Ken Aston

Ken Aston (1915–2001) was the English referee and primary-school headmaster who devised football’s yellow and red card system. Following the communication problems at the 1966 World Cup, he developed the idea of the cards, inspired by the colour logic of traffic lights; the system was first used at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Aston also gave football the black referee’s kit and the brightly coloured linesmen’s flags, and served for many years on the FIFA Referees’ Committee.