January 2014 saw Sandy receiving local recognition for his work as an international football referee. A blue plaque was unveiled on the wall of Ty Ebbw Fach Heritage Centre in his honour. It was not possible to place it on his home (possibly on Aberbeeg Road) as it has been demolished.
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Benjamin Mervyn
‘Sandy’ Griffiths first took up a teaching post in Devon but soon returned to
Newport, South Wales and began his refereeing career in 1934 in local leagues.
Within five seasons (1939) he was appointed to the Football League list as a linesman
and, after the War, refereed the England versus Scotland clash in 1949,
and then the 1953 FA Cup Final, otherwise known as the Matthews Final. It was
his decision, with two minutes remaining, that enabled Stan Mortenson to
equalise from a free-kick awarded just outside the penalty area.
Griffiths represented
Wales at the 1950, 1954 and 1958 World Cup Finals. In the first of these he
appeared in the opening fixture, and in the second took charge of the
semi-final between Hungary and Uruguay and assisting William Ling in the final.
In the closing minutes of the match, and with the score at 3-2 to the West
Germans, Griffiths flagged Hungary's Ferenc Puscas offside, just as he beat Toni
Turek in the German goal.
He was the first
Welshman to referee an international at Wembley, the first from his country to
referee an FA Cup Final, and the only Welshman to appear in a World Cup final.
Sandy was active
internationally from 1949 until 1958. He ended his domestic career in 1959. In
January 1974 Benjamin Mervyn Griffiths (known as Sandy), died at the age of 65.
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