Southampton are leading the field as they begin to trial Hawk-Eye. FIFA will be visiting in November to observe Stage One of the Trial Process. Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/sep/22/bolton-wanderers-debts-gary-cahill (see half way down)
Hawk-Eye apparently a Hampshire Company and Saints wanting to lead the way as always... (as Nicola Cortese said).
The technology was developed by a guy that went to my secondary school....something cool like that anyway
Hawk eye offices are based in colden common Nr Winchester. Recently done work on his house in which was named hawk's view in shawford. Nice bloke, has a golf simulator in in his cellar.
I work in Colden Common, and never realised they were there...thought they were based North Winch somewhere???
That's the way I see it too. No doubt Fifa and the Hawk-Eye company came to Saints and Nicola saw it for the opportunity that it is.
Well, when I saw the title of this post, I thought for a split second we were considering signing Alan Alda! (ask yer Dad, you young nippers!) Seriously, it's about time football embraced the new technology and it's great that we are doing the trial.
Goals-line technology as long as it is almost instant is the only technology I would accept in football. The game is too continuous and fast to introduce an appeal system.
I would accept every bit of technology going if it was accurate and reasonably fast enough. There's been plenty of manipulation and playing time lost by players crowding around Refs to pressurise them and argue with their decisions. If even relatively slow technology puts paid to disputes like that, then it will be time saved. One thing Hawk-Eye can put an end to is downright cheating, such as this: Incredibly some people still argue that this wasn't over the line..!
My argument against technology use is that teams will appeal and hold up game if possession is against them. Side A could call for technology to be used for a dubious penalty claim in their favour because team B have cleared the ball and are half way up pitch. By the time the penalty claim has been shown to be spurious team B have lost advantage. The only acceptable technological innovation is almost instantaneous goal-line calls. If Hawk-eye isn't fast enough and interferes with game..bin it. I would rather have human error than have football ruined from the exciting fast-flowing game it is. Rugby, tennis and cricket have natural pauses which lend themselves to tech decisions. Even in tennis you have to call immediately for it's use..you can't play a ball and then complain later.
But can you name any incident in the 10.5 years at St. Mary's that goal-line technology would have been useful in deciding?
Mark Hughes goal that hit the back stanchion so hard it came out too fast for the officials. Englands goal not given last year. Some mistakes could cost you the Champions league or a cup place, but generally everything evens out over the season. Can see no use for it in football generally.
Not at St Mary's The point to my semi-rhetorical question being that this is so rarely needed that it isn't worth the (large) expense in football.
Realised afterwards it was probably at The Dell, but glad to see there is one person after my own heart. Luckily, FIFA don't seem very keen, apart from goal-line tech.
Not worth the expense..? Try arguing that point with clubs who have failed to win, but instead drawn, or failed to draw, and instead lost. The potential injustice not only affects the clubs playing the particular match, but indirectlyall those in the same league. Here's a perfectly good recent example. Last season Shrewsbury failed to be promoted because Wickham Wanderers scored a 'ghost' goal. The ball never even got near to rolling over the Shrewsbury goal line, yet a goal was given. Despite protests from the players the goal stood. Wickham and Shrewbury swapped places at the top of Lge Two and Wickham achieved auto-promotion, and Shrewbury failed in the lottery of the playoffs. Because Shrewbury are a minnow club it barely caused a ripple, but the injustice is every bit as important as Ireland not reaching the World Cup finals, or many other instances where one team has benefitted greatly because of human error. I wonder how much that referee error will cost Shrewbury in the long run..? I'd imagine the cost of a Hawk-Eye, or similar system would be peanuts in comparison. As for luck evening itself out over a season - Alan Hansen's favourite phrase, I'm afraid, I don't buy it for a second. Just get the decision making right and there will be no need for such a dismissive statement.
If they wanted a Hampshire team to test it out it would have to be either us or Eastleigh to test it out. Can't think of any other teams in Hampshire!
