LMA survey: European managers strongly in favour of video technology

An emphatic 62% of those interviewed for the annual Castrol LMA (League Managers Association) European Managers and Coaches survey support the introduction of goal line and video technology.

The resulting report – which runs to 60 pages and can be read in full online at the LMA website – draws on the input of 110 managers working in 14 countries, and addresses issues including leadership and refereeing techniques, fixture scheduling and financial regulation.

Within the technology section, only 34% of respondents felt that technology should be limited to goal line, with just 4% against all technology in football.

Following approval by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Zurich in July, goal line technology could be introduced in the Barclays Premier League as early as midway through the current, 2012-2013 season.

Deployments will be based around two approved systems: Hawk-Eye, a camera-based tracking system that was created by Roke Manor Research Ltd but is now owned by Sony; and Goal-Ref, a Cairos/Adidas initiative that uses a magnetic field to track a ball with a sensor suspended inside. FIFA’s Club World Cup in Japan in December is likely to be the first competition where the technology is used.

Among other findings, the survey revealed that 63% would welcome the consideration of a decision referral system along the lines of those used in tennis and cricket. Of the 63% in favour, an emphatic 58% said that the opportunity to refer a decision should be at the discretion of the referee only.

A highly revealing read on all possible fronts, the survey also reports that 72% of participants regard themselves as being “obsessed” by the game, while 59% admit that they struggle to lead a balanced lifestyle.

The full report can be read here on the LMA website.