Page 7 - The Deal Round Up - April 2019

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iIT was a real pleasure to speak to Ramsbottom
United chairman Harry Williams recently. His tales of
more than 50 years at the Northern Premier League
club were a joy to listen to as Rammy geared up to
welcome AFC Fylde in the FA Trophy. He still insists
players buy some raffle tickets before they get their
wages and he spends hours tending the ground that
now bears his name. In his 53 years since setting
the club up, he’s missed just three games. It’s Harry Williams over 50 years with
people like Mr Ramsbottom that keep Non-League Ramsbottom United
going across the country. We applaud you all.
V A Bloody R By Matt Badcock
Or Video Assistant Referee to give it its full name. For years the debate around technology
raged. Should football have it? Should it not? Will it help? Will it take away the spontaneity and
disrupt the flow of the game?
The answers still aren’t all that clear. In last year’s Russian World Cup there were some
decisions where its use made absolute sense. There were other times that left everyone
scratching their heads.
Essentially it is used in four scenarios. Goals and
whether there was a violation in the build-up like
an offside or foul. The next is for penalty decisions
– general fouls aren’t reviewable unless it is a
direct red card. And the final option is for cases
of mistaken identity when yellow or red cards are
issued.
The system is something everyone is clearly getting used to – referees, players and fans. That
is a big part of the problem.
Having held off for so long, it’s like the football powers were so desperate to use it that the
process has been completely rushed. Supporters inside the stadium and at home watching on
TV don’t fully know what is happening.
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