuart Webb asked me into his office. When we were alone, he told me that he’d had a difficult time with the Russian officials over their fees and expenses.
“I was to take them to the Derby County shop on Osmaston Road where they’d be given souvenirs from the club.
“After that, I took them into the town centre, and that became an embarrassment.
“They expected gifts at every shop they went in. The referee, speaking through Tofiq Bakhramov, wanted me to explain how important a person he was.
“The final straw came in Burton’s menswear when the junior linesman had them show him just about every suit in the shop, and then walked out, leaving me red-faced and having to apologise.
“Before the game that evening, I was in the referee’s dressing room when an official from UEFA asked me to leave. A language teacher from Bemrose School acted as interpreter. Apparently, the officials were told that their conduct towards the Derby County secretary could see them replaced.”
Stuart Webb confirms this was far from an isolated incident: “Frank was my liaison with the match officials for European games. The trick was to make them comfortable, but that was all. So, when they came to my office for a chat on arrival, it was always a difficult balancing act.
“Many of their requests were quite normal, but others … asking for cash. It could be nerve-racking, doing everything by the book while trying not to upset these guys prior to the game.”
Frank Harwood says: “At the aftermatch dinner at the Midland Hotel, Dave Mackay said: ‘I understand you’ve had a difficult time with the officials. Join me on my table, and the three Russians can have a separate table.’
“I was relieved to see them off at the railway station the following day. They did give me a gift of a jar of caviar as parting gift, though.”