Oceania (OFC) - Road to WC 1998

Oceania (Asia)
Eugene Brazzale   Edward Lennie	AUS (1959) AUS (1959)

Edward Lennie becomes the first Australian to referee a World Cup match since 1986, his strongest competitor was a compatriot. 

Aussie Bambridge faced a crazy match in 1986

All of Australia's last three World Cups in the Oceania zone yielded a centre referee for them, but Edward Lennie became the first from his country for a considerable time to take charge of a World Cup match. A short historical trip is therefore needed. 

FIFA were quite enthusiastic about what Christopher Bambridge could reach at World Cup 1986 - he took charge of the-then U-16 World Championship final the year before, and got a very prestigious appointment to the second game of the Mexican World Cup, Spain - Brazil. 

The officials are most memorable in this game for linesmen David Socha missing the ball cross for a Spain goal (they lost 1-0), but this was a battle of extreme difficulty, and the appointment of Bambridge was, for FIFA, a rather regrettable one. 

Therefore, in 1990, Australia only had a linesman (Richard Lorenc), and in 1994, lobbied hard for Eugene Brazzale to join Gordon Dunster, a top linesman, in the States. Perhaps off the 1986-debacle, FIFA did not want an Aussie in the middle, and both Brazzale and Dunster would attend the World Cup. 

By 1998, with the expanded World Cup, Lennie displayed the necessary quality, and Australia had their man. Probably, his closest rival was actually Brazzale, but Lennie's performances at Atlanta 1996 were enough - he was in. 

I haven't paid too much attention to the appointed assistants, but Vanuatuan Lencie Fred is worth a mention. There is no doubt giving him games had political value, but unlike Elise Doriri (see this...), he had top quality - his ultra-decisive onside in the Atlanta 1996 final was excellent. Fred switched from the assistant to referee list in 2000. 

Referee:

Edward Lennie (AUS)

Assistant Referee:

Lencie Fred (VAN)