As you may know, Coral are running an ‘Ask a Pro’ series – where you get to ask former players and people involved in the game at the highest level, your questions.
Because I am supporting their feature, I got granted permission to ask a question direct to Graham Poll about the standard of refereeing and the implementation of video technology.
The issue of video technology has come to the fore again after the Lampard goal that never was against Germany and quite a few other issues that have occurred during the World Cup in South Africa. Graham seems to think that a stronger FA would help improve the standard of refereeing – I believe that is true, and it would only do good for the current football system in this country which clearly needs modernising and improving.
I wish to thank Coral, and the people working on the Coral Dugout project for giving me the opportunity to put my question to Graham Poll. I fully reccomend you keep up to date with their interviews on Facebook and Twitter.
I received no payment for this post.
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Referees shouldn’t be such pussies. They know the job when they get into it. They should be more concerned with getting decisions right, and if that means bringing in technology and damaging a few egos, then so be it.
Refereeing should be about honesty, being impartial and getting the decision right. Poll has revealed himself since his retirement to have been somewhat biased by saying the big names are treated differently because they know the impact sending off a rooney would have (understandable, yet should still be unacceptable for a ref), and hes shown himself incompetent by saying there was nothing wrong with the quick free kick goal scored by porto against arsenal this year, when the rules say the quick free kick in the box is not allowed.
Rather than getting upset at being overruled, referees should be delighted if technology comes in and helps them to get the decision right. One would hope that their passion in life is to ensure that the result of the game is as fair as possible seeing as they devote their time to it – this doesnt appear to be the case, however
You are right Davi. Like you also are right with the Porto goal which I as a ref also knew immediatly that the ref messed it up badly. And then Poll saying it was allright.
I’m also in favour for technological assistance of the refs.
All this debate which purports the maintainance of referee authority without technology is conservative in essence.
Much like international education systems (the basis of which consists of a Victorian hieretic method of knowledge preaching), the game of football is ordered by a human being who is meant to represent infallibility and omnipotence.
In the last 100 years a great change away from this geriatric mentality can be pointed to. We have seen the decline of countries ruled by hereditary right; dictated to by decieving demogogues; controlled by the wealthy families. Although some of these still remain, the upsurgence of social ideas has led to many great changes in thinking. Football, however, seems to have been left behind by this progressive wave. As I see it – nothing is being referred to the ref other than the deception of players and their fallible vision. They act like an old autocrat.
Yes, we must acknowlege that in the same 100 years many great changes have transformed the game as we know it but we forget how very young and emerging the proffessional game is. This game is a bit like the internet – it seems as if it has been here for ever. But it hasn’t. It is still growing. And many are still struggling to get to grips with how it should be controlled.
A referee is someone to whom something is referred. Then for God’s sake offer the poor guy something which is concrete – not the fallible four extra eyes which has made farcical games in the Europa League – not the post-match judgements on important decisions. Give him visual aids to go by which should make controversy implausible in the very significant games. They try their damnest to get it right – so should FIFA try their damnest to make their life more bearable for the burdens that weigh heavy on their mortal shoulders.