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Graham PollEnglish football referee
Date of Birth: 29.07.1963
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Graham Poll
Graham Poll is an English football referee who was born on July 29, 1963. He began his refereeing career in 1995 and retired in 2007. Throughout his 26-year career, Poll officiated a total of 1544 matches.
Career Highlights
Poll's first international match took place on April 2, 1997, when he refereed a qualifier for the 1998 FIFA World Cup between Azerbaijan and Finland. He went on to officiate matches in the final stages of the UEFA European Championships in 2000 and 2004, as well as in the FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2006.
Controversial Decisions
In the qualifying rounds for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Poll gained fame for awarding a disputed penalty to Slovenia in their match against Russia in the final minute of the game. The Slovenians went on to win the match with a score of 2-1.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Poll made headlines again in the match between Croatia and Australia. He mistakenly showed three yellow cards to Croatian player Josip Šimunić, forgetting to send him off after the second one. This incident created a unique record in football history.
Final Match
Poll's last match as a football referee was the playoff final of the Football League Championship between Derby County and West Bromwich Albion on May 28, 2007. After this match, he officially retired from his refereeing career.
