Ex-Fifa referee: Sunderland controversy proves need for costly change as Evans fumes
Steve Evans’ anger over the amount of stoppage time in Gillingham’s 2-1 loss to Sunderland further highlights the need for an independent timekeeper.
That is the view of ex-Fifa and Premier League referee Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after Evans was left bemused that only four minutes was added on at the end of the second half.
Speaking to Kent Online, the Gillingham boss insisted five substitutes, two goals and a sending off warranted more additional time.
Evans also claimed Sunderland goalkeeper had been warned for time-wasting three times.
The Gills were searching for a late equaliser after Sunderland were down to 10-men following Elliot Embleton’s red card.
“I sympathise with Steve Evans,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“I do think the matter would be resolved if they had an independent time keeper. I often see games where the referee is not stopping and starting the watch but I’m told the fourth official might be doing that.
“There are no grounds for Steve Evans because the law says the sole timekeeper is the referee but I’ve always felt an independent timekeeper is needed.
“The cost [is stopping it], it’s as simple as that.
“I worked with independent timekeepers in the North American Soccer League in the 1980s and it worked really well, it takes another task off the referee.
“The games were extended, you came off your first game thinking ‘Crikey, I seem to have done more running’. It was Chicago Stings against New York Cosmos and I think we played seven minutes in the first half and something like 11 minutes in the second half.
“There’s a difference between time-consuming and time-wasting so the management of time is an important task. A lot of people in the game are flippant and think ‘The referee’s not very good at keeping the time’. Generally, I think they’re guessing, they’re not stopping and starting their watch.
“I’m always concerned about the amount of added time because it’s three minutes in the first half and then five minutes in the second half.”
In other news, Kevin Phillips has been left wowed after “brilliant” Sunderland news confirmed.