John Langenus

Infobox Person
name = John Langenus


imagesize = 150px
caption =
birth_name = John L Langenus
birth_date = birth date|1891|12|08|mf=y
birth_place = Berchem, Belgium
death_date = death date and age|1952|10|01|1891|12|08
death_place =
other_names = Jean Langenus
Johannes Langenus
Julian Langenus
occupation = Association football referee
known_for = FIFA World Cup Final, 1930
spouse =
partner =
website =

John L. Langenus [http://rsssf.com/tableso/ol1928f-det.html Statistical info] (plus Langenus' middle initial "L"): "RSSSF.com" statistical website. Retrieved on March 18 2008.] (born December 8 1891, [http://www.weltfussball.de/schiedsrichter_profil.php?id=30799 Birth and death dates] : "Weltfußball.de" de icon website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] Berchem, Belgium; [http://www.spitsbroeders.nl/main/main/_article.php?cat_id=14&article_id=23 Place of birth, plus other biography] : "SpitsBroeders.nl" nl icon website. Retrieved on March 18 2008.] died October 1 1952) was a Belgian football referee, who officiated for FIFA in three World Cup competitions, including the first ever Final match in 1930.

Life and career

Contrary to some sources, Langenus' parents actually gave him an Anglicised Christian name, rather than call him "Jean". [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=U5dgLQ3NWCQC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=%22John+Langenus%22+referee&source=web&ots=OzdAZomRhB&sig=QoTDr_NIcFMZNH6O18e_p1QbteM&hl=en#PPA24,M1 Anglicised Christian name] : Google Book Search preview of "Moving with the Ball: The Migration of Professional Footballers" (footnote 49, page 24), Pierre Lanfranchi & Matthew Taylor, 2001, ISBN 1859733077. Retrieved on March 6 2008.]

Langenus first undertook his refereeing exam only to fail it when he wrongly answered a question posed by examiners. The question asked of him was: "What is the correct procedure if the ball strikes a low-flying plane?". Langenus did not answer and failed the exam.

1928 Summer Olympics

Langenus was selected to officiate at the 1928 Summer Olympics, and he refereed the first round match on May 30 1928 at the Olympisch Stadion, where Uruguay beat the Netherlands by 2–0 in front of 40,000 people, and confirmed their place in the quarter-finals. He was then given the honour of controlling the Bronze Medal game, at the same venue on June 10 1928, between Italy and Egypt, when the African side were soundly beaten by 11 goals to 3 (Schiavio, Banchero and Magnozzi all scored hat-tricks for the winning side).

1930 World Cup

In the 1930 FIFA World Cup, held in Uruguay and the first ever to be staged, Langenus handled four matches as referee, [ [http://www.weltfussball.de/schiedsrichter_profil.php?id=30799&saison_id=304&sr_typ=1&modus=3 Four matches] , 1930 World Cup Finals: "Weltfußball.de" de icon website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] plus two as linesman. [ [http://www.weltfussball.de/schiedsrichter_profil.php?id=30799&saison_id=304&sr_typ=2&modus=3 Linesman twice] , 1930 World Cup Finals: "Weltfußball.de" de icon website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] Two "Group" matches played under his stewardship were followed by the first semi-final between Argentina and the United States on July 26 1930, which finished 6–1 to the South American side. [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1930/wc30semifinal.html Argentina v. United States] , 1930 World Cup semi-final: "PlanetWorldCup.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] Langenus officiated all his matches "whatever the heat, in cap and plus-fours". The Americans played 80 minutes of the game "with one player missing (broken leg after 10 minutes)" - "substitutes weren't allowed, so the United States played on with only 10 men". [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/soccer/longterm/aj/1930.htm Incident in 1930 World Cup semi-final] , Argentina v. United States: sports writer Brian Glanville, quoted by the Washington Post website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] There was also an incident involving one of the US medical staff, after Langenus had given a foul against one of the American players; "the team's medical attendant raced, bellicose, on to the field, to berate Langenus. Having had his say, he flung his box of medicines to the ground, the box burst open, various bottles smashed, including one full of chloroform, and its fumes rose to overpower the American. He was helped from the field."

He then received the notable honour of controlling the Final, on July 30 1930 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. The home country Uruguay met Argentina, and feelings were running high even before the match; the "big, tough, ruthless centre half" [ [http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2534/25340750.htm "Was Monti a coward?"] (Argentinian centre half): "Sportstar" - Brian Glanville's newspaper column at The Hindu website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] "Argentinian Luis Monti received a death threat" and the referee "demanded a quick escape route plan to get back to his ship". It was Langenus who defused another potentially serious diplomatic issue when he suggested that, instead of choosing a match ball from either the hosts or the challengers (which was being hotly contested before the event), they use one ball in the first half of the Final, and switch to the other team's ball in the second half. This solution was accepted by both sides. [ [http://www.world-cup-bets.com/world-cup-controversies.php Pre-match tensions] , 1930 World Cup Final: "World-Cup-Bets.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] Despite all this, "Langenus refereed skilfully, completely unfazed by the masses filling the ... Stadium ... to bursting point" during the game, [ [http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fanfest/magazine/magazine06-06p.8en_3377.pdf On Langenus' performance in the 1930 World Cup Final] : PDF version of FIFA's "Fanfest" magazine (page 5). Retrieved on March 6 2008.] which finished 4-2 to the hosts, even though "one of the game's most controversial incidents" was the allowing of the first Argentine goal, which some observers took to be offside. [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1930/wc30final.html Uruguay 4 Argentina 2] , 1930 World Cup Final: "PlanetWorldCup.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.]

1934 World Cup

In the 1934 World Cup Finals, hosted by Italy, Langenus was involved in only one game, the first round match between Czechoslovakia and Romania at the Stadio Littorio in Trieste on May 27 1934, which he refereed, and it ended in a 2–1 Czech win. [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1934/wc34round1.html Czechoslovakia v.Romania] , round 1, 1934 World Cup Finals: "PlanetWorldCup.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.]

1938 World Cup

The only sanction of any kind which John Langenus had to issue in all his matches in charge during three World Cups was the dismissal of Germany's Hans Pesser in the 6th minute of extra time [ [http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/oiref/worldcup/38res.htm 96th minute sending-off] , Hans Pesser of Germany v. Switzerland: "OiRef!" statistical website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] during a first round match in the 1938 competition against Switzerland in the Parc des Princes, Paris, France, on June 4 1938. After 120 minutes of play, the scoreline remained 1–1, and had to be settled by a replay five days later, the Swiss triumphing 4–2 (though Langenus did not handle the decider). [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1938/wc38round1.html German player off] , Germany v. Switzerland, round 1, 1938 World Cup Finals: "PlanetWorldCup.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.]

On June 19 1938, at the Parc de Lescure in Bordeaux, Langenus received his second great career honour, having been chosen to oversee the third place playoff between Brazil and Sweden. [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1938/wc38semifinal.html Brazil v. Sweden] , 3rd/4th place playoff, 1938 World Cup Finals: "PlanetWorldCup.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.] By resting their tournament top scorer, Leônidas, in the semi-final, Brazil may have caused their own eventual participation in the lesser match instead of gracing the Final as expected. Leônidas scored twice for Brazil, in a 4–2 victory, to help secure third spot. [ [http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1938/wc38index.html Leonidas goals help secure third place for Brazil] , 1930 World Cup Finals playoff: "PlanetWorldCup.com" website. Retrieved on March 6 2008.]

Later career

Langenus later wrote three books; an autobiography, "Whistling in the World", and two other football-related works of non-fiction.

References