There are none so blind as those who do not to wish to see.
It is 111 days since Ireland’s World Cup dreams were shattered by a piece of cheating which was so blatant even Stevie Wonder, never mind video technology, could have spotted it. And what has been done to ensure that nothing of its like can happen again. Nothing.
Well, actually the great and the good of football had a bit of think first and then decided to do nothing.
Thierry Henry’s win-at-all-costs mentality, in the words of the legendary singer, signed, sealed and delivered France’s invitation to South Africa in June.
This was the incident where a groundbreaking change had to be made, and Fifa missed the opportunity. Actually they ran away from it. In the federation's own competition, with the world watching, a team had been conclusively cheated out of a place at the World Cup.
As the pictures were shown around the world, a collective cry for video technology to be brought into football came from across the world. Even managers of Premier League clubs, for once, all agreed on the issue. Unfortunately, it fell on deaf ears. Fifa, the most important institution for the development of football, are living in the past and continue to neglect common sense.
Neil Warnock, the QPR manager, can be about as diplomatic as Ghengis Khan but there will be plenty who are likely to agree with his unvarnished view when he was quoted as saying: “Sepp Blatter, the sooner he goes the better. He's the main man who's against it all. If we just brought goal-line technology in, it's progression. We're going back into the ice age almost.
“I hope France lose in the semi-final or final of the World Cup with a goal that's gone over the line [and turned down] or one of the big teams. It would be in the next year if that happened.”
Currently Fifa’s mission reads: “Develop the game, touch the world, and build a better future”. In truth it should read: FIFA – “Quick to praise but even quicker to evaporate a blemish into the football wilderness.”
Just imagine the daily happenings in Zurich. Sepp Blatter and his associates gathered along a medieval style long table, watching re-runs of classic World Cup finals, admiring Michel Platini’s skills and all agreeing how wonderful the sport it.
Technology has taken over football off the pitch with TV coverage making the match-day experience possible from the comfort of your own armchair. However, on the pitch, football has stood still and is failing to move with the times.
How can the most popular sport on the planet not introduce technology? People counteract the argument with the idea that using video replays or goal-line technology would slow the game down, making it less of a spectacle. This is an argument has all the substance of a referee’s decision that is based on less evidence than any TV viewer has access to. Name one rugby union fan who doesn’t find excitement in looking towards a big screen knowing a game-changing decision, the right one in fact, is about to occur.
With the World Cup around the corner, Fifa need to step up sooner rather than later and introduce video technology.
All it requires is a little vision.
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