Career

He became a Football League referee in 1954 and an international referee in 1960. Throughout his league career he sent off only three players. Outside football he was the director of a Sheffield engineering company.

During that game he failed to send João Morais from the field of play after a double foul on Pelé.

Although McCabe had appeared on the line in Brazil"s victory over Bulgaria a week earlier, he played no further part in the competition following this incident. Brian Glanville, writing of the match, stated: "Pelé would say that it was only when he saw the incident on film that he realised how bad it was.

He would swear, then, never to play in a World Cup again. The indulgent, flaccid English referee, George McCabe, allowed Morais to stay on the field, so that now Portugal were playing against ten men".

In 2010, The Telegraph listed it among the 10 worst refereeing errors in World Cup history.

SUFC Senior Blades is still ongoing, as per the Sheffield United official website.

Achievements

• McCabe, though awarded the 1969 FA Cup Final in his final match in England, is perhaps more well known for his handling of the Brazil versus Portugal World Cup match played at Goodison Park, Liverpool, on 19 July 1966, in which he was assisted by Wales" Leo Callaghan and England"s Ken Dagnall. The official Sheffield United website mentions his death when crediting him with being co-founder (along with Derek Dooley) of the "Senior Blades Club", for over-60 supporters.

Views

Quotations: "Pelé would say that it was only when he saw the incident on film that he realised how bad it was. He would swear, then, never to play in a World Cup again. The indulgent, flaccid English referee, George McCabe, allowed Morais to stay on the field, so that now Portugal were playing against ten men".