Exclusive: Webb stopped final from ending in chaos – Hackett

Rotherham-based Webb set a new record for the biggest game in world football by issuing 14 yellow cards and one red before Spain secured a 1-0 victory in extra-time.

His performance has been heavily criticised by the Dutch but Hackett – who helped Webb on the road to South Africa – last night jumped to his defence.

Hackett, one of England's most respected former officials and, until recently, the man in charge of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, insisted that Webb should be 'proud' of his display and says the Dutch were guilty of setting a bad example to the 750 million watching on television around the globe.

Bert van Marwijk's side looked intent on 'spoiling' the game and commited a string of fouls designed to unsettle the Spanish. Their over-zealous tactics have even been described as 'anti-football' by the legendary Johan Cruyff, who epitomised the ethos of Dutch 'Total Football' in the Seventies.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post from his home in Sheffield, Hackett said: "It is unfair that Howard is being criticised because, overall, he had a superb game technically.

"Sadly, there were far too many players who showed no respect for the authority of the referee and it was not a good example of how the game should be played or how players should behave.

"You expect players to respond to a referee – and cautions normally serve to calm players down. But in this game, yellow cards had little effect on some players who continued to test his authority. People should also be graceful in defeat, even if they have not been on the field of play."

Dutch players surrounded Webb when Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta scored the only goal of the game four minutes from the end of extra time. Dutch supporters jeered whenthe officials collected medals at the end of the game and coach van Marwijk criticised Webb in his post-match interviews. Television replays have proved that Webb was spot on to ignore calls for offside in the build-up to Iniesta's goal.

Ironically, his failure to send off Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong for a chest-high lunge on Xabi Alonso was, arguably, more contentious. Webb showed his only red card to Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga in extra time for a second bookable offence

"Tactically, the Dutch were trying to stop the game and upset the opposition," said Hackett. "There were many incidents of group dissent and group fouling tactics.

"Yet, out of all the referees at the World Cup, Howard was the ideal appointment," he insisted. "Had a referee with lesser experience or with less man-management and communication skills been in charge of this game, we could have had a very different scenario on our hands – it could well have deteriorated into mass confrontation.".

Hackett, now 66, refereed at the European Championships in Germany and was in charge of countless high profile games during the 1980s including an FA Cup final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Wembley

He says FIFA should now look at the possibility of introducing new laws that will deter international sides from stepping over the mark.

"If a team in the Premier League gets six players booked in a game, they face heavy sanctions and can be fined. That may be something that FIFA could look at," he said

"At least Sunday's game has showed how well behaved the players are in the Premier League – where we encourage 'respect' and urge players to get on with the referee."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter admitted yesterday that Webb had been given a "very hard task" on Sunday night

"The final was not exactly what I expected in terms of fair play,"

he said. "It's not up to me judge the performances of the officials, I can only say it was a very hard task that the referee trio had on the field of play.

"It was not easy, really not easy and they were really not helped in this task I can say."

Blatter refused to comment on Holland's rugged approach but admitted that "the side that played football won".

"Football is a school of life because it is based on discipline and respect. It's a combat game but in the spirit of fair play. You have to learn to win and you have to learn to lose, and should not forget the basis which is discipline and respect."

Webb, who is currently in the middle of a five-year sabbatical from South Yorkshire Police, had been the first Englishman to referee a World Cup final since Jack Taylor in 1974. His assistants in Johannesburg were Darren Cann, from Poringland, Norfolk, and Michael Mullarkey, from Exeter.

Dutch newspapers have labelled Webb a "chump". AD Sportwereld wrote: "The Dutch national team perished – thanks largely to a chump of a referee.

"It was a riveting battle, emerging through the tension but the Philistines were helped by Howard Webb, a controversial referee from England.

"He hopped across the pitch, handing out cards, each time preceding the act with an irritating address of the culprit. The teams deserved a referee in top form but that was certainly not the case with Webb."