{"product_id":"9781471159978-man-in-the-middle","title":"The Man in the Middle","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Autobiography of the World Cup Final Referee\u003cbr\u003eThe autobiography of World Cup final referee Howard Webb, football's most respected official\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe autobiography of Howard Webb, the man who refereed the World Cup final and is now Chief Refereeing Officer for PGMOL and a television pundit. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Webb's first game as a match official came when he was just 18 and his father's verdict was blunt: 'Useless - he doesn't know his arse from his elbow.' It wasn't the last time his performance would come under fire. But Webb progressed through the ranks, and his natural calm authority made a good impression on players and administrators alike, and soon he was being offered the top matches and the toughest fixtures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The policeman went on to take charge of some of the most important games, including the 2009 FA Cup final, the 2010 Champions League final and - the biggest of the lot - the 2010 World Cup final. Now, in this \u003cb\u003esuperb and frank memoir\u003c\/b\u003e, Howard Webb reveals what it is like to be at the heart of the action in modern-day \u003cb\u003efootball\u003c\/b\u003e where every decision can be unpicked by television cameras. He explains how he learned to handle some of the game's superstars. Refereeing is a hard business, but Webb shows just why he enjoyed it so much and provides fascinating insights into how he dealt with the most challenging situations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With his unique perspective, and the \u003cb\u003echaracteristic honesty and humour\u003c\/b\u003e he has displayed as a pundit on BT Sport, Webb has written a book, updated for this edition, that reveals the game - and the man himself - in a new light. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Genuinely fascinating insight into the difficulties of officiating in the modern game, and Webb's frankness and self-deprecation are to be commended' \u003ci\u003eWhen Saturday Comes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31618540798049,"sku":"9781471159978","price":9.58,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_31853962.jpg?v=1738610773","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781471159978-man-in-the-middle","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}