|
Latest News
Sunday Express - 19/02/2006
An Exclusive by John Richardson.
Exciting new technology which would do Formula One proud is poised to
revolutionise football.
The dug-out is poised for its biggest ever make-over. No more frantic
scribbling into a notepad or on bits of paper for the likes of Jose
Mourinho, Rafa Benitez, Sam Allardyce and Steve McClaren.
Soon - possibly as early as next season - forward thinking Premiership
bosses will have a computer at their finger tips capable of influencing the
big decisions of the game.
Neil Ramsay one of the brains behind Pro-zone which is used by a number of
clubs to analyse games has now helped develop DatatraX (correct) which
monitors every movement on the pitch giving the manager or coach a live
feed.
One touch of a button for instance will reveal the fitness levels of every
single player which includes the opposition. Having quickly gleaned that
information different tactics can be utilised or substitutions ordered.
It will bring footballers into line with F1 cars where every minute detail
of performance can be dissected.
DatatraX will be unveiled publically for the first time at Reading's
Madejski Stadium in April.
Ramsay maintained: "This will be the future of football. It brings live
information on all the players and officials. Anything that moves on the
pitch is tracked.
"It really is exciting. It will improve the game. It will undoubtedly change
it. We are giving logical and beneficial information to coaches, managers,
as it happens.
"You will be able to have fitness information on every player on the pitch.
You will see who is tiring, who needs to be substituted. That is extended
to the opposition which could then be used to your advantage.
"Whether that sort of information will be made available to everybody is a
decision that would have be taken by football. But I don't see why not
because the computer is available to anyone who wants to buy it.
"This goes much further than Pro-zone. This is the future."
It could also change the way we watch football because it's understood that
Sky TV are very interested in seeing how they can adapt DatatraX to their
coverage of the game.
Instead of the current 'player cam' which just follows one player, DatatraX
is able to monitor all 22 players at the same time plus the match officials.
Off the ball incidents would be a thing of the past with football's version
of Big Brother on the case.
The often controversial aspect of just how much time is lost or wasted
would also be cleared up by the computer enabling supporters to receive
their true money worth of activity.
Ramsay added: " For the first time ever we are able to monitor time -
exactly how long the ball has been in play. How long substitutions take. The
same with throw-ins, goal-kicks, free-kicks.
"I think people will be astounded at how often the game is stopped. If this
system was also used by the fourth official then we would be able to have
the correct amount of extra-time. The idea after all is to play 90 minutes."
Already some soundings amongst leading football personalities has been
favourable over the forthcoming launch of DatatraX.
Football's real computer age will soon be coming to a stadium near you!
For more information please email:
news@pgintl.net
BACK
|
