Premier League set for FIFA war over goalline technology

Premier League managers are ready to launch a furious fight-back against FIFA's ditching of goalline technology.

Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers Association, warned last night that his members don't accept it can't be introduced to football.

And with the FA and the Premier League also outraged by last weekend's decision by the International Football Association Board to drop experiments, the LMA are moving to unite the opposition.

"We'll be discussing with the other stakeholders where the future for technology lies," said Bevan. "And there is a future for it, without doubt."

The LMA also feel FIFA president Sepp Blatter has too much power and are ready to challenge the make-up of the rulemaking body.

And Premier League sources joined the managers yesterday in pouring private ridicule on the latest by-product of a system which is viewed as undemocratic and set in stone.

Bevan added: "The LMA is a strong advocate for goalline technology and we feel it is something the game should be embracing. There are some strong feelings on this.

"It is very much something we will be discussing again."

Last weekend's FA Cup quarter-final controversy in which Birmingham's Liam Ridgewell had a clear goal disallowed during his side's 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth highlighted what senior figures in the English game are calling a "ridiculous" decision by the IFAB.

FIFA's domination of the board means they have four representatives, compared to one each for the four home associations.

Of these, the Welsh and Irish FAs took a traditional stance in going with the policy wish of the governing body, while England and Scotland mounted vain support for continuing to experiment with Hawk-Eye.

Leading managers' representatives were upset by what they regarded as an embarrassing defence of the IFAB's position by Northern Ireland FA president Raymond Kennedy on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme on Sunday.

Kennedy claimed there weren't enough controversies to warrant the use of technology and that extra officials behind each goal, which is under experimentation in the Europa League, would prove more effective because they could also help the referee spot fouls.

He also repeated Blatter's dogma about accepting human mistakes because "people thrive on controversy."