Setanta debut goal-line technology for final game of SPL season

[ian1964 10,720]

SETANTA will introduce goalline technology to the Premier League this weekend - but it won't be allowed to affect the destiny of the title or decide who goes down.

 

What it will do is provide additional entertainment and talking points for a viewing audience about to witness the biggest mobilisation of a television company's manpower since they started covering Scottish football.

 

A total of 130 people will be involved in covering today's relegation battles in Inverness and Paisley, while 170 will be covering tomorrow's games at Tannadice and Celtic Park.

 

Each goal-line camera, unmanned but set to fan the flames of controversy, will cost �£2000 to install but can have no material influence on the outcome of the games.

 

Setanta's head man in Scotland, producer-director Colin Davidson, is there to provide unmissable television without asking for the game's rules to be rewritten.

 

He said: "We accept no technology is foolproof and I understand it isn't fair to have goal-line cameras at some SPL grounds and not at all of them. That's not justice for all.

 

"But our remit is to let viewers share in what will be the biggest weekend of Setanta's life covering the Premier League."

 

Their A team is commentator Ian Crocker, summariser Scott Booth and pitch-side interviewer Stuart Lovell.

 

They will be at Tannadice but conspiracy theorists should be aware that this is on the grounds of logic and with no hint of bias.

 

Davidson said: "We went to Motherwell in 2005 because Celtic were leading the league and that day gave birth to the phrase Helicopter Sunday.

 

"And we went to Tannadice on the final day last season because Celtic were in front once again. We have literally to follow the leader."

 

Commentator Crocker arrived in Inverness yesterday to prepare for Caley Thistle's relegation crunch against Falkirk.

 

But what if Crocker got so carried away that he lost his voice and could not make himself available to play his part at Tannadice the following day? Davidson said: "The first thing I'd have to do would be to pick myself up from the floor.

 

"Then I'd consider calling Jock Brown off the game he's covering at Aberdeen and drafting him into the squad for Tannadice."

 

The former general manager of Celtic commentating on Rangers' bid to win the title? The mind boggles.

 

But Crocker will be locked away in his Tayside hotel room on Saturday night with a packet of throat lozenges.

 

The West Ham fans said:"I did a commentary of a Hearts-Celtic game a couple of years ago when I had a serious throat infection and it was abysmal. I won't make that mistake again.

 

"Rangers fans suspect I support Celtic and Celtic fans think I'm on Rangers' side. I'm conscious of the fact they listen carefully to every word for traces of bias.

 

"I know how vital this weekend is to the two sets of fans which is why I've been reading up on everything Record Sport has had to say about the climax to the championship."

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2009/05/23/setanta-debut-goal-line-technology-for-final-game-of-spl-season-86908-21382597/