Graham Poll facts for kids
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| Full name | Graham Poll | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 29 July 1963 Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England |
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| Other occupation | Television pundit, newspaper columnist | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| ?–1991 | Isthmian League | Referee | |
| 1986–1991 | Football League | Asst. referee | |
| 1991–1993 | Football League | Referee | |
| 1993–2007 | Premier League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 1996–2007 | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Graham Poll, born on July 29, 1963, is a former English football referee. He was one of the most well-known referees in English football. He worked for 26 years, overseeing many important matches. His last game was the Championship play-off final on May 28, 2007. This match was between Derby County and West Bromwich Albion.
Poll represented England at two World Cups and the UEFA Euro 2000. He also refereed the 2005 UEFA Cup Final. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he made a mistake in a game between Croatia and Australia. He gave a Croatian player, Josip Šimunić, three yellow cards before sending him off. Referees are only supposed to give two yellow cards before a red card. Poll retired from refereeing international tournaments soon after this error.
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Becoming a Top Football Referee
Graham Poll started refereeing football matches in 1980. He slowly moved up through different leagues. By 1986, he became an assistant referee in the Football League. Five years later, he became a full referee in the Football League. In 1993, he was chosen to be a referee for the Premier League. This is the top football league in England.
Refereeing International Matches
Since 1996, Poll held a FIFA badge. This allowed him to referee international matches. He took charge of European games, like the UEFA Cup final in 2005. This final was between CSKA Moscow and Sporting Lisbon. He also refereed at major tournaments. These included Euro 2000, where he oversaw matches like France versus Czech Republic.
Memorable Moments on the Field
One famous moment happened on April 21, 2000. It was during a game between Everton and Liverpool. The score was 0–0 near the end of the match. Liverpool's goalkeeper kicked the ball, and it hit an Everton player, Don Hutchison. The ball then bounced into Liverpool's goal. Poll disallowed the goal, saying he had already blown his whistle to end the game. However, TV replays showed he had not. After he retired in 2007, Poll admitted that disallowing the goal was a mistake he regretted.
Poll also refereed the Italy versus Croatia game at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This match was on June 8, 2002. It was a very busy game for him. There were many fouls, three goals scored, and two goals that were not allowed. He also gave out two yellow cards.
Graham Poll at the 2006 World Cup
Graham Poll was the only English referee at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. His first game was South Korea versus Togo. Poll sent off a Togo player, and South Korea won 2–1. His second game was Saudi Arabia versus Ukraine. Ukraine won 4–0, and Poll showed six yellow cards.
The Three Yellow Card Incident
His last game at the tournament was Croatia versus Australia. In this match, Poll made a big mistake. He gave Croatian player Josip Šimunić three yellow cards before finally sending him off. Normally, a player is sent off after two yellow cards. Poll later explained that he accidentally wrote down the second yellow card for the wrong player. He thought Šimunić had an Australian accent, which confused him. The game ended 2–2, and Australia moved on to the next round.
Retirement from International Tournaments
On June 28, 2006, FIFA removed Poll from the remaining World Cup matches because of his error. The head of FIFA's referee committee said Poll was an "exceptional referee" who would overcome the situation. Poll retired from refereeing international tournament finals on June 29, 2006. He said his mistake was "an error in law" and that he took full responsibility for it. He also mentioned that he asked FIFA to let him go home to be with his family after the difficult experience.
Poll continued to referee in the Champions League and other international games. However, he decided not to be nominated for any future tournament finals. He felt it was time for another English referee to have a chance.
Life After Refereeing
Graham Poll's last planned match was a Euro 2008 qualifying game on June 6, 2007. However, he was replaced by another referee after an interview he gave was seen as critical of the Football Association. In August 2007, Poll released his autobiography called "Seeing Red."
After retiring, he became a pundit for BBC Sport's football coverage. He also became a columnist for The Daily Mail newspaper, writing a feature called "The Official Line." Since 2009, Poll has also appeared regularly on Sky News Sunrise as a newspaper reviewer.
Personal Life
Graham Poll was born in Hitchin. He grew up in Bandley Hill and Shephall. He went to Ashtree Junior School and Alleyne's School. He is married to Julia, and they have two daughters, Gemma and Josie, and one son, Harry. Poll is a supporter of QPR. On April 13, 2008, Poll ran in the London Marathon. He finished the race in four hours and 20 minutes. He raised money for the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home charity.
See also
In Spanish: Graham Poll para niños
