English FA chief wants action before another "Lampard moment"

By Mike Collett BELFAST (Reuters) - English FA chairman Greg Dyke warned football on Saturday not to wait for "another Frank Lampard moment" before adopting video technology to help referees rule on major incidents in matches. Lampard "scored" a valid goal against Germany at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in 2010 but it was not given because none of the officials saw that the ball had crossed the line. FIFA president Sepp Blatter, traditionally a staunch opponent of goal-line technology, changed his mind after that incident and technology to determine whether a ball has crossed the line was used at last year's World Cup in Brazil. Dyke, speaking to reporters after the annual meeting of the law-making International Football Association Board (IFAB), was unhappy that IFAB rejected an idea from the Dutch FA to continue trials of their video technology system in Dutch Cup matches. Instead the matter was referred back to IFAB's advisory panels for further discussion. "I am a great believer in video technology and I was a bit disappointed this morning that we didn't get it further than we have done," Dyke said. "We are here to protect the rules of the game, which is exactly right, but if there are means to help referees we should think about them, try them in trials and if they work, adopt them. "The point I made at the meeting was that instead of waiting until we get another Frank Lampard moment to change the rules as we did with goal line technology, we should go on the front foot. "Video technology should be used to help referees, not to change or overrule them." The Dutch system involves an assistant watching a video screen and advising a referee of what has happened when needed. The Dutch demonstrated their system to the English and Scottish FAs, but Jerome Valcke, FIFA's secretary general, said he had not seen it. "The Dutch FA have not been in touch with FIFA, or our referees department. I have no idea why not, but we have not seen it," he said. Dyke concluded: "Being a referee today at the top level when you have 35 cameras following the game is a lot tougher than when there were three or four cameras and I think we have to accept that now. "What the Dutch have been trialing is very interesting and I hope the trials can continue." (Reporting by Mike Collett; editing by Martyn Herman)