Call me a cynic, but the humans in charge with the whistles and cards show a deference to the big teams, and the big teams make more money. The goal line tech is coming in for the world cup but replays for off sides? No. Because you'd then have to use it for penalties and dives and you don't want the biggest and best labelled as cheats standing in front of a McDonald's logo.

Diving is bad mmkay? And as much as a lie as any layer paid to throw a match. Retrospective punishment would have it cut out instantly, if bans were doubled, but they don't seem to desire confronting the issue.

You are not a cynic, Nick, just talking sense. Fifa is utterly corrupt so how on earth are they fit to confront the sleazy side of football? I cannot imagine that Dowd would have risked the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson by allowing the Oldham goal to stand.

I admire David Moyes for not trying to intimidate referees but it is galling to see others rewarded for it.

I find it strange that the man in charge of perhaps the richest association i.e. Michel Platini of UEFA dislikes any interference whatsoever from technology. It has become more apparent that cheating or 'bending of rules' is acceptable largely depends on which club(s) is involved. The football authorities are more interested in their corporate sponsors than they are about the game itself. Perhaps they always were, but since the WC of 1994 it has become readily accepted by the silent majority that 'gamesmanship' is a part and parcel of the game. As for the extra official behind the goal, does anybody understand what their role is, apart from being another passenger on the gravy train that is modern professional football.

I can't wait for the first memoirs of the 'man behind the goal' my story. A whole paragraph should suffice.

Is video replays the way forward? I'm inclined to think so.

The problem is, is that people will complain that it will slow the game down to much.
So what if its used for penalties.
Something needs to be done to help referees in games, their job is always under scrutiny, especially from the fans when a decision goes the other way.

But I'd agree that the extra officials the other night did nothing to sway the referees decision of allowing a corner, which shouldn't have been.

Blatter is the biggest joke in football.
What does he actually do anyway?
It's took them up 'til now to consider goal line technology, even then, I don't think it's enough, as the technology itself won't be used very often.

Blatter is the problem to the answer. He has for years opened his mouth and put his big jackboot in it. When he goes maybe things will change.
In the meantime all the clutching and grabbing in the box primarily by defenders will go unpunished as it has since it crept into the game some years ago.
The more gutless officials ignore it the more we see defenders using it as an apparantly ''legal'' means of stopping the opposition.
What happened in the Celtic game was sickening and I even saw Jags.doing it against Oldham.
One or two referees have given penalties in recent games and if more start calling it instead of calling the two players together to ''talk'' to them which is totally useless then it will soon stop.
Even if it happens before a kick is taken the referee could still issue a red card as soon as a player manhandles another in that manner.
Come on officials show some guts!

Reffs, National, European, World governing bodies, who set the Reffs ' guidelines ' they are all in this together. Until a Reff or Reffs breaks ranks and we end up with 7 a side game. Nothing will change.

Years ago I used to watch any football just coz it was footie. No Europa, no CL, I only watch the Blues, so what goes on in other countries and Competitions Re the wrestling.

Some kind of goal-line technology that discreetly advises the officialls that the ball has crossed the goal-line is fine, as it doesn't interrupt play but just gives information & leaves the ref to decide whether a goal has been scored or whether an infringement has occured. Any use of technology that interfered with the game would ruin it - an incident at one end can be followed by a goal at the other in a matter of seconds as the ball doesn't always conveniently go dead so as to allow the use of video at a convenient point as in cricket & rugby. Perhaps they'll need to modify the rules relating to corners & suchlike - maybe not allowing attacking players inside the 6-yard box prior to the kick or limiting the number of players from each side allowed in that area might be effective.

It would make more ( obvious) sense to me to have the extra officials in the 'right back position' giving greater coverage over a larger part of proceedings. And I think that's where they were when trialed inthe UEFA Cup at Goodison a few years ago? What is the point of two officials standing a few yards from each other in the same quarter of the pitch, whilst on the other side of the goal there is no official till the lino on the halfway line? Classic example of Blatter and Platini not having a single good idea between them. Other comments about the 'bigger' clubs receiving favours are spot on. I often wonder why we bother with it ???

Football is THE classic example of the corrupting power of money in "sport" From the very top of this ludicrous organisation FIFA and its regional affiliates, to the officials charged with ensuring the rules are followed on the field of play we have utter and total failure.

Such is the power of vested interests as in the "Champions League" (HOW many champions?) and our own dearly beloved "best league in the world" Premier League, and their ruthless pursuit of money that they have produced a situation of near anarchy on the field itself.

Everything is structured in such a way to ensure the self-perpetuating success of the more powerful clubs. In England it has led to the disgraceful abuse and denigration of the wonderful cup tradition that was the FA Cup.

Players in effect now choose which rules they will play to - the situations at corners and free-kicks into the box is now an utter and complete disgrace. How can ANY person with influence in the game stand by and watch this carnage taking place in every game? The abuse of officials is dreadful but such is their obvious lack of authority that it is hardly surprising.

Officials themselves in the main are simply not up to the task such is their frequent tendency to enjoy the trappings associated with the modern game; the speed of the game is beyond most of them, and even then we deny them access to the technologies available to the pundits to make THEIR inane contributions We have the ludicrous reason for the latter being that it would "slow up the game"! Good God, on average the ball is actually out of play for at least 20 minutes of the 90 as it is! Officials are never brought before the public to account for their often lamentable performances, the instances mentioned above are but the most recent in a sorry back catalogue. But then such is the woeful state of the print and visual media and the "pundits" (just when it seems standards cannot get any worse along comes Townsend and his ludicrous cliche ridden mate to take us further into the depths) that any attempts at "interviewing" would probably descend into the farce that characterises so much of their attempts to "question" the likes of Alex Ferguson!

No wonder that like Derek Thomas and John Barnes above, many of us are left with a "pox on all your houses" reaction for taking away our love of a once more "worthy game" than we have today. I just wish that supporters, internationally and locally could organise themselves in ways that would enable them to make their frustrations forcefully to, and be felt by, the Authorities, and try and restore themselves to the heart of the game; a status that has been stolen from them in recent times by this cult of money, "superstardom", celebrity and often style over substance, reducing us basically to the status of fodder.

Perhaps we could learn something from, for example the German structures, but here I feel we need action from central government to shake up the whole edifice. However, I will still try and introduce my young grandson to the joys and the many frustrations of identifying with the royal blue jerseys and hope that his generation can rescue this sorry sport from its current self and that he may see Everton once again hold the FA Cup aloft at Wembley!

In a clear a sign of corruption that goes to the heart of Blatters organisation all bar one of FIFAs delegates accepted bribes from Qatar then voted for that country to hold the 2020 World Cup.

One thing that could be done to help the ref do his job is take away his responsibility for time keeping. With a Basketball time out signal from the ref a clearly visible clock is stopped and then restarted by another signal, perhaps a whole of arm circular motion.

Players, managers and fans could instantly see exactly how much time is remaining. Fergie time would be a thing of the past and Referees could concentrate on their job instead of numerous references to an assortment of stop watches.