Bjarne: Too much for one ref (From Bournemouth Echo)

Bjarne: Too much for one ref

7:00am Tuesday 8th July 2008

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BJARNE Pedersen believes speedway should follow in football's wake by having more than one official in charge of Grand Prix meetings.

The Pirates star feels the World Championship would benefit by having two referees at every round in 2009.

He has put forward his suggestion following Marek Wojaczek's controversial decision to exclude him after a first bend clash with Nicki Pedersen in the British GP last month.

The Polish official received almost universal condemnation for ruling Bjarne was to blame for the crash, when most people in a record British GP crowd of 42,187 believed Nicki had been in the wrong or it should have been all four back.

Bjarne says a similar approach to football's use of a referee, two assistants and a fourth official on the sidelines for each match would work well in the shale sport.

Poole Castle Cover's captain said: "I'd have two referees in the ref's box because if something happens on the track there are two people to deal with the situation.

"I think that would make it an easier job for both refs.

"There is a lot of weight on their shoulders to be a ref in a big meeting.

"If there are two people there they can discuss whatever is happening.

"They have the TV evidence and can discuss it before making any decisions on incidents."

Asked what would happen if the refs disagreed over a decision, Bjarne said: "That can happen.

"But I just think if there are two refs, and they can see the TV replay evidence again and again, they have a better chance of getting decisions right.

"This way, I think we could get rid of almost all mistakes. They would get the decisions right more often.

"In football there is more than one official. If they are not certain about an incident, they talk together and get the right decision.

"There is more than one official in football, so why not in speedway?"

Mads Korneliussen called for the introduction of two refs in every Elite League meetings in April after feeling he was on the wrong end of a first-second bend tangle with Coventry's Chris Harris at Poole.

Korneliussen spoke out after being harshly excluded by ref Mike Posselwhite when most fans and riders inside the stadium thought Harris had inadvertently caused their collision.

The Swindon rider, who had been guesting for Poole, had wanted one ref in the box and one standing by the first and second corner.

Bjarne, who stressed he still preferred having both refs in the box, said: "Of course there are always going to be some 50-50 decisions and a rider can be wrongly excluded.

"But I think in Cardiff it was such a big mistake.

"If there had been two refs in the Millennium Stadium, I think the second ref would have seen it in a different way to Marek Wojaczek.

"Hopefully we can get rid of the bigger mistakes. That is what I'm looking for.

"If there are two refs they can discuss an incident and get the decision right.

"There will always be tight first corner incidents but big refereeing mistakes won't happen."

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