Category Archives: Football

Goal Line Technology

July 22, 2012 9:05 amLeave a Comment

AT LAST!

I can totally understand the view of football romanticists and traditionalists that will see goal line technology as the beginning of the end of football as we know it. They are right, it is. The truth is that football has change to the extent that the game is faster and there is far, far greater consequences when officials get it wrong.

What will be lost?

1. The travesty of injustice that forms the topic of conversation uniting fans in their solace.

2. The reaction of the crowd that ignites an atmosphere in the ground adding to the drama and fueling the passion of fans when a contentious decision is made.

3. Equality – Not all leagues will be able to afford the technology. It will be a long time before we see GLT reach the lower and non league.

What will be gained?

1. Less or no mistakes for game changing decisions, at least, in major tournaments and top leagues where the steaks are high.

2. Less cause for decent among players and managers.

3. We won’t have to listen to Mark Lawrenson banging on about it anymore!

Goal Line Technology

Goal Line Technology

So we wait with baited breath for Goal Line Technology to be rolled out. There are two technologies that are due to be used in the FIFA Club World Cup, the well known Hawkeye that is used in Tennis and Cricket and GoalRef which uses sensors in the ball and goal.

So now the International Football Association Board (IFAB) have approved the introduction of Goal line technology will Michel Platini relax his view against it? Platini has a point with his reported fear that technology will spread to other parts of the game having a greater affect on the game.

For all the doubters, we have to give it a go, right. If it causes more problems than it solves then we can abandon it learn from the experience and make the case for something else. If it leads to other technology suggestions then they have to be taken on their own merits.

If Goal line technology is not given a chance we will never know. Bring it on!

fff

 

Posted in Football, Premier League

FA Plans For Youth Football

March 24, 2012 6:10 pmLeave a Comment

A shake up of grass roots football is planned. The proposals set out by Nick Levett could be considered radical and thought to be in response to the perceived failings of the national team at major championships.

Key elements of the plans include:

  • Children will not Move to 11 a side football until they are 13
  • Different size teams for age groups under 13 years old (5 a side for ages 7-8), (7 a side for ages 9-10) (9 a side for ages 11-12)
  • Different size pitches for age groups under 13 Years old each age group as above will have specific goal and pitch sizes.
  • No League tables under the ages of 11 – Non competitive football until under 12′s
  • Encouragement of different types of small sided tournaments, mini leagues and joint club training sessions.
  • Change of age of eligibility for teams from school year ages to the calendar year so that children late in the school year are no longer the youngest in the team. (If signed off this will start in 2013 but only for the current under 7s then rolling as that group moves up the age groups.
The rational is to have kids playing for fun and not for “Adult Minded” reasons having more touches in a small sided format developing skills before they start competitive leagues in 11 v 11 format when they reach 13 years old. The hope is the glory hunting parents will not move their kids to teams that always win and that children fall in love with playing football for themselves and not because of the passions of their parents.

Some very well meaning sentiments in the proposals that are claimed to be as a result of thorough research and extensive consultation.

fff would argue that you can ask a question to get the answer you want and you can make studies of other European countries such as Spain and aspire to emulate but with no proof that it will bring success in another country with a different culture, smaller population and different climate.

There are some huge considerations; smaller sided teams up to the age of 13 takes the overall number of kids playing football down straight away, less kids in a team paying subs means clubs have less money to provide team funds for existing overheads of kit, equipment, winter training pitch hire etc, let alone extra goals and groundsman fees to accommodate the proposed changes.

Even if the children are not interested in league tables the very fact that the parents are, to some extent, drives them to volunteer to be managers and coaches often going on the do FA coaching courses – With their kids playing non competitive football, will the urge to get involved still be there? If not, there will be less teams and even less players.

Changing the age groups to be calendar year based, instead of school year based discourages children to invite classmates to join their team, reducing the number of children getting into football in the first place.

The reported £200 million of investment better be spent wisely or there is potential that these changes will send our national game backwards and with less of a talent pool to select from, our national team will suffer as well.

The encouragement of additional small sided tournaments and combined team training actually sounds like the most likely part of the proposal to improve football at grassroots and that is the one part of the proposal that is not going to be imposed.

fff wishes Trevor Brooking & Gareth Southgate all the best of luck rolling this out, we hope it works!

The planned adoption is 2013 / 2014 Season – Click here read more about the proposals.
fff
Posted in Football, Grassroots Football

AVB Sacked

March 4, 2012 3:25 pmLeave a Comment

Andre Villas-Boas has parted company with Chelsea today! No surprise given the results but the question is what happened to “The Project”?

Roberto di Matteo in charge until the end of the season but who will take on the project next? Chelsea have now had five managers in five years with AVB supposedly in to build a new squad which it looked like he was doing but at the expense of results.

Lately there appeared to be upset in the camp, maybe around the changes that AVB had in mind. Looks like the AVB way was too much for Chelsea to cope with and the powers that be didn’t have the minerals to stick with it.

The last few weeks have have been crazy with managers getting fired or parting ways when there seemed to be little reason, let’s take Huddersfield who let Lee Clark on the 15th of February 2012 when his team were  firmly in a playoff position and had just beaten rivals Sheffield Wednesday not to mention presiding over league record of 43 games unbeaten run.

Sheffield Wednesday let Gary Megson go when they were in a good playoff spot on the 5th of February 2012 with the best win % since Harry Catterick in 1958.

So we have also seen Wolves oust Mick McCarthy in February 2012 following a big announcement that a successor was to be named. At the time looking at managers available it seemed that the most suited boss is actually Mick McCarthy after there were several managers who turned down the Job. It would be the right thing if the League Managers Association pulled together to find a way to stop the merry go round. As this is written wolves are loosing 4 – 0 to Fulham on 61 mins; they may have been doing better under Mick!

fff

 

Posted in Football, Football ManagersTagged

The whole of the ball over the whole of the line

January 1, 2012 2:36 pmLeave a Comment

So just to clear this up then!

Apologies to all that are fully aware of the, ‘in and out of play law’ (Law 9 of Association Football). I have to admit that apart from ‘offside’, this law causes the most contention where ever I am, in the living room watching a match, refereeing an under 12′s match or at a league game.

So the argument begins with, was it in or out? Did the ball cross the line? Well, the answer is that the ball is only out when the ball has wholly crossed the line on the ground or in the air. The whole of the ball over the whole of the line!

Football Out Of Play Law 9

Football Out Of Play - Law 9

So this is simple, right… All cleared up!

What gets me is that I often see in league and premier league matches, play stopped for a throw in when the ball hasn’t gone out. Admittedly mostly on TV where we often get a better view and a replay but my point is that the officials should only stop play, for the ball going out, if they can see that the whole of the ball is over the line, if they don’t see it then play should always continue, otherwise they are just guessing.

I have stopped counting how many times in a game I see a throw given when the ball didn’t go out, having written this I have hopefully got it off my chest and can chill out about it and stop shouting at the tele.

Cheers.

Steve – fff

 

Posted in FootballTagged