WHAT A GOOD IDEA
Goal-line tech on its way... as we suggested!
THE Football League Paper called for it… and, thankfully, they listened!
In last week’s leader column, we advocated the introduction of goal-line technology in the EFL.
“Surely the time has now come for it to be introduced in the Championship, if not the whole of the EFL…clubs could miss out on promotion, and managers’ jobs and players’ livelihoods could be on the line if a ‘goal’ is or isn’t given. It’s time for the EFL to act.”
And then came the news we’d been waiting for on Thursday afternoon.
“EFL clubs have agreed in principle to introduce goalline technology into the Sky Bet Championship from the 2017/18 season,” said the EFL in a statement.
“The decision was made by Championship clubs at a meeting today and, subject to further discussions, will now be presented at the EFL AGM in June in order for the regulations to be amended to cover the provision of the new technology.”
Incredible
While the Premier League have used ‘Hawk-Eye’ technology since 2013, the EFL have been slow to catch up, though they have used it in the latter stages of the EFL Cup and the Sky Bet EFL play-offs.
EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “I welcome the decision of our clubs to intro- duce goal-line technology into the EFL.
“PGMOL officials do an incredible job and this deci- sion is about providing our match officials with as much support as possible, to ensure they are best placed to make the right calls in even the most difficult of situations. The technology is widely adopted elsewhere in football, including in two of our competitions, and I therefore welcome it as an important addition to the Sky Bet Championship from next season.”
The issue came to the fore again two weeks ago when QPR’s Conor Washington had a ‘goal’ not given, even though the ball appeared to cross the line in his side’s 1-0 defeat at Blackburn.
Rangers goalkeeper Alex Smithies believes using goalline technology is the way forward.
“It’s the fairest way to do things whether it goes for you or against you,” he told Get
West London before the news came of its introduction.
“It’d be nice to see it in the Championship and, had it been, we’d have taken a point against Blackburn.”