Martin Glenn confident Video Assistant Referee system will stay
Tuesday 9 January 2018 23:56, UK
Martin Glenn is confident the Video Assistant Referee system will become a permanent fixture in English football.
VAR, which allows referees to use technology over major decisions in a game, was used for the first time in Brighton's FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace on Monday evening.
It has already been in use in Italy's Serie A and the Bundesliga in Germany this season and FA chief executive, Martin Glenn, is delighted it has finally been introduced in England.
"The FA generally thinks that in a few years' time we will wonder how we ever lived without it," Glenn said.
"We were a big supporter of VAR being embraced in football after years of it being challenged by Sepp Blatter and FIFA.
"I was pleased as it seemed to work the right way," Glenn added. "The good news is that the game did not stop once and there appeared to be good teamwork between (referee) Andre Marriner and (VAR) Neil Swarbrick.
"It's the result of a lot of testing having been done already in a non-game situation, which has really refined this referee to technology interface. The big question now is: should we put it into the World Cup?"
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is keen for VAR to be used at this summer's tournament in Russia.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will make a final ruling when it gathers for its annual general meeting in March.
