Football and the electronic all-seeing eye

When Football Daily were a lad and everything about football was much better, top-flight referees were able to go about their business unencumbered by nothing more hi-tech and new-fangled than a wrist-watch, a coin, a whistle, red and yellow cards, and a stubby little pencil they could’ve half-inched from the betting shop. Fast forward several decades and while the standard of officiating remains much the same, advances in the fields of both technology and vanishing foam dictate that Premier League refs are now forced to include spray cans, headsets and now body cameras on the list of items to be ticked off their pre-match checklists before they can lead teams out on to the pitch.

The news that several of those tasked with dispensing on-field justice will be testing Ref Cams in selected matches throughout the first round of fixtures this weekend was broken by Big Website earlier, meaning some or all of Jarred Gillett, Anthony Taylor and Chris Kavanagh will be joining assorted other frontline workers who are forced to go about their business wearing an electronic all-seeing eye to record their professional activities. However, unlike the police, Wetherspoons bar staff and some of their grassroots brethren, these members of the PGMOL match officials will not be using them for safety and security measures, but in the interests of further enhancing the viewing experience of TV viewers at home.

This latest televisual wheeze has been approved by Ifab, self-styled “independent guardians” of the rules of association football, a body you’d think might be better served sorting out the increasingly impenetrable shambles that is the handball law, rather than greenlighting new and innovative ways to show everyone how utterly unfit for purpose it continues to be. Already used in Copa Gianni, where it offered viewers the shaky and largely unhelpful on-pitch POV of a wheezing man struggling to keep up with elite athletes while running around a furnace, this new technology has apparently been embraced by broadcasters who, with the exception of one that happens to sponsor this email and is therefore beyond reproach of any kind, are always looking for new ways to try to justify the increases in their already exorbitant monthly subscriptions.

The PGMOL, whose employees will be wearing the Ref Cams, is also understood to be wholeheartedly in favour of this innovation, having arrived at the misguided and almost certainly incorrect conclusion that in providing fans with further insights into how difficult a referee’s job can be, it will help reduce the amount of abuse to which they are subjected. Good luck with that one, lads. In other news for TV viewers, Sky Sports have announced the roll-out of a new “multiview” feature, which will allow more febrile armchair conspiracy theorists to reach unprecedented levels of apoplexy over decisions made in four different matches shown on one screen at the same time.

Join Scott Murray from 8pm BST for hot minute-by-minute coverage of PSG 3-1 Tottenham in, er, Biggest Cup.

“We’ve been way below where we deem [Manchester] United to be. But then if you take a step back, which I’ve been able to do, especially over the last six months – what do you expect? People say we’ve been in a transition for years. To be in a transition, you have to start the transition. So it’s like the actual transition’s not started yet” – oof, Barcelona loanee Marcus Rashford gives his parent club both barrels, assessing that constantly changing managers, ideas and strategies has left United stuck in “no man’s land”.

As an Atlético member of 13 years standing, can I throw a few more comments into the mix of La Liga’s anti-fan policies (yesterday’s Football Daily)? Want to book flights and accommodation to Spain to catch a game? Oh wait, you won’t know the date or even the time the nominal Sunday game will be played until a fortnight beforehand: Saturday, Sunday or even Friday or Monday (unless Barça or Real Madrid, natch). Fancy a midweek game then? Always Tuesday or Wednesday? Oh sorry, Barça have the Copa del Rey coming up so let’s switch other fixtures around to suit TV. Let’s go for Thursday with minimum notice. To hell with fans who’ve spent hundreds on flights, hotels and match tickets. And while we’re at it, let’s kick off at 9.30pm. Bitter? Moi?” – Rob Ford.

Big Website worlds collide! Yesterday’s Football Daily had an excellent photo of Vice-era Tubbs wearing a stunning teal/turquoise suit. And the kit review linked to this Wolves away kit” – Mike Wilner.

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Rob Ford. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. 

On Thursday 11 September, join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and Football Weekly favourites Jonathan Wilson, Nicky Bandini and Jonathan Liew for an evening of unfiltered football punditry at Troxy in London. The pod will also be livestreamed globally. Book now.

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Big Website is looking to hear from people who have struck up friendships with the person they sit next to at football matches – tell us about your footy m8s, as you hopefully never call them.

How can probably the world’s best goalkeeper be looking for a club? The answer, Football Daily’s friends, may be that such brilliance lies in the eye of the beholder. Gianluigi Donnarumma, to name the custodian in question (why are there no more words for goalies?), is leaving PSG. “Unfortunately, someone has decided that I can no longer be part of the group and contribute to the team’s success,” wailed an Instachat post from the Euro 2020 winner. “We’re looking for a goalkeeping profile that is different to Donnarumma,” tooted Luis Enrique. That wage demands during a long-running contract saga might have been as high as Donnarumma himself could have had something to do with him being left out of Biggest Cup. Where next? The ITKs say Manchester City, where Pep Guardiola is hardly renowned for liking a keeper who doesn’t play “out” and is better known as shot-stopper than playmaker. Joe Hart anyone? And didn’t they just buy back James Trafford?

Bigger Cup qualifying department: José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, featuring Jhon Durán, have beaten Feyenoord 5-2 (6-4 on aggregate) to set up a final eliminator with Benfica, where the Portuguese once – briefly – coached. Not that José is one to hold a 25-year grudge. And under-fire Russell Martin, to give him his full name, is breathing a sigh of relief after Rangers made the playoffs by squeaking past Viktoria Plzen in defeat. They will face Club Brugge to make the mega table.

In Bigger Vase qualifying, Shelbourne have agonisingly failed to follow up last week’s win in Croatia by going out to an 89th-minute goal against Rijeka.