Dein wants goal-line cameras

Dein: Wants technology

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Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has called for the introduction of goal-line technology.

The issue has been hotly debated in recent years and Dein, who left the Gunners in April last year but is still influential in the game, believes such technology will help referees avoid costly mistakes.

But expanding its use beyond this should remain open to discussion, said Dein, who was speaking during a presentation at Soccerex 08 which focused on the current state of the game.

He said: "The game has moved on. We are logging mistakes that a club pays for in cash.

"A mistake where a club does not qualify for the Champions League and loses £10million, a mistake where a club gets relegated and costs a lot more than that and the club may never get back in the Premiership again.

Endangered species

"I believe that referees are an endangered species. Nobody ever says 'the referee had a great game', they always say the opposite. It's always something that the referee hasn't done. So I believe that they need help.

"Things are not always what they seem. Refs can miss something because they're not looking directly at it. It's easy to miss something you're not looking at."

Dein believes if the technology is there, it should be used to benefit the game.

"We're not trying to sanitise the game, one might say it's about technology, particularly about goal-line technology," he said.

"That's what everybody works hard for, the coaches are working six days a week for the big game, so that they can get the ball over the other team's goal-line.

Technology today

"There is technology today, it's been introduced in tennis and they can't tell me technology is not there.

"Forty years ago, America put a man on the moon. So the technology is there.

"I know that Fifa are looking at it, there's talk in Uefa too about putting maybe another two assistants, maybe two men behind the goal to check, but can they actually beat the cameras that can see from various angles?"

He added: "What we're looking for here is to use technology for the benefit of the game to help the referees make the right decision.

"We're not trying to talk about whether it was offside or not, there has to be a start somewhere and this has to start with the goal-line."