World Cup final: English referee sets world record by dishing out 15 cards

English referee Howard Webb created World Cup history last night by dishing out a record 15 cards in a brutal final between Spain and the Netherlands.
 
The Yorkshire cop issued 14 yellow cards and one red card, more than doubling the previous record in the final of 24 years ago.

Webb issued nine yellows to the Dutch, including Johnny Heitinga, who was later sent off - and five to the Spanish.

Webb was largely praised for handling a scrappy and physical game, which Spain won 1-0 after extra time.

Former Premier League referee Jeff Winter declared, "Howard has done the nation proud. The officials were the best team on the pitch. He was excellent."
 
The Dutch players were furious with Webb after the final whistle because they should have had a corner before Spain broke away to score through Andres Iniesta.

Brazilian referee Romualdo Arppi Filho set the previous yellow card record during the Argentina versus West Germany final of 1986.