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Some might say that Ian Evatt becoming the first manager ever to be sent-off for the ‘mis-use of technology’ is peak Bolton Wanderers.
The Bolton boss has developed a reputation in the game for embracing modern ways – whether that be on the training ground, the recruitment department or analysing matches, so there is some irony in the fact he was sent to the stands by referee Tom Nield on Tuesday night, much to the confusion of those watching around him.
The indiscretion, as it turned out, was not that Bolton’s staff used their laptop to review Dion Charles’s second yellow card, it was that the findings were then conveyed to fourth official Martin Coy.
It is understood that the ruling, which has been in existence for six years, had never previously been enforced. And when news of Evatt’s red card hit the internet, his phone lit up immediately with messages from fellow managers and coaches wanting to know what they had to avoid.
Neild, Coy and Kevin Friend, who is in charge of the referee’s Select Group Two, took the unusual step of contacting Evatt directly the following day by video call to explain what happened and, by all accounts, apologise for mistakes made.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has campaigned for greater transparency between officials and those players and coaches on the front line – and Evatt had been brought up to speed on the eve of the season on the new guidelines that were being introduced, including tighter controls on timekeeping. Technology was not on the agenda.
“All I can say is that I was unaware of the regulation, and it has been there for six years, it isn’t a new rule,” Evatt explained on Thursday. “We have all learned from it – and that probably applies to every manager in the country right now – we cannot and should not refer to technology when speaking with the fourth official.”
What makes it all the more confusing is that Evatt recalls doing the same thing, every week, for most of the time he has been Bolton Wanderers boss.
“One hundred per cent,” he said. “This is not tit for tat but in five years as a manager I have heard it (technology) being referenced in every game. And I think once the PGMOL spoke to the officials in the summer and said they needed to look back through all of the rules and take a more robust approach, on that night the fourth official was probably a bit over-zealous, to be honest, but according to the rules he applied them.
“There was no harm done for us on the night. I am not suspended, so if I have served a purpose for the betterment of the game then so be it. If other managers can avoid what happened and we make the game better for everyone then, yeah, we will move on.
“We all just want the best for the game. Howard (Webb) is doing a great job trying to implement change, because it was needed. There will be some rough patches, we had one on Tuesday, but what I really appreciate is the open and frank discussion with everybody involved. For me it is parked now.”
Nevertheless, there are still some loopholes to be closed if the law is to be regularly enforced. For example, some grounds in League One show live replays immediately after they have happened, which give referees and fourth officials an instant glimpse as to whether they have just made the right decision.
“It is a conversation to be had – I know Wycombe, for instance, show replays on big screens,” shrugged Evatt.
In the wider context, the Bolton manager has long been a campaigner for professional referees throughout the EFL.
Premier League officials have access to VAR – itself still in a transitional phase – but the lack of support for those operating outside the top two divisions is a concern.
“I do believe the English football pyramid should be seen as one collective,” Evatt said. “I have said this for a long time but it makes no sense to me that the best referees have VAR as a failsafe and referees at our level are part-time. Until they are professionals every day of the week they cannot be the best versions of themselves, we won’t get the best decisions all the time.
“Referees are human, I’m human, we all make mistakes. It is about how we learn and progress from them and I think this has been a massive step forward because of the honesty which was involved. I have a huge amount of respect for Tom and everyone around him for taking that call and making it possible.”
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