As any quizzer should know, the famous "Russian linesman" was from the Soviet Union, but he wasn't Russian – he was from Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan. His name was Tofiq Bahramov, and he died in Baku in 1993, aged 68.
The other linesman was Karol Galba, who came from Czechoslovakia. He began his sporting career as a club official with ŠK Bratislava (the forerunner of ŠK Slovan Bratislava), which means he was probably Slovak rather than Czech. His lifelong contribution to the game brought him an honorary membership of the Slovak Football Association. He died in 2009, aged 88.
© Haydn Thompson 2021