10 JULY 2004, Page 27

Video games

From Frederick Forsyth Sir: Bitter controversy continues to rage over whether Swiss referee Urs Meier was right or wrong to disallow Sol Campbell's headed goal for England in Lisbon. In rugby union a referee can immediately refer any difficult decision to the 'video referee' in a box in the stand. Within seconds the incident has been replayed, frame by frame and from five different angles in close-up. The referee can be advised on his ear-piece whether a try was or was not scored. No one ever, and rightly, queries this. Considering the astronomical sums sloshing around in football, is it not time the authorities insisted on major games also being videoed in this way?

Frederick Forsyth

Hertford