TOP ref Mark Halsey has joined the growing body of opinion that the time has come for football to embrace technology.

The Bolton-based Premiership referee has seen enough controversial, high-profile mistakes highlighted by TV replays that he is now ready to see rugby-style video refs brought into play.

He is prepared to see the game stopped, briefly, for key incidents to be checked on the sidelines before referees make the final decisions.

"I suppose I have been converted," Halsey said. "Perhaps now is the time to bring in technology and for us to stop the game, go upstairs and have the replay looked at for important decisions, before continuing.

"It's only a personal view, but at least it would stop all this debate and criticism of referees by managers, players and the media."

Halsey first voiced his support for technology in his regular column in Wanderers' match programme for last Saturday's Liverpool game, in which the Whites benefited from a decision that would have been overturned by a video referee.

Ref's assistant, Andy Halliday, was proved wrong when he flagged Liverpool keeper, Pepe Reina, for handball as he launched a clearance - a decision Gary Speed took advantage of when he opened the scoring from the resulting free kick. It was a decision that upset Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, as he reflected on a damaging 2-0 defeat.

The following day, Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp made an impassioned plea for video refs after Spurs midfielder, Didier Zokora, won a decisive penalty at White Hart Lane when he appeared to be tripped by Pompey's Pedro Mendes.

TV replays showed conclusively that there had been no contact, and referee Chris Foy later acknowledged he had got it wrong.

But that was no consolation for Redknapp, who complained bitterly: "The referee would have loved a bit of help. He hasn't done it purposely, but it would have saved him the embarrassment. If he had technology it would have solved the whole thing for him.

"I feel hard done by. I looked around at the screen behind me and saw that it wasn't a penalty before he took it.

"It would take you seconds to look at that. The fourth official is wired up to the referee. He could say, Ref, he has dived. It is not a penalty.' It's so easy, so why don't they do it?"

Halsey, who will be in charge of the Portugal-Azerbaijan European Championship qualifier on Saturday, says technology would save referees from much of the criticism they get from players and managers.

But he does not expect it to be introduced overnight.

"There's so much pressure on us now to get things right," he said. "It's becoming harder and harder to do our job in the modern game.

"It's big business and we have to try and get the big decisions right, but why should we have to be slagged off when we make a genuine mistake? I don't have a go at managers when their strikers miss chances or their defenders make mistakes.

"I had a difficult game with Fulham v Chelsea last week and Chris Coleman (the Fulham manager) had a good moan about a couple of decisions I made.

"Thankfully, I was proved to be spot on.

"I know it was to Bolton's benefit on Saturday, Tottenham's benefit on Sunday and Newcastle's benefit the previous week, when Ameobi appeared to be offside for his goal.

"Obviously we want decisions to be right but it's going to take time. It will have to be endorsed by FIFA first and then, if we do it for the Premiership, we will have to introduce it all the way down to the Conference, but it is something that has to be seriously considered."

Do you have any comments about this report? Send your views to Internet Editor Chris Sudlow making sure you tell us whether your opinions are available for use on the Letters Page of the print edition.