When FIFA finalized a German firm’s GoalControl technology as the final one to be used in coming Confederation Cup last week, counting started for its use in the English Premier League as well. To discuss its practicality, EPL clubs have now decided to hold a meet this week to decide the use this revolutionizing technology add-on to soccer, particularly in the EPL. Since it would be a mega deal to sign up with a GLT provider, English FA has decided to run a joint tendering process in association with EPL clubs to find the ultimate provider whose technology would finally be installed across all 21 stadiums: 20 EPL sites and one Wembley. Being an oversized buyer, they are expected to secure a better deal price for their mega size demand which would surely be followed by more orders from other league clubs in the world, since if a technology works in the EPL, it would surely attract world’s attentions as far its dynamic uses are concerned. FA general secretary Alex Horne told about their meeting as, “I always thought it was an ideal piece of technology to allow into the game. The club meeting is on Thursday so I’m expecting it to go through at that meeting.”
By now, British-based system Hawk-Eye has an edge over other Fifa-licensed firms coz of its past experience. Notably, Hawk-Eye is already being used in other sports successfully; hence this technology can surely be reliable as far consistency is concerned. If GLT is adopted this week, all the seventeen EPL teams will have a verified and tested system in place by the end of this season, and if everything in done as planned, FA will use it for the first time in the Community Shield scheduled to be played in mid-August. FA general secretary Alex Horne told about GLT in an interview given to BBC, he said, “There are occasions and we’ve seen them here at Wembley, we’ve seen them in World Cups, we’ve seen them 11 or 12 times in the Premier League this season alone. So technology that says ‘yes, the ball has crossed the line’ and lets the referee know makes an awful lot of sense to me. Particularly where it’s a knock-out situation, incorrect decisions have less opportunity to even themselves out over a season.”
He further added money aspects of using it and said, “We generate £65m a year from the competition and over a 10-year period £650m gets reinvested back into football. That’s a real fillip for some of the smaller clubs. For example, Luton made £460,000 out of their Cup run, which is a fantastic sum of money for a non-league side.”