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Referees' chief Mike Riley: Video technology will prevent errors

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments332

Referee Neil Swarbrick shoes a red card to the wrong player during the Manchester City-West Brom game
Mike Riley retired from refereeing in 2009 when he was appointed manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd

Video technology to help referees cut out clear mistakes should be introduced in English football, says referees' chief Mike Riley.

Riley's comments came after referee Neil Swarbrick sent off Gareth McAuley instead of Craig Dawson during West Brom's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City.

Swarbrick has apologised for the error.

"We need to see what technology we can use to help get referees' decisions more accurate," said Riley. "Football as a whole has to look at it."

Speaking about Swarbrick's error, Riley - head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) - told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek: "All it takes is a split-second lapse in concentration.

"Neil had four or five elements to judge in half a second and it is that type of situation that would lend itself to technology."

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Riley said he had been to the Netherlands with PGMOL performance director Howard Webb, another former referee, to study video assistant technology used in the Dutch league.

"Technology doesn't provide a solution to everything but we can all think of case where a quick reference to a video replay would help us get the decision right," he added.

Riley also revealed that he had spoken to Swarbrick "several times" since the City-West Brom match.

"All referees want to make correct decisions and when you don't do that, you feel you've let yourself and your colleagues down," he said.

"We need to make sure the next time Neil referees, he has learned from the experience and will be a better referee because of it."

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332 comments

  • Comment posted by Michael, at 11:51 22 Mar 2015

    This all stems from Fifa. They don't want to change because the majority on the figureheads are ignorant/arrogant dinosaurs.

    Look at rugby and cricket. Video technology has been a complete success - so why hasn't football followed suit? It should have changed years ago.

    Things need to change. 99% of people seem to agree, yet nothing is done about it. Pathetic.

  • Comment posted by User0385496388, at 11:09 22 Mar 2015

    Of course they do. The arguments against technology in football are spurious and ridiculous, and makes one think that there is some hidden - dodgy - agenda by the rich, powerful controlling bodies.

  • Comment posted by mv834, at 11:14 22 Mar 2015

    Did anyone in charge of the football authorities watch the Six Nations? I just can't understand why football, with all the money, can't learn from RU - stop the watch when necessary (no more "Fergie time); video evidence for doubtful decisions; sin bin; - etc. There's no crowd trouble, even though people are mixed together, frequently seen clutching pints. What's so precious about football?

  • Comment posted by Vampire, at 11:16 22 Mar 2015

    Of course we need technology. Most people know this. We are in a ridiculous situation where everyone at home can see a replay within 10 seconds, yet the referee cannot. This is the world's most watched sport...it needs to catch up with the times.

  • Comment posted by D1696960465519, at 12:18 22 Mar 2015

    I have to say even though this is a football related topic, I watched rugby for the first time yesterday and wow, did anyone see the player say "yes sir" back to the ref, it was somewhat unreal, serious respect makes such a difference, makes me feel sick when I see our footballers do the total opposite, football needs to change and embrace what the fans want!

  • Comment posted by - - - And Out Come The Wolves, at 11:47 22 Mar 2015

    managers and players are always quick to criticise officials, especially when the official makes a huge blunder....but lets face it players constantly 'cheat' every game from start to finish, claiming every throw, offside, dive, foul or whatever trying to hoodwink officials....'all part of the game' they say...its just 90 minutes of non stop cheating but do managers ever open their mouth about it?

  • Comment posted by Bob Singleton, at 15:49 22 Mar 2015

    Will Skertl be treated the same way as Costa was? Only ONE replay of him stamping on de Gea compared to endless replays of Costa. The pro-Liverpool bias in the media is truly sickening.

  • Comment posted by Ewan Mee, at 11:13 22 Mar 2015

    Referees would be helped if players realised that football is meant to be a sport and that they should behave in a sportsmanlike manner, i.e. no cheating, harassing officials, etc. However, money rules and winning is everything no matter how it is achieved. As a lifelong lover of the game, I sometimes get very depressed and fear for its future.

  • Comment posted by funat54, at 15:57 22 Mar 2015

    Skrtl gets away with murder hauling players down at corners and free kicks.
    Let's hope his luck runs out and he gets a 3 match ban for his stamp.

  • Comment posted by User0671922069, at 12:34 22 Mar 2015

    Fourth thing- refs need to 'grow a pair'.If a player is acting up, in your face, swearing etc- book them.They do it again, send them off.If four players are about you,book all of them,including the captain- as they're his players to lead.
    It'd be the first step,and sure some of the first games will end 9 versus 10 or something, but give it a few weeks and managers will drill it to their players.

  • Comment posted by PeteinDarwinNTVEGANMCFC, at 15:25 22 Mar 2015

    hopefully ban for skirtl as well

  • Comment posted by Senator McCarthy, at 15:58 22 Mar 2015

    143.Bob Singleton

    We all know about the pro LFC bias mate but we owe Slippy G some credit for evening the odds. Last year he stopped them winning the title e is doing his best to stop them from getting top 4 with his Stampy G and 3 game ban to follow.

  • Comment posted by rememberscarborough, at 14:37 22 Mar 2015

    Slate refs all you like but Atkinson saw that Gerrard stamp far sooner than all the "experts" and dealt with it accordingly (and, no, I don't support either side).

  • Comment posted by User0532541719, at 15:41 22 Mar 2015

    Nice to see the Liverpool team trying to stamp their authority on the game...

    Skrtel should have walked too.

  • Comment posted by User0249812757, at 18:23 22 Mar 2015

    Rodgers on the skrtel stamp

    "if he gets a toe on that it's probably a penalty"

    What? The ball was already in De Gea's hands THEN skrtel stamps on him THEN hurdles him

  • Comment posted by User0249262821, at 14:35 22 Mar 2015

    A very good ref decision for sending off gerrard for stamping

    Well done ref!

  • Comment posted by D1679571414280, at 15:48 22 Mar 2015

    No technology needed today. Gerrard top top player! What an idiot.

  • Comment posted by User0687162710, at 15:47 22 Mar 2015

    Technology is vital.

    I am one of the first people to criticise officials but more and more nowadays players are cheating.

    We should use the word cheating as well to help stamp this deplorable behavior from football. Too many people in football especially pundits and commentators use soft language to excuse and condone cheating.

  • Comment posted by User0830181829, at 18:16 22 Mar 2015

    King Kenny lost his job partially because he was mistaken in publicly defending his player as a good manager should.But Suarez's cheating and racism was indefensible and a manager should know when to put own integrity on the line and when to back off. In defending Skrtel after the game the Brodge has entered into similar territory. There's no defending what Stampy G and the Stampinator did today.

  • Comment posted by wilfmcnab, at 12:34 22 Mar 2015

    Football has become a cheats game, if technology is brought in (similar to the six nations yesterday)most of the cheating,bad decisions screaming at refs,diving etc etc (don´t have enough characters left to go into all details Ha haa) that is completely ruining the game,would be eradicated overnight, it would help the refs and give us back the beautiful game. as pundits say, it´s a no brainer !