Premiership tests goal-line technology as Hawk-eye swoops next season

THE Premiership is set to test Hawk-eye technology in football with a view to remove doubts over goal-line decisions, the chief of the company that makes the product has said.

The ball-tracking system, which is already used in cricket and tennis, will initially be put to the test at Reading’s academy and then tried out next season but not used by the officials.

Revealed Paul Hawkins, managing director of Hawk-Eye Innovations: “We have a contract with the Premier League to develop a system purely to resolve the dispute whether the ball crossed the line, purely for the referee and not for television.

“The process is to be evaluated by the Premier League and then by FIFA, if we jump those hurdles then the end aim is to have it installed in all Premier League grounds hopefully.”

Meanwhile Roy Keane’s Premiership debut as manager of Sunderland will be in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Sky and Setanta announced their initial TV fixtures for the new season, with Sky leading off with the Black Cats at home to Robbie Keane’s Tottenham at the Stadium of Light.

Champions Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle and Sunderland feature heavily in Setanta’s first batch of Premier League games. The majority of Setanta’s 79 games will be shown on Saturdays at 3pm and 5.15pm and on Monday nights at 8pm.

RTÉ has no live Premier League football next season and Sky will broadcast 46 fewer live games.

On the opening weekend Sky Sports will show three live games, including champions United at home to Reading and runners-up Chelsea at home to newly-promoted Birmingham City — a live Super Sunday double-header.

Sky Sports

August 11th: Sunderland v Tottenham, 12.45pm; 12th: Chelsea v Birmingham, 1.30pm; 12th: Man United v Reading, 4pm; 14th: Tottenham v Everton, 8pm; 15th: Wigan v Boro, 8pm; 18th: Portsmouth v Bolton, 12.45pm; 19th: Man City v Man Utd, 1.30pm; 19th: Liverpool v Chelsea, 4pm; 25th: Sunderland v Liverpool, 12.45pm; 26th: Man Utd v Tottenham, 4pm.

September. 2nd: Arsenal v Portsmouth, 1.30pm; 2nd: Aston Villa v Chelsea, 4pm; 15th: Portsmouth v Liverpool, 12.45pm; 16th: Man City v Aston Villa, 4pm; 23rd: Newcastle v West Ham, 1.30pm; 23rd: Man Utd v Chelsea, 4pm; 29th: Man City v Newcastle, 12.45pm; 30th: Everton v Boro, 4pm.

October. 6th: Man Utd v Wigan, 12.45pm; 7th: Reading v Derby, 2pm; 7th: Fulham v Portsmouth, 4.10pm. 20th: Everton v Liverpool, 12.45pm. 21st: West Ham v Sunderland, 4pm; 28th: Bolton v Aston Villa, 1.30pm; 28th: Liverpool v Arsenal, 4pm.

November. 3rd: Arsenal v Man Utd, 12.45pm; 4th: West Ham v Bolton, 4pm; 10th: Sunderland v Newcastle, 12.45pm; 11th: Birmingham City v Aston Villa, 1pm; 11th: Portsmouth v Man City, 4pm; 24st: Newcastle United v Liverpool, 12.45pm; 25th: West Ham v Tottenham, 1.30pm; 25th: Fulham v Blackburn, 4pm.

Setanta Fixtures

August. 11th: Arsenal v Fulham, 3pm; 11th : Aston Villa v Liverpool, 5.15pm; 18th: Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal, 3pm; 18th: Newcastle v Aston Villa, 5.15pm; 25th: Chelsea v Portsmouth. 3pm; 25th: Everton v Blackburn, 5.15pm; 26th: Boro v Newcastle, 1.30pm.

September. 1st: Liverpool v Derby County, 3pm; 1st: Man Utd v Sunderland, 5.15pm; 15th: Everton v Man Utd, 3pm; 15th: Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers, 5.15pm; 17th: Derby v Newcastle, 8pm; 22nd: Liverpool v Birmingham, 3pm. 22nd: Fulham v Man City, 5.15pm; 29th: Wigan v Liverpool, 3pm; 29th: Birmingham v Man Utd, 5.15pm.

October. 1st: Tottenham v Aston Villa, 8pm; 6th: Bolton v Chelsea, 3pm; 7th: Arsenal v Sunderland, 12pm; 20th: Arsenal v Bolton, 3pm; 20th: Aston Villa v Man Utd, 5.15pm; 22nd: Newcastle v Tottenham, 8pm; 27th: Man United v Boro, 3pm; 27th: Portsmouth v West Ham, 5.15pm.

November. 3rd: Wigan v Chelsea, 3pm; 3rd: Blackburn v Liverpool, 5.15pm; 5th: Man City v Sunderland, 8pm; 10th: Man Utd v Blackburn Rovers, 3pm; 10th: Liverpool v Fulham, 5.15pm; 12th: Reading v Arsenal, 8pm; 24th: Bolton v Man Utd, 3pm; 24th: Derby v Chelsea, 5.15pm.