RateTheRef

BBC Football News online has the following piece:

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg says the video assistant referee could "save a referee's career" but believes the laws of the game need looking at to make them more compatible with modern technology.

Clattenburg left the Premier League in 2017 before VAR was introduced and is largely in favour of the help it gives to officials.

"I am all for it," he said. "I want something that is going to save my refereeing career.
Look at Martin Hansson, who missed the famous Thierry Henry handball against the Republic of Ireland - it finished his career.
We have lost focus that it was meant for clear and obvious errors, scandalous decisions."

In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Steve Crossman, Clattenburg also discussed his journey from electrician to top referee, the pitfalls of social media, the future for female referees, Ed Sheeran gigs and his tattoos.

Clattenburg says the laws must be reinterpreted to make better use of the technology.

"Have we taken the technology too far? I believe we have but when you have a new toy you want to play with it, use it in different ways," he said.

"The laws of the game are old and they are not compatible with technology. We need to change the laws for VAR. Offside needs looking at. We want goalscoring opportunities, goalmouth action. We need to come back down to what we all wanted VAR for - to stop the scandal decision. The decisions that we can't accept because the referee has missed it. We have got two big tournaments in the next two years, the Euros and the World Cup, so it has to work. Referees need it, it just needs to be improved so everyone can accept it."

You can hear the interview in full on 5 Live or on BBC Sounds from 19:00 GMT on Thursday.

Clatts says the he is in favor of VAR but Greece has 9 (!) Super League referees who aren't qualified on VAR and can't whistle a match.

I think that our Head of Refereeing should have done something about that.

I listened to the full interview and Mr Clattenburg came across better than I'd expected, more human less arrogant than my expectations from his on-field persona. Accepted that he was wrong to give Craig Bellamy a second yellow for diving in the Bolton v Man City game too...