Davey in replays call (From Bournemouth Echo)

Davey in replays call

7:00am Tuesday 15th April 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

DAVEY Watt has admitted he would support the use of video replays at every top-flight meeting after his controversial collision with Adam Shields at Lakeside.

The Pirates star is a firm backer of cine film technology even though he felt referee Dan Holt got the decision wrong after looking at replays of the incident on ReRun Productions' video during Friday's meeting.

But he and Hammers rider Shields feel the technology would only aid decision-making properly if more than one angle of an incident was filmed and replayed to match officials.

Shields, who is big mates with his Aussie compatriot Watt, was ruled to have fallen on his own even though Watt admitted after the meeting he had touched the Lakeside rider.

Watt, who went on to win the controversial race 12 during Pirates' 48-45 defeat, said: "I think it's fantastic the ref took time to look at the video.

"Everyone sees a meeting on Sky when the ref has several angles to look at an incident, so why not have that facility in all meetings?

"It means he doesn't have to rely on his first judgement which maybe was wrong.

"Then he can consult the replays and make an informed decision from there.

"When the ref isn't able to do that, that is when you get decisions that are wrong.

"You just have less chance of a mistake being made when they have a video of an incident.

"So I would like to see videos in use at all tracks at this level."

Watt, aware his race was filmed from a position next to the referee's box, added: "There are a lot of decisions that are questionable, but with video he would be able to have more evidence of what happened.

"The incident between Adam and I, with it being on the third turn, wasn't the perfect place for the ref to see, Adam being outside of me.

"He was in my shadow from that angle so it is understandable the ref didn't see any contact.

"But, in general, for a ref to be able to look at replays would be great, and if they could see several angles that would be fantastic.

"Speedway is so fast. Referees have to make decisions just as fast as riders have to on the track.

"Their job is difficult so any help we can give them would be good."

Shields said: "It's great the ref looked at the video, but you need a view from the right angle.

"Unfortunately, he made the wrong decision the first time (when Pirates guest Cameron Woodward was excluded for falling on the first bend in heat 11 despite Hammers' Ricky Kling appearing to touch him).

"If he had got views from a different angle of both incidents he would probably have got them both right.

"As it is, he got them both wrong, and it cost me a lot of money."