Newsdesk - FIFA Delays Goal-line Technology Talks; Bin Hammam's N.Korean Mission

(WFI) FIFA will not discuss the implementation of goal-line technology when the technical sub committee of the game’s lawmaking authority, the International Football Association Board, meets near Cardiff on Wednesday.

Following two high-profile refereeing errors during the World Cup, Sepp Blatter had claimed earlier this month in Johannesburg that “it would be a nonsense to not re-open the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA Board in July".

But a FIFA spokesman today confirmed that goal-line technology would not be discussed until October. Instead, IFAB is to discuss the experiment with additional referees, which UEFA has extended across all of its main competitions from the start of the 2010/11 season.

"The meeting this week is purely to ratify any requests that have come forward over the implementation of the assistant referees experiment, which was used last year in the Europa League,” he said.

"The first formal meeting where that discussion on goal-line technology could take place is in October."

Bin Hammam on North Korean mission
AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam has concluded a two-day visit to North Korea, saying that the country’s footballers have made “the whole of Asia proud".

The Qatari, who chairs FIFA’s Goal Project, unveiled a youth hostel at North Korea’s National Football Training Centre as well hosting talks with senior FA officials and political figures, including sports minister Pak Myong-chol and vice president of the Supreme People's Assembly, Yang Hyong-sop.

"I congratulate the DPR Korea national team on their performance in the World Cup," Bin Hammam was quoted on the AFC website. "They have made the whole of Asia proud."

“All DPR Korea teams are performing excellently in Asia and also in FIFA competitions," he added, making reference to the women's team's qualification for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup quarter-finals.

"I expect a similar performance (like the World Cup) from the senior team in Doha in the AFC Asian Cup next year.”
North Korean FA President Ri Ryong-nam said that the country’s football progress owed much to Bin Hammam’s support.

"Under your leadership Asian football has achieved a lot and a lot of credit for DPR Korea's performance and participation on the world stage goes to you," Ri told the AFC president.

England 2018 denied Parliamentary broadcast
England’s World Cup bid team have been denied the opportunity to beam their bid branding onto the Houses of Parliament during FIFA’s inspection visit next month.

Westminster Councillors denied a planning application to project the England 2018 logo onto the Palace of Westminster’s Victoria Tower, backtracking on a provisional offer to allow the bid branding to be displayed.

England’s bid team had wanted to beam their logo onto Parliament for a three hour period on the evening of August 23.

“The application [was] refused as it was contrary to the council’s policy and it would have an adverse impact on a world heritage site,” noted a Westminster council minute.

The council nevertheless approved plans to bedeck several central London locations - including Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square and Whitehall - with flags and banners.

Moyes: Australia still “behind” Asia in football awareness
Everton manager David Moyes, who last week gave his backing to Australia’s World Cup bid, has said that the country still lags behind the rest of Asia in terms of its football awareness.

Speaking at the end of Everton’s two-week tour of the country, which concluded on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar, Moyes reiterated his support for the bid, saying that hosting a World Cup would add great impetus to the country’s football culture.

''There will be a lot more teams in the future travelling further afield as there is a demand now to see the Premier League teams,'' Moyes was quoted by The Age.

''For example everybody in Singapore, Thailand knows all the Premier League players.

''If you come to Australia, in comparison to the other parts - I was in South Africa and everyone knew all the Premier League players. In Thailand you get mobbed on the street … [it's] slightly different with Australia, a good little bit behind.

''I think Australia needs a push towards the World Cup and it would be good for them to get the traction of some of the big clubs coming over.''

Freiburg sign dairy sponsorship
Bundesliga’s SC Freiburg have signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with Ehrmann, one of Germany’s leading dairy manufacturers.

The deal, which lasts until the end of the 2011/12 season, was brokered by InFront Sport and Media.

“With this sponsorship of SC Freiburg, Ehrmann underlines its confidence in the potential of our club”, said Fritz Keller, acting president of SC Freiburg.

”Like SC Freiburg, Ehrmann places great value on sustainable development and reliability, as well as continuity and determination. Such shared values are what make this partnership so authentic and credible.”


By INSIDER’s James Corbett


England Expects by James Corbett -- THE definitive history of the England football team, fully revised and updated. Order here!

Your best source of news about the global football business is World Football INSIDER.


Get Free WFI news bulletins Click Here

(Copyright 1992 - 2010, all rights reserved. The information in this report may not be published, excerpted, or otherwise distributed in print or broadcast without the express prior consent of World Football Insider and Around the Rings, Inc.)