Gordon Smith livid as football says no to technology

FOOTBALL'S traditionalist lawmakers yesterday closed the door permanently on goalline technology, over-ruling both the Scottish and English FAs who were adamant it should have been given further investigation.

The annual meeting of the International FA Board, comprising FIFA and the four home associations, voted 6-2 to outlaw technology for good in a move that will be considered at best short-sighted and, at worst, highly damaging for the credibility of the game.

It had been widely anticipated that after years of debate, Thierry Henry's infamous handball last November would kick-start the discussion to help referees make game-changing decisions. But football's custodians instead voted against both Hawkeye, used successfully in cricket and tennis, and a highly sophisticated microchipped ball system developed in Germany by Cairos and Adidas. Instead they decided to consider whether to extend the more "human" experiment of two extra officials, trialled during this season's Europa League.

"It's the end of the potential use of technology in football," said FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke. "It was put on ice two years ago. Now it is being stopped." Valcke said the decision was made not because of any problems with the two experimental systems, but based on a principle of not using technology at all. "Let's keep the game of football as it is," he said.

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith, who voted with the English, had a face like thunder after the four-hour meeting at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich. His mood wasn't helped by his Welsh and Northern Irish counterparts siding with FIFA to leave technology permanently on the backburner.

"I'm in favour of technology," said Smith. "I think if there's anything that improves the decision-making of the referee – if it's simple and can be used at the time – then I have nothing against it.

"Referees suffer because of technology – because of television replays. If there was technology in place, it would actually stop referees having to suffer from bad decisions. It's only whether the ball's over the line or not. I felt we should be taking it forward."

Smith attacked FIFA'S majority vote in changing the laws of the game. "In my time in the game, there is what I call 'traditionalism'," he said. "It's something that it is strong in the game. We should be looking beyond this human element side of it because the human that suffers the most when the decision is incorrect is the referee. And the fans suffer and a certain team suffers."

English FA chief executive Ian Whatmore agreed that ending all discussion over technology was a bad move. "We support the idea of investigating an experiment into its use," Whatmore said. "It is not a clear-cut case. The credibility of football has always improved when we get critical decisions right. I think there is enough evidence and enough quality of technology to do an experiment we could have learned from."

While technology is now outlawed for good, the alternative system of two extra officials – one behind each goal – moved a step closer.

Michel Platini's pet plan has been given the thumbs down by players and managers alike, but IFAB will nevertheless decide, at an extraordinary meeting in mid-May, whether to carry on with the idea next season, though it cannot be used at the World Cup.