they finally accepted the offer. In 1976, there was friction over the handling of the player registration of ex-Manchester United and Northern Ireland international George Best, following his transfer from Los Angeles Aztecs of the United States to Fulham. It was discovered that, due to the terms of the contract and the method of registration, Aztecs might actually retain first call on the player. Hardaker acted to counter this situation "to protect the interests of all the Football League clubs". Honours On 12 June 1971 he was made a civil Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to the League. Controversy Hardaker was known for his insular thinking. It was his decision to boycott Chelsea's attempt to enter the first ever European Cup competition in 1955 when Secretary of the Football League. His understanding of dealing with football in Europe amounted to "Too many wops and dagoes", which he conveyed to a Times journalist. He is also a figure who can be held accountable for the tragic events of the 6th of February 1958, which was when Manchester United Football club lost 8 of their most prized assets, one of which was England's Greatest Footballer at the time, Duncan Edwards in the Munich Air Disaster. Hardaker demanded that Manchester United return from Belgrade after their 3-3 draw (meant United went through 5-4 on aggregate) in the European Cup competition to fulfil their league fixture on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Failure to do so would result in Hardaker expelling the club from the first division; this stipulation was the sole reason Sir Matt Busby made the decision to put his boys back on the plane in Munich, even with the plane failing to take off twice due to the icy runway. Hardaker however, did allow a postponement after the tragic events. During the 1960s and '70s Hardaker had a bitter relationship with Leeds United manager Don Revie, during the club's ten-year pursuit of domestic and European honours. Revie and his team frequently ran foul of Hardaker's demanding fixture schedules and autocratic rule as secretary of the Football League. The acrimony between Revie and Hardaker continued when Revie took up the post as England national manager; Revie often protested bitterly to Hardaker against the Football League's rigid fixture schedules which he claimed were outdated compared to other countries and negated any effort to establish a successful