World Cup stunning moments: Clive Thomas denies Zico and Brazil

With six seconds of stoppage time played, Clive Thomas blew his whistle a moment before Zico scored to beat Sweden – a decision which reverberated around the world

“Uncontroversial, non-dictatorial and magnanimous are not adjectives I would associate with Clive Thomas,” wrote Clive White in the Times in April 1981, after “a ludicrous penalty award” had handed Wolves a last-minute equaliser against Tottenham in an FA Cup semi-final. “There is a view that the best referees make themselves as inconspicuous as possible. I am not sure that Mr Thomas shares that belief, because the star performer before an audience of 50,000 and millions more peering through the keyhole of television was unquestionably Mr Thomas. It was the Clive Thomas Spectacular Show.”

Related: World Cup stunning moments: West Germany 1-0 Austria in 1982 | Rob Smyth

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