Ex-Premier League referee issues ‘surprise’ claim after Sunderland change confirmed by EFL
Keith Hackett has backed the decision to allow Sunderland and the rest of the EFL to wear their away kits at home to help colour-blind people.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee admitted the decision caught him by “surprise” as it was an area that is not considered enough.
The Guardian reported last week (10 June) that EFL clubs have agreed to the change after a vote at their annual general meeting.
Colour blindness affects approximately one in 12 men and one in 200 women.
“This has taken me a bit by surprise,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“It is a subject that has been ignored. The science has to be checked but the important thing here is that a colour-blind person is actually seeing clarity between one team and another.
“It doesn’t really matter if it’s an away shirt or not, is it a dark colour against a light colour? That’s when it applies.
“There’s obviously commercial scenarios because there are various things in that.
“What the clubs are saying is they want flexibility in the rules to determine which kit they can wear.
“If there are concerns here they have to start with getting the science right to make sure they consider it when deciding the kits and ensuring they’ve got a band within it.
“It’s an interesting question that I’ve not considered before.
“The laws of the game are quite clear, they state that there should be five colours on the pitch. The referees should be very different to the two goalkeepers and the two teams. Often we see a goalkeeper and the referee in the yellow shirts which is actually wrong in law.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has lambasted ’embarrassing’ Sunderland takeover lies after a talks update.