The Feedback

Technology in Football fans! Just a quick to let you know that despite the fact I feel two years older and Will has gone a little greyer after an intense three months of making the documentary we were rewarded with a lovely 77%.

This is incidentally the highest mark for a TV documentary on the MA Broadcast Journalism course this year which was especially pleasing given how intimidated Will and I felt after watching some of the other superb productions! 

In the feedback session the highlights were apparently the current and contentious nature of the topic and the Jeff Winter interview (always the crowd pleaser!) but apparently I could have smiled more.

By Andrew Binner (smiley face)

What impact will goal-line technology have on the Premier League?

So here it is, the final seven minute film. After a few months of research and travelling up and down the country, and dealing with fans outside Loftus Road, we bring you technology in football…

The film looks to see what will happen to the beautiful game when goal-line technology is introduced into the Premier League. We have used the 2010-2011 season as a guide to how the league table standings will be affected due to our time constraints.

Tim Long, who helped with the statistics during this project, recently tweeted that last season 1.1% of all major decisions involved incorrect goal-line decisions. That means that in the last two seasons, the incorrect goal-mouth decisions have almost doubled from 0.6% to 1.1%. However, they still account for a fraction of major decisions.

And with Queen’s Park Rangers avoiding the drop this season, there is further evidence to suggest that incorrect goal-line decisions do not have any bearing on the final standings of the league table.

With special thanks to, Tim Long, Jeff Winter, Brad Barritt, Marc Bircham, Paul Morrissey (QPR Press Office), Matt Porsz, Angus Dunsire, Mark Chapman, Angie Payne (Staines Town), Nick Noble (Premier League), Michael Adamson (ProZone) and Ian Abrahams (The Moose).

By Will Roe.

“I think they’d rather be safe and go upstairs if they can” – England’s Brad Barritt discusses technology in rugby

On Tuesday we headed to north London to chat to England and Saracens centre Brad Barritt. We asked him how a decision – such as David Strettle’s disallowed try during this year’s Six Nations against Wales – can be a victim of technology depending on what angles the Television Match Official is given…

The 25-year-old, who started his career at the Natal Sharks in South Africa, said that occasionally the game can be slowed down and he feels that often decisions could be reached quicker.

“Sometimes they (the officials) go unnecessarily (to the video referee), if it’s a defnite try they should rather just get on with the game. But I think no ref wants to make that big decision and ultimately have his head on the firing line when he’s made a silly call. So I think they’d rather be safe and go upstairs if they can.”

However, as a player who has played with and without technology, he believes that rugby union is definitely better for having the technology available.

By William Roe.

Blooper alert! Andrew and Will encounter some tricky customers outside Loftus Road

Last weekend we went to Loftus Road to record a piece to camera for our film on technology in football. We set up the shots, had the script ready, but forgot that there are some things you just can’t quite prepare for…

Vote on which character you thought was more entertaining below…

By William Roe.

Technology on Teeside! An interview with former Premier League referee Jeff Winter

Yesterday, Thursday 10th May, Will and I made the trip up to Yarm, Middlesborough to speak to Jeff Winter from the comfort of his home.

Here is what Jeff had to say on how he feels goal-line technology should be applied to the Premier League and the advantages/disadvantages it could bring to the table:

Jeff Winter has refereed more than 200 Premier League matches (as well as the 2004 FA Cup Final at the Millenium Stadium) and what he doesn’t know about refereeing isn’t worth knowing! He feels that whilst goal-line technology is imperative, we should be cautious when deciding how far to roll it out with regards to offsides and fouls etc. – as the game cannot be allowed to slow down.

Jeff believes that the main prerequisite for goal-line technology is that:

“It must be an instantaneous decision that is made in the matter of a split-second.”

Andrew grapples with Jeff Winter – who has disappointingly lost his famous goatee!

Jeff also told us there were a few other aids he believes referees should be given to help them during the matches. The sin-bin (Rugby Union style), a ten-yard penalty for sides who argue with officials over decisions (but for the attacking side to decided whether they want the additional yards).

What do you think should be brought in to help referees?

Keep an eye on the website for a rib-tickling blooper reel from Loftus Road and an interview with England rugby centre Brad Barritt coming soon.

By Andrew Binner and William Roe.

Goal-line technology won’t change anything – Tim Long interview

Here is a video of the interview that Andrew conducted with Tim Long at Staines Town Football Club.

Watch the interview in which Tim argues that we must have much more than just goal-line technology:

Tim, who has done extensive research into ‘major decisions’ during the 2010-2011 Premier League season, believes that goal-line technology is simply not enough. He wants to see technology rolled out much further

Tim (left) chats to Andrew about why he believes there is need to let referees have much more assistance than just goal-line shouts.

He argues:

“There are so few of them (over the line decisions), there was 20 in the whole of last season out of 713 decisions that I logged in the Premier League and only four of those were wrong…The Premier League table that I logged would not have changed, it would have been completely the same if we had goal-line technology.”

Tim’s revised table for the 2010-11 season, would have seen Blackpool and Birmingham avoiding relegation if key decisions such as penalties, offsides and red cards had been given correctly.

Tim continues:

“I think what we do need is video replay technology to look at key incidents in the game. That was the point of my study; penalty, sending offs and offside incidents as well as seeing those potential balls across the line decisions.”

Read and listen to Tim’s full findings on his website.

By William Roe.

Marc Bircham talks technology

Here is the full interview with Queens Park Rangers’ Reserve Manager Marc Bircham.

Click below to listen to what he had to say on whether technology should be used in the Premier League, when Andrew caught up with him before the players turned up for training:-

The full interview with Broadcaster Tim Long and Tennis Umpire Matt Porsz will be on the site soon…

By William Roe.