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Sutton and District Referees Society

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Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Beckham - Alone Ranger

David Beckham says he's afraid to have friends anymore because he doesn't know who'll sell their story to the papers.

Speaking at his charity World Cup party last night, Becks admitted he realised how out of control his life had become when he was snapped kissing a fan who'd asked for his autograph, and the papers blew it out of proportion.

"They're very touchy feely over here. That was one of the problems with the story where the girl was getting my autograph because in Spain it's rude if you don't do two kisses. There's been so many people who've sold lies. It's nearly killed all of us - our whole family."

(22 May, 2006, 4:47PM) SOURCE: ANANOVA

Refs to use new radio technology

Refs to use new radio technology

Referees' chief Keith Hackett has confirmed that Premiership officials
will use new radio communication technology during matches next season.

The system allows referees to talk to their assistants using a
microphone link and will be used by World Cup officials during the
summer.

Hackett told BBC Sport: "The communication system will be in place in
the Premiership next season.

"These are aids that will improve the standards of refereeing."

Former referee Hackett is now head of the Professional Game Match
Officials Board (PGMOB) and he is confident the new system will be
beneficial.

He added: "The referee has an open mic, his two assistants and fourth
official can hear what is being said by him so they can have an insight
into the feel of the game.

"The referee can ask questions to his assistants with a push-to-talk mic
system that can be used to talk to the referee.

"It has lots of benefits - the most important being speed of
communication.

"Graham Poll is one of the people who has been field-testing this both
with ourselves and with UEFA.

"Graham and his assistants Philip Sharp and Glenn Turner have been very,
very praiseworthy about it."

Poll and his assistants will use the equipment in Germany next month -
before the technology is introduced to Premiership officials for the
start of the new season.

A Premier League spokesman said: "It will be used in a similar format to
that used in the World Cup where the four officials will use the
push-to-talk system.

"We and Keith Hackett hope that it will improve the communication
between officials and it is a positive step for the game."

The system has already been tested in the Premiership during the Fulham
against Bolton game in November.

Poll was the man in the middle then and he has also used the link-up in
Champions League matches.

Football follows other sports such as both codes of rugby and cricket in
adopting the technology.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Final linesman denies Barca bias

One of the linesmen for the Champions League final has protested his impartiality after being photographed in a Barcelona shirt on Monday.

Norwegian Ole Hermann Borgan wore the shirt for a photoshoot with his local newspaper, Drammens Tidende.

"There is no reason to doubt my impartiality - I don't support either of the teams," Borgan said.

Uefa has no plans to replace Borgan for the final in Paris on Wednesday, a spokesperson told BBC Sport.

Arsenal have refused to comment on the story before their manager, Arsene Wenger, gives his pre-match news conference at 1645 BST on Tuesday.

The newspaper wanted Borgan to wear both Arsenal and Barcelona shirts for the photoshoot, according to its sports editor Per Jan Brekke.

There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality

But the official found out he only owned a Barca shirt - and this was the picture that appeared in Tuesday's edition of the paper.

"It was both insensitive and stupid of me. I did not think deeply enough about the situation and the consequences when I was asked to dress up in the shirt," Borgan said.

The officials for the final will all be Norwegian, with Terje Hauge the main man in charge. Steinar Holvik and Borgan will run the lines.

"We are on our way to Paris to do a good job - nothing more, nothing less," Borgan said.

Norway's referees chief, Rune Pedersen, agreed that Borgan had been unwise to pose in the shirt.

"There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality," he said.