I've changed my mind about the use of technology in sport

To feel cheated when the ref disallows your goal - for offside, maybe, or by saying it didn't cross the line - is scarcely bearable, especially when he compounds the hurt by definitely giving the oppo 3 out of every 4 decisions all afternoon. But at least you can see your villain.

I hadn't made up my mind about goalline technology until last night watching the buggery. In terms of the try itself, in realtime I thought he'd been carried out, but after watching the replay I became convinced he'd scored. Whether he had or hadn't, some bloke in the stand somewhere decided the try shouldn't stand.

Now imagine a similar thing taking place in an end-of-season football game, with a debatable decision that robs us of promotion or sends us down, wouldn't that be SO much worse than merely being denied by a ref?

Surely if goalline technology can't give an absolutely clear decision every time then it's of no use and may do more harm than good - and it can't. Someone will pretty much always be slightly in the way.

We all feel that referees tend to give the majority of decisions to the bigger club in any game, or at least I do, and I doubt it's because they're bent, I think it's more to do with the inability of men to make entirely fair instant judgments inthe heat of a moment. But if major decisions were allowed to be taken in some office somewhere out of sight there'd be a real chance of those decisions being 'bought'. So let's leave the decisions where we can see them.

On a brighter note, thank GOD the RWC is finally over, and I won't feel the need to watch that paralysingly tedious sport for at least another four years.

Posted By: Sugbad The Bad on October 21st 2007 at 12:45:47

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