Erich Linemayr

Erich Linemayr (* 24 January 1933 in Linz , † 4. June 2016 ) was an Austrian FIFA - referee . During his career, he played three games at soccer world championships , two in 1974 in the Federal Republic of Germany , one in 1978 in Argentina . He also directed two games at the 1980 European Football Championship in Italy and the final of the 1978/79 European Cup .

life and career

At the age of 13 he started his career as a football player with the local SK Admira Linz . At the age of 20, out of consideration for his job, he ended his active career. Then he turned to athletics, which he could practice every day after work. He was mainly active as a middle-distance runner and achieved 16 Upper Austrian provincial championships within five years. In order to save penalties, he was persuaded in March 1956 by those responsible at Admira Linz to take the referee examination. After successful exams, he began his referee work in the third division of the country. While many referees at that time decided the penalty area scenes from a distance based on feeling and in case of doubt for the defenders, Linemayr mostly stayed near the penalty area, which is why there were more penalty kicks under his direction. This earned him the nickname "Elfermayr".

Linemayr was appointed referee in the state league in 1963 and as a so-called “international referee” in 1966. At the beginning of October 1968 he was put on the UEFA referee list and appointed FIFA referee in 1969 . He was often used in this activity. In his career between 1966 and 1981 he whistled 52 European Cup games and 30 international matches. Among other things, he became known as the referee of the game of the 1974 World Cup between Germany and Poland, the so-called water battle of Frankfurt . At the 1978 World Cup, he served as linesman in the Argentina-Netherlands final. At the 1980 European Championship, he whistled the game for third place between hosts Italy and Czechoslovakia. He also whistled the "game" between Chile and the Soviet Union in 1973, which took place on November 21, 1973 in Santiago de Chile . It was a qualifier for the 1974 World Cup . The Soviet Union did not run in protest against the military coup and the Pinochet regime ; Chile's team stood alone on the pitch and won 1-0.
After the final whistle of the semi-final match in the European Cup of national champions in Madrid between Real and Bayern on March 31, 1976 (1: 1), an obviously disappointed fifteen-year-old Real fan first punched Gerd Müller and then Linemayr (the rowdy was then hit by goalkeeper Sepp Maier and be tamed by Uli Hoeneß ). In later reports, the age of the troublemaker, whose name was given as Jaime del Pozo, was questioned as he was married. He announced in an interview that he was dismayed by the sentence against Real and that he would go to jail for the club.

Since Linemayr was very popular, especially in Austria, due to his sporting activities, he was also invited to various television programs, including the German television show Dalli Dalli . Due to the 48-year rule, he ended his career as a referee in 1981 and began a second successful career as an official. Subsequently, he was a regular referee for 20 years and deputy chairman of the OÖSK, the Upper Austrian referee association, for 15 years. In addition, he was the ÖFB's rules officer for 22 years, an observer in the Bundesliga for the same time, a member of Senate 4 of the Bundesliga for 15 years, and UEFA international observer for two decades (until 2003) .

The main occupation was the holder of numerous decorations until the end of the 1980s in a large paint shop in Linz. His honors include the OÖSK ring of honor, which he received in 1979, and the award of the title of consultant from the state of Upper Austria for his services to sports. In 1996 he was appointed honorary chairman of the OÖSK and remained so for life. Linemayr died on June 4, 2016 at the age of 83.

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Column 2, above: "Linemayr Uefa-Referee" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna October 12, 1968, p. 15 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
↑ Article in the magazine 11 Freunde
^ "Maier tamed balls and rowdy" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna April 2, 1976, p. 7 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
↑ «“ Go to jail for Real ”» . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 12, 1976, p. 13 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
↑ Death Erich Linemayr , wirtrauern.at, OÖNachrichten June 11, 2016. In the press first of June 6 was given as the date of death, based on a press release by the ÖFB . Both web links accessed July 27, 2017.

personal data
SURNAME	Linemayr, Erich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Austrian football referee
DATE OF BIRTH	January 24, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH	Linz , Austria
DATE OF DEATH	4th June 2016

[1] Column 2, above: "Linemayr Uefa-Referee" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna October 12, 1968, p. 15 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).

[2] Article in the magazine 11 Freunde

[3] "Maier tamed balls and rowdy" . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna April 2, 1976, p. 7 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).

[4] «“ Go to jail for Real ”» . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna May 12, 1976, p. 13 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).

[5] Death Erich Linemayr , wirtrauern.at, OÖNachrichten June 11, 2016. In the press first of June 6 was given as the date of death, based on a press release by the ÖFB . Both web links accessed July 27, 2017.