Webb: Henry handball was catalyst for VAR

Thierry Henry’s infamous handball in 2009, which effectively cost Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup, caused outrage in this country, but also sparked a sense of injustice in one important Englishman, who is now a pioneer of video technology in the United States.

Howard Webb, one of the world’s top referees, was at home in Sheffield watching the game, but knew instantly a miscarriage of justice had taken place and that was enough for him to be convinced that refs needed the help of technology. Now, he is in the US, where he will be responsible for implementing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in Major League Soccer from August.

He says it was watching that Ireland-France game in Paris that was the catalyst for a change in his own mind.