ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT REFEREES will be used in Irish domestic football next week for the first time.
Setanta Sports Cup organisers confirmed today the two extra match officials behind the goals will be introduced for the semi-finals and the final of this year’s tournament.
An all-Airtricity League final four sees Shamrock Rovers play Cork City and Drogheda United meet Sligo Rovers with the first legs taking place next Tuesday, 16 April.
The use of additional assistants to help the officials to make penalty box and goal-line decisions was first trialled by football governing body UEFA in 2008.
Despite much criticism UEFA says that the move has been a success and after analysing more than 1,200 games, found that the additional assistants resulted in better control of the match and an improvement in accuracy.
Tómas Connolly and Rob Rogers will be the two additional assistants when Rovers and Cork meet for the first leg in Tallaght Stadium next week while IFA officials Ray Crangle and Mervyn Smith will be on duty for the first leg of Drogheda v Sligo.
“By its very nature, the Setanta Sports Cup tournament is an innovative competition and I am delighted that we are once again breaking new grounds by introducing additional assistant referees for the semi-finals and final,” tournament committee chairman Milo Corcoran said today.
“This is the first time Additional Assistant Referees will have been used in domestic competitions and there is no doubt that two extra pairs of eyes focusing on the penalty areas will be of valuable assistance to the referee who will continue to be the person who makes the final decision.”
Our decline is now complete …. We are the new Scotland.
I think that Cyprus defeat is far too long ago now to still be an issue in the slightest. Euro 2012 was a killer though and I’d prefer we didn’t qualify for Euro 2016 as I couldn’t stomach another humiliation on that scale.
That was a desperately unlucky draw, that was a nightmare group.
What fan doesn’t want their team to qualify though?
A win against Poland and Scotland at home and it’ll all appear a lot differently. On our day, with the right players fit, we are more than capable of doing so.
This article is one hell of a knee-jerk reaction. Scrappy game, tough atmosphere against a side who a better than us on current form. It’ll probably be the exact same game at home but i fancy us to win it
The article title may be a genuinely held belief but it’s guff. Ireland is a third tier team full of journeymen players. That our first choice keeper still plays for Millwall, and our first choice striker is pension age should be enough of a red flag for even the most loyal supporters.
Once we accept that, then results like last night’s can be appreciated with perspective….
Opinions not allowed on here?
Greece sacking Ranieri is knee jerk; this article isn’t.
It’s well thought out and to the point. Too many Irish fans are shamelessly clinging onto the hope that the national side have a sincere hope of performing consistently. They don’t.
A few positive results might improve the overall standings for a newly formatted competition which is near impossible not to qualify for. Qualification for Euro 2016 is not a great achievement, yet it’s one which Irish fans should be overwhelmed with. Under par achievements are the best Ireland will ever attain.