World Cup final referee Howard Webb 'can't control his own kids!'

The 38-year-old from Rotherham will take charge of tomorrow’s final between Spain and Holland along with his assistants Darren Cann and Mike Mullarkey.

But Webb’s wife Kay, mum of Holly, Jack and Lucy, confessed to the Daily Star yesterday: “I don’t know how he does it. He can’t take charge of his own children. I don’t know how he manages it on a football pitch.”

Webb is currently on a five-year break from South Yorkshire Police where he is a sergeant. He is the first person to have refereed both the Champions League/European Cup and World Cup finals in the same year and the first Englishman to take charge of the big game since Jack Taylor in 1974.

Webb refereed his first game at 19 and dad Billy revealed to the Daily Star he had encouraged his son to give up after watching him take charge.

Billy Webb, a ref himself for 35 years, added: “It’s in my blood. I encouraged my son to take it up.

“I encouraged him to take his first game,' Billy told the Daily star, 'but when I watched his first game, I encouraged him to pack up. My brother was with me at the time. He was a referee and he said, ‘I can see something in this young lad’.

“History has proven him right and me wrong.

“The whole thing is jaw-dropping. I just can’t imagine my son refereeing the World Cup Final.”

Webb’s mum Sylvia admits she finds it tough when he gets stick for his handling of a game.

“I don’t like it if anybody puts him down, obviously, as a mum. I don’t like to hear it,” she said.

But Premier League referees’ chief Mike Riley said: “The appointment is fantastic recognition for English refereeing and should act as an inspiration for all young referees.”