This time however England actually benefitted from the
incorrect refereeing decision during their group match against Ukraine. With
England 1-0 up Ukraine were giving everything they had to grab themselves an
equalising lifeline to stay in the tournament they’re co-hosting. In the 62nd
minute they thought they’d got it when Marko Devic’s shot looped in to the goal but
was scooped out by John Terry on the line.
When it first happened on live TV I thought it was
definitely over the line but then I started doubting myself as there is a man
with a Wii remote stood a few feet away to make a decision. Surely he’d get it
right, it’s his only actual job for the evening but no, it turns out a quick
video replay proved he was indeed wrong not to give Ukraine a goal as the ball
had clearly crossed the line.
Of course England fans would say they were owed a decision
to go in favour of them for once but that’s really not true. For example Frank
Lampard scored a goal that wasn’t given against Germany in South Africa, did it
matter? No. Germany would have won with or without the goal and they deserved
to do so. Did this faux-goal for the Ukraine make any difference? Well
yes, in the way that Ukraine could have easily got another and won the game. It should be said however that Artem Milevskiy was actually offside in the build-up
to the ‘goal’ so really play should have stopped before any of this even happened.
Two decisions in quick succession that were wrong!
It’s no surprise then, that every man and his dog is now calling
for goal line technology again. Even Sepp Blatter is calling for it now England
have benefitted from it saying it is a necessity. I suppose that’s what it takes to get FIFA interested!
It seems to me then that everyone wants this technology
implemented, whether it’s Hawkeye or a quick TV replay for the referee to see, but not everyone wants to see it... I don’t.
Don’t get me wrong I can totally see the argument for it; a
lot of money is usually at steak so decisions need to be made correctly and there’s
nothing worse in football than not having a clear goal given, especially when
it costs you the game, or worse the championship! However I don’t want it for one reason: I want the game that’s
played in the World Cup, at the Euros, or in the Premier League to be as close
as possible to the game people can play in their back garden, on a field, or
wherever there’s a spare bit of gravel.
All you should need to play a game of football is four
jumpers and a ball. The highest level of the football is already getting completely
out-of-touch with the actual game, adding goal line technology will make it
even worse.
If it is implemented, where does it stop? Surely not every league in the world can have it as it cost money; it's easy when you've got Sky filming the game but they're only at the high profile matches. In the English leagues
for example, would the Championship get it? The Conference? Will the Northern
Premier League Division One North be getting it? It has to stop somewhere…
I just think that when a secondary school football team plays against
another secondary school football team it should be the same game that Manchester United play
when they play against Manchester City in the Premier League. Call me old
fashioned but that’s what I believe the game is all about.
Unfortunately though, considering the direction Sepp Blatter
is steering the FIFA ship, I think this idea of mine that everyone can play the same
game is just a pipe dream. Goal-line technology will happen eventually, maybe
in the next few years and the gap between the top of football and the bottom
will be an absolute chasm. Who knows what’ll be next, throw-in technology?
Maybe.
Give it 10 years and FIFA will be bringing in the chance for
teams to buy goals in-play… £10 million a goal, 20 if you’re English…
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