90% of football fans want video refs

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London - Almost 90% of football fans in England want video technology brought into the game to aid officials, according to results of a survey announced today. The survey, conducted website WheresTheMatch.com, comes in the wake of a series of officiating blunders this season, most notably in September's match between Watford and Reading at Vicarage Road. On that occasion referee Stuart Attwell awarded Reading a 13th-minute goal even though the ball clearly hadn’t crossed the goal line, leaving then Watford boss Aidrian Boothroyd (pictured) apopleptic with rage. Only 19% of the fans surveyed felt the implementation of video technology would slow the game, while 64% were worried that football was being left in the wake of other sports more willing to embrace new technology. These concerns were echoed by Boothroyd in the wake of the incident at Vicarage Road. "I’m an advocate of goalline technology," the former Watford boss rather understandably said. 

“It doesn’t have to stop the game for too long. If sports like cricket and rugby can take it on, then I think that we should.”

His comments were echoed by Wes Lewis, co-founder of WheresTheMatch.com (a rather handy little site, if you ask us, which tells you which channel's showing which games on any given night).  “Football is running the risk of being left behind technologically. Many team sports use a TMO (Television Match Official), including rugby union and league, with many supporters arguing that it adds to the tension and ensures informed decisions are made that could have otherwise affected the outcome of the game.

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Gary Parkinson

Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.