Goal Line Technology - what a difference you have made.

Maybe it was Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany that tipped the balance but suddenly the biggest issue in the game was how to answer the question, "did the ball cross the line?

This year every club in the Premier League installed the technology and another few quid went on your ticket price to pay for it all. I don't know about you but I can't think of a single occasion when it has made any difference whatsoever. They'll tell you that the referee consulted Hawkeye on the first day of the season, to confirm whether Fabian Delph's shot crossed the line against Arsenal. There was not a single soul in the ground or watching on TV who thought it was a goal but it must  have been fun to try out the new toy. Richard Scudamore, Premier League Chief Executive says, "The most important thing in football is a goal - was it scored or wasn't it," I can't trace a single quote about some of the other questions that a referee might want answered, like:

• was the forward onside or offside when he put the ball in the net?
• when the player went down in the box, did he dive or was he pushed?
• was that deliberate handball?
• was the keeper impeded when he went for that corner?

Most games seem to have at least one highly controversial decision, some have many. The solution is simple and readily available. Give each team two challenges per game on a restricted number of issues, and allow the fourth official thirty seconds to review the TV replays. It would add to the drama in the ground and it would eliminate a huge number of incorrect decisions. Critics say that it would slow the game down. Not as much as having a gaggle of angry players surrounding the referee to make their case about how they've just been robbed.

Had the authorities opted for video replays, they would have had to come to an arrangement with the TV companies that have bought the rights to the games. It might have slightly changed the dynamic of the relationship between the two parties. By choosing goal line technology, those in charge of our game had some juicy contracts to hand out and a whole bunch of hopeful companies desperate to be an approved supplier. That couldn't have been a factor in their decision though... that would be immoral.