Daily Mail - 13.08.2019

(Elle) #1

74


QQQ Daily Mail, Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Hard to warm


to VAR’s cold


and clinical


offside calls


MARTIN


SAMUEL


CHIEF SPORTS WRITER


Think how many races that is
over a decade.
In Britain alone, in the last 10
years, there have been roughly
100,000 races. Expand this glo-
bally and there have been proba-
bly a million horse races since
August 2009, possibly more. And
how many dead heats, races in
which two horses cannot be sepa-
rated and are genuinely consid-
ered level, have there been?
A webpage devoted to the
subject lists 13. It’s probably
missing a few. It probably only
details races that were notewor-
thy and reported, not some
bumper at Hereford in 2014.
Even so, in proportion to the
number of events, level is not so
frequent that it might even be
termed uncommon. We’re talking
Halley’s Comet. And this is the
rareness in which football was
invested, on which its concept of
fairness was based. That players
are, regularly, level. They’re not.
But it’s still going to take some
adjustment to consider our
hyper-clinical reality justice.

body fractionally ahead of the
opponent. Yet level was an
important part of our reasoning
around football.
If players were, largely, in line,
that was considered legal. In fact,
it was considered fair because it
then introduced the notion of
benefit of doubt to the attacking
side, and who doesn’t want that?
So when Raheem Sterling
(below) is, by our now antiquated
concept of fair play, level, it seems
appalling that an unseen, unheard
official is calculating that, yes,
his shoulder is a centimetre
advanced and illegal.
Yet that is what technol-
ogy was always going to
achieve once movement
could be measured in fine
degrees. Level was
doomed. Think horse rac-
ing. Think the hun-
dreds of races that
take place in Brit-
ain every day.
Now multiply
that around
the world.

NEWCASTLE’S last 13 home
games against Arsenal have
yielded one win and eight
defeats. The sole victory came
on April 15, 2018, five days
before Arsene Wenger
announced he was standing
down as manager, with

Arsenal at a low ebb. So, while
it wasn’t the winning start
Steve Bruce might have hoped
for on Sunday, nor is it a cause
for great despondency. Other
fixtures will provide a surer
test of where Newcastle
reside this season.

NOT BAD FOR STARTERS, STEVE


R


EfEREES are
bemused. How
can fans not like
VAR when it is
getting decisions
right? Well, that’s the prob-
lem. football has never
worked to a millimetre
precision on offside before.
It has worked on look and,
more importantly, feel.
What feels right, what feels
just — and this super
accuracy does not.
So while Mark Clattenburg is
absolutely correct to say that
offside is as much a black and
white issue as the ball crossing
the line — you’re either on or
you’re off, it either has or it hasn’t
— that was not how the game was
previously played or perceived.
VAR was meant to correct clear
and obvious errors and in the
case of offside, fans believed this
meant instances of plain infringe-
ment, with daylight between
attacker and last defender some-
how missed by the linesman.
Yet clear and obvious does
not actually apply to offside
because, as referees are
explaining, it is unconditional.
So players are now being
given offside who were previ-
ously classed as level. And
level was a myth. There
is no such thing as
level if we slow the
action frame by
frame because one
player will always
have a part of his

Football


SPORT IN BRIEF


NOW, not only are those who
have paid to be inside the
stadium often the least
informed about the match’s
main events, they risk getting
ejected if they try to find out.
Daniel Mawer, a Hull fan
attending Saturday’s fixture
with Reading, was texting pals
about the game as it unfolded.
As some do. It’s the modern

world. Mostly, he says, he was
discussing Hull forward Tom
Eaves’ new haircut with his
girlfriend. Sounds a classic,
match and haircut. Anyway, at
half-time he was confronted by
security who as good as
accused him of sending
information for gambling
purposes. Mawer was
threatened with expulsion from

EXPELLED


FOR SENDING


A TEXT? HOW


DARE THEY...


FOOTBALL DIGEST


CONTRIBUTORS: Jack Gaughan, Craig Hope and Sami Mokbel

PANEL READY TO DELIVER


BEARDSLEY RACE VERDICT


STAFF at Bury took the
extraordinary step of
pleading with owner Steve
Dale to sell up via the club’s
website. The statement,
released moments after the
EFL confirmed that
Saturday’s home fixture
against Gillingham is in
jeopardy, claimed a takeover
bid was lodged yesterday.
Club officials, including the
general manager Scott
Johnson, met the EFL
yesterday.
Sportsmail understands Dale
was not present at that

meeting and the EFL warned
that the weekend game will
be off if he fails to offer
assurances by 9am today.
Bury face expulsion from the
league if the matter is not
resolved by August 23.
The statement on Bury’s
website read: ‘Today we have
received an offer for the sale
of Bury Football Club, one
that we all at the club
believe is a very good offer.
We implore Steve Dale to
accept it.’
Dale told Sky Sports that no
offer had been made.

PETER BEARDSLEY
is set to discover
the verdict of an
independent
hearing following
FA charges of
using racist and
abusive language
towards Newcastle
United academy
players. The
hearing has now
taken place and

the panel will
return their
findings.
Beardsley’s
contract was
terminated in
March but the FA
began their own
probe, leading to
the three charges
against him.
He denies the
charges.

ELIAQUIM
Mangala has
joined Valencia on
a free transfer.
The 28-year-old
central defender
was deemed
surplus to
requirements at
Manchester City,
and has played just
nine Premier
League games
under Pep
Guardiola. He has
signed a two-year
contract with the
Spanish club.

CHELSEA will
consider
bringing forward
Antonio Rudiger’s
planned return
from a serious knee
injury following
Sunday’s 4-0
thrashing at
Manchester United.
The Germany
international
(right) had knee
surgery that ruled
him out of the final

games of last
season. He had
pencilled in the
clash against
Wolves after the
international
break to
make his
return to
action.
The former
Roma centre
half has
stepped up his
training

regime at the club’s
Cobham HQ, and is
keen to make sure
his knee is 100 per
cent before
returning to
action. But
manager Frank
Lampard has a
close eye on his
return
following
Sunday’s
heavy
defeat.

SELL OUR CLUB, PLEAD BURY STAFF


÷CYCLING
IRISH CHAMPION Sam Bennett
snatched victory in the rain in the
first stage of the BinckBank Tour.
The Bora-Hansgrohe rider, who was
born in the Belgian town of Wervik,
overtook Edward Theuns and Mike
Teunissen in the final 100 metres
as he came out on top in a bunch
sprint at the end of the 167.2km
section from Beveren to Hulst.
UCI WORLD TOUR — BinckBank
Tour (Hol/Bel): Stage 1 (Beveren
to Hulst 167.2km): 1, S Bennett (Ire)
Bora-Hansgrohe 3hrs 37mins 15secs,
2, E Teuns (Bel) Trek-Segafredo,
3, M Teunissen (Hol) Team Jumbo-
Visma, 4, J Philipsen (Bel) UAE
Team Emirates, 5, P Bauhaus (Ger)
Bahrain-Merida, 6, T Dupont (Bel)
Wanty-Groupe Gobert all at same
time.
÷FOOTBALL
PREMIER LEAGUE 2 (U23) — Div 1:
Blackburn 1 Arsenal 3; Brighton
2 Wolves 0; Derby 0 Chelsea 1;
Everton 0 Leicester 0. Div 2: Reading
6 Newcastle 0; Stoke 1 Sunderland 1.
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE —
North: Curzon Ashton 3 Darlington


  1. South: Chelmsford 4 Dartford 0.
    ÷GOLF
    THE NORTHERN TRUST (Jersey City,
    New Jersey) — Final rnd (US unless
    stated): 268 — P Reed 66 66 67

  2. 269 — A Ancer (Mex) 67 65
    68 69. 270 — H Varner III 67 67
    68 68; J Rahm (Sp) 64 68 69 69.
    271 — A Scott (A) 68 69 69 65.
    272 — R McIlroy (NIre) 65 68 70
    69; L Oosthuizen (SA) 68 65 70 69;
    B Snedeker 71 67 63 71; J Spieth 67
    64 74 67. 273 — J Rose (Eng) 65 68 69
    71; I Poulter (Eng) 68 66 71 68. 274 —
    J Thomas 67 68 71 68.
    ÷TENNIS
    ATP & WTA WESTERN & SOUTHERN
    OPEN (Cincinnati) — Men’s 1st rnd:
    (13) J Isner (US) bt D Lajovic (Ser)


7-6 (7-3) 1-6 7-5; A De Minaur (A)
bt M Cecchinato (It) 6-7 (5-7) 6-1
6-2; L Pouille (F) bt D Kudla (US)
6-3 7-6 (8-6); M Kecmanovic (Ser)
bt F Auger-Aliassime (Can) 6-3 6-3;
R Albot (Mol) bt (14) M Cilic (Cro)
6-4 7-6 (8-6); A Mannarino (F) bt
C Garin (Chi) 6-4 6-1; R Gasquet
(F) bt A Murray (GB) 6-4 6-4; J-L
Struff (G) bt I Karlovic (Cro) 7-5 7-6
(7-4). Women’s 1st rnd: M Sakkari
(Gre) bt C Giorgi (It) 6-3 6-0;
V Kudermetova (Rus) bt B Pera
(US) 6-2 6-3; Y Putintseva (Kaz)
bt J Ostapenko (Lat) 6-2 6-7
(3-7) 6-3; V Williams (US) bt L Davis
(US) 7-5 6-2; E Mertens (Bel) bt
C McNally (US) 7-5 6-0; A Sasnovich
(Blr) bt A Sharma (A) 6-1 4-6 6-1.
Men’s doubles rnd of 32: J Murray,
N Skupski (GB) bt N Monroe,
T Sandgren (US) 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 10-8.
÷TODAY’S ACTION
(7.45 unless stated)
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
3RD QUALIFYING ROUND, 2ND LEG
Celtic (1) v CFR Cluj (1) .......................
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE
3RD QUALIFYING ROUND, 2ND LEG
Dundalk (0) v S Bratislava (1)....(8.0)
Linfield (2) v Sutjeska (1) ..................
CARABAO CUP 1ST RND
AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons...............
Accrington St’ley v Sunderland ......
Barnsley v Carlisle.............................
Blackburn v Oldham .........................
Blackpool v Macclesfield .................
Bradford v Preston NE ......................
Brentford v Cambridge Utd .............
Bristol Rovers v Cheltenham ...........
Charlton v Forest Green ...................
Colchester v Swindon .......................
Coventry v Exeter .............................
Gillingham v Newport Co .................
Grimsby v Doncaster ........................
Huddersfield v Lincoln City ..............
Luton v Ipswich .................................
Mansfield v Morecambe ..................
Middlesbrough v Crewe ...................

Nott’m Forest v Fleetwood Tn .........
Oxford Utd v Peterborough .............
Plymouth v Leyton Orient ................
Port Vale v Burton Albion ................
QPR v Bristol City ...............................
Rochdale v Bolton .............................
Salford City v Leeds ..........................
Live on Sky Sports Football
Scunthorpe v Derby ..........................
Shrewsbury v Rotherham ................
Stevenage v Southend .....................
Swansea v Northampton ..................
Tranmere v Hull .................................
Walsall v Crawley Tn .........................
West Brom v Millwall ................(8.0)
Wigan v Stoke ....................................
Wycombe v Reading .........................
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE
Aldershot v Bromley.........................
Barnet v Dover ..................................
Chesterfield v Woking ......................
Chorley v Solihull Moors ..................
Dag & Red v Boreham Wd ................
Eastleigh v Sutton Utd ......................
Ebbsfleet Utd v Yeovil .......................
Harrogate Tn v Notts Co ...................
Hartlepool v AFC Fylde .....................
Stockport Co v Barrow .....................
Torquay v Maidenhead Utd ..............
Wrexham v FC Halifax .......................
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE
— North: Altrincham v Alfreton Tn,
Blyth Spartans v York, Boston Utd
v Leamington, Brackley v King’s
Lynn Tn, Farsley Celtic v Southport,
Gateshead v Bradford P A, Guiseley
v Spennymoor Tn, Hereford FC v
AFC Telford, Kettering v Chester FC,
Kidderminster v Gloucester. South:
Bath City v Hungerford Tn, Billericay v
Welling, Hemel Hempstead v Dulwich,
Maidstone Utd v Eastbourne Borough,
Oxford City v Hampton & Richmond,
Slough v Weymouth, St Albans v
Braintree Tn, Tonbridge Angels v
Concord Rangers, Wealdstone v
Chippenham.
CRICKET — t20 Blast, North Group:
Derbyshire v Worcestershire
(Derby, 7pm). t20 Blast — South
Group: Gloucestershire v Hamp-
shire (Bristol, 6.30pm).
CYCLING — UCI Europe Tour:
Vuelta a Burgos (Spain).
Free download pdf