Hawthorns ready for goal-line technology
ALBION have become one of the first Barclays Premier League clubs to install Hawk-Eye goal-line technology.
The camera-based system will come into effect when the new season kicks off on Saturday, August 17 – after clubs voted in favour of introducing it back in April.
It will be the first time goal-line technology is used in any domestic competition.
Hawk-Eye requires seven cameras to be focused on the goals at each end of the ground.
Cameras, which look much like closed-circuit television cameras, have been affixed to all four stands at The Hawthorns.
The images from each of the cameras can be processed during a game to determine whether the ball crossed the line.
When such an event occurs, the outcome is relayed to the referee via a watch, which Hawk-Eye has developed with French radio-transmission specialists Adeunis, within a second.
Television viewers will be able to view Hawk-Eye’s replays, which use a dedicated high-speed camera capable of removing players from the image, within ten seconds of the incident.
The Premier League is looking into making videos available to view on stadium big screens – including those at The Hawthorns.
Albion Head of Facility Operations & Development, Mark Miles, emphasised the simplicity of Hawk-Eye's installation.
“Visitors to The Hawthorns will probably not notice too much of a change.
“All the cameras are located at the back of the stands and, to the untrained eye, will just look like additional CCTV cameras.
“The cameras are the first stage of the installation and, once the pitch is ready for the new season, Hawk-Eye will return to The Hawthorns to calibrate the cameras ahead of the new season.”