Off Topic Bill Nicholson Arms

If they don't confer an advantage they shouldn't be penalised. But 1.5 metres, which is the best the human eye can do, definitely does confer an advantage. If you don't want mistakes on that to affect the result of games then you have to abolish the off side law or use technology.

 

What is this 1.5 metres you refer to?

 

I did the calculation in my earlier post. The Assistant Ref is supposed to see when the ball is kicked while simultaneously checking for offside. It is completely impossible to do that in under 1 tenth of a second. If the attacker and last defender are moving at a closing speed of 15 metres a second which is easily possible then the gap changes by 1.5 metres in a tenth of a second. Basically a lot of offside decisions are a guess. That's why there are so many wrong ones for the technology to correct.

 

And no-one is making decisions to within a fraction of a millimetre. Even with technology there will be some decisions greater than 10cm that can't be judged precisely. I hope all those are given onside but that isn't shared as far as I know.

 

Thanks. I see that and what that meant was good decisions and bad decisions it was always part of the game. You had to accept the integrity of the Referee but of course had plenty to complain about the decisions made. As a fan it often gave you solace because you could blame the ref. instead of your team. It wasn't perfect but that's the nature of football. We will always have issues with fouls because it's a matter of opinion not fact. Offsides are being placed in the fact bracket when before they were in the opinion column. BUT the technology for this 'fact' still relies on opinion of the refs. So all you have achieved is some reduction of poor decisions but we have lost the spontaneity of the goal and the goal is the high point of the game.

If as they are promising it is fully automated next season that will a big improvement and should result in no disruption to the game. Good! What we should do then (but no doubt wont) is to do away with VAR and just accept the refs decisions on fouls and penalties. They all come down to opinion so lets not have a committee discussing every foul during the game. If VAR worked for these decisions then there would be no discussions post game but there always are, proving it is no better than the ref in the first place.

 

I celebrate goals like I always have done. If they are ruled out for breaking the rules I accept that. If VAR checks and it's fine then I celebrate again. I don't understand this spontaneity argument at all.
We had to accept human mistakes because there was no alternative....now we have one we should use it to help referees. This weekend the difference between Arsenal and City winning the League could come down to Kai Havertz punching the ball into the net on the blind side of the officials. How is knowing that happened and deliberately not acting on it a good thing?

 

Sorry I don't buy that. The fans in the ground and even the players hesitate to celebrate because they know VAR has yet to pronounce. Last night, as is often the case, the crowd were whistling at the delay before they pronounced on Liverpool's 3rd goal. Two of the worst examples were of course our home games against Liverpool and Chelsea when delays to the game caused by VAR were quite ridiculous and affected the game itself and probably the players health.
You are watching a game that always contains doubtful moments and that is part of the greatest spectator sport in the world. All of this VAR business has been brought about by TV pundits examining refereeing decisions with hindsight and making pronouncements. Fans have always done that but we don't do it to millions of people and change the game. Why you want to turn it into a computer game is beyond me.
There are plenty of other sports that produce more forensic results for you to watch. Interesting that none of them are as popular as football.

 

IIRC the repeated VAR delays were specifically blamed for Mickey Van's hamstring injury due to the constant stopping and starting

 

Yes the crowds are being driven away....no not really. I gave you my honest view which you say 'you don't buy' which implies you think I am lying.
My last point...you completely ignored and instead took a cheap shot. I want to watch an exciting sport where cheating is punished. The refs need help to do that. I don't need forensic accuracy...just the Laws being applied pretty well.

 

No way would I suggest you are lying PS. I don't buy it means I do not agree with your point. Cheap shot?
I don't buy that either. It's a view.

 

My point was entirely about how I celebrated goals so how can you not agree with it? Do you have a response on the cheating point? You would honestly prefer cheating that everyone but the ref saw being allowed to decide matches and trophies

 

I was not arguing about your feelings when a goal was scored I was talking about you not getting (buying) the spontaneity argument. I should have made that clearer, apologies for that. As regards cheating? Does anybody really want that but we have more of it now than we probably have ever in the modern game. I put that down to Pro Footballers justifying cheating and not being challenged. The first time I remember that happening was when Norman Hunter literally rugby tackled Lato as he ran towards goal in the infamous England Poland game in 1973. It was described as a professional foul. An England team heavily dependent on Leeds United's league winning team that brought a new level of 'cheating into the game.

Having said that I don't think the major problem is not seeing the cheating and one that could be solved by VAR. I think the problem is interpreting the rules in a way that enables it. Managing the SHOW rather than refereeing a SPORT.

 

On your last point, I mostly agree but I am not holding my breath for that change in the rules and at least today Thierry Henry can't knock Ireland out of the World Cup by blatant cheating and I think that is good.

Thanks on the first point....but I think the noise on hearing a goal scored is just as big as always and that's the spontaneous reaction....VAR simply doesn't affect that.

 

Hopefully the automated offsides will have the desired impact, as it is delays with offside decisions which I think are biggest bugbear with fans. No one wants to see blatant cheating like Henrys rewarded, but are we that bothered about a player being given offside when they are effectively level with last defender particularly when that decision takes so long to be made.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6v1xMwoEyn/?igsh=ZDJuNmVxeWE2cWo3

 

RIP David Wilkie

Back in the 70's, a time when British sport was in the proverbial crapper, with very little to celebrate, apart from ice dancing and the all too brief successes of Sheene and Hunt, he was an absolute beacon of shining light and for 4 years, invincible.

 

God I remember him winning gold like it was yesterday. Sad day and just reinforces how time is quickly flying past.....

 

Bloody hell
RIP

 

To be fair, to this day there's never been a better... furniture polish! (Sorry, couldn't stop myself!)

 

R.I.P Rob Burrow