The stopwatch used by English referee Jack Taylor when he awarded the fastest penalty in a FIFA World Cup final has been put up for auction ©Getty Images

The stopwatch used by English referee Jack Taylor when he awarded the fastest penalty in the history of the FIFA World Cup final has gone up for auction.

Taylor gave The Netherlands a penalty after only two minutes in the 1974 final at the Olympiastadion in Munich when West Germany’s Uli Hoeness fouled Dutch captain Johan Cruyff.

It was the first penalty to be awarded in a World cup final and was successfully converted by Johan Neeskens.

The Dutch lead did not last long, however, as Taylor controversially awarded West Germany a penalty of their own in the 26th minute when Bernd Hölzenbein was fouled in The Netherlands penalty area and Paul Breitner converted it to equalise.

Gerd Müller then put West Germany ahead in the 43rd minute, a lead they held on to as they won 2-1 to lift the World Cup for the second time in the country’s history.

Jack Taylor's stopwatch, manufactured by Omega, is expected to fetch up to £5,000 at auction ©Fellows
Jack Taylor's stopwatch, manufactured by Omega, is expected to fetch up to £5,000 at auction ©Fellows

"The first penalty wasn't difficult to call," Taylor later recalled.

"All I remember is thinking it was a 100 per cent correct decision.

"As the ball went on the spot the whole stadium went quiet.

"[Franz] Beckenbauer, the German skipper, came to me and said, 'Taylor, you're an Englishman'.

"The kick went in and there was complete euphoria.

"What really does annoy me is the suggestion that I gave [the second penalty] to even things up.

"It was a trip, or an attempted trip and the laws of the game are that's a penalty."

The stopwatch, manufactured by Omega, is being auctioned as part of "The Luxury Watch Sale" by Fellows in Birmingham on June 14.

It has already attracted a bid of £2,700 ($3,800/€3,100) with the auctioneer estimating it could fetch as much as £5,000 ($7,000/€5,800).

The stopwatch, which has been put up for auction by Taylor’s family, is generally considered to be in good condition.

The 1974 FIFA World Cup final between West Germany and The Netherlands was the highlight of Jack Taylor's 33-year refereeing career ©Getty Images
The 1974 FIFA World Cup final between West Germany and The Netherlands was the highlight of Jack Taylor's 33-year refereeing career ©Getty Images

The World Cup final was the pinnacle of Taylor’s refereeing career, which also included officiating the 1966 FA Cup final between Everton and Sheffield Wednesday and the 1971 European Cup final between Dutch side Ajax and Greece’s Panathinaikos.

Taylor served as a referee for 33 years, taking charge of more than 1,000 games, including over 100 international fixtures played in 60 countries.

Besides the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany, Taylor also officiated at the 1970 tournament in Mexico.

Taylor was inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame in 1999 and, in 2013, became the first referee inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

He died in 2012 at the age of 82.

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