English Championship new boys AFC Bournemouth are ready to take legal actions against Hawk-Eye, after they were relegated to the Sky Bet Championship on sunday evening. They felt if the goal Sheffield United scored against Aston Villa was awarded they’d have survived relegation.
Despite their win against Everton at the Goodison Park, they went down to the second tier of English League football after fellow relegation threatened club Aston Villa survived with just one point above the Cherries.
In their first game after the restart, Aston Villa were on the good end of an error from Hawk-Eye in their match against Sheffield United. The goal line technology failed to work as Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland saved a Free kick over the goal-line and the goal was not given.
The tech company Hawk-Eye apologized after the game saying that “seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender and goalpost.”
If the goal was given, the game might have ended with Sheffield taking the three points but it however finished 0-0 with both sides ending up sharing the point. That point was crucial to Aston Villa’s Premier League survival and Sky Sports reports that, Bournemouth’s board will discuss pursue a legal action over the error.
The Cherries might however have find it hard to be considered for a case as it is stipulated in the VAR rules set out by the International Football Association Board, a game can’t be invalidated whenever an error is made by VAR or goal-line technology.
The Premier League bosses never reacted to the claims that Bournemouth wants to go to court, while Hawk-Eye is yet to respond also.
After the game in June, Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said that he feels his team had decisions go against them throughout the season ‘due a bit of luck.’
“I know they’ve scored a goal that isn’t given because of technology, but we did enough to score. I feel for them, but I’ve had technology go against me, and we’re probably due that little bit of luck.”
“Go watch the 94th minute at Crystal Palace. Things happen. Referee Kevin Friend has blown a whistle when we have scored a goal. It should have been a penalty or a goal. We got neither.”
Three sides went down the ladder from the English Premier League to the English Championship, Norwich was confirmed about two weeks ago but on Sunday Watford and AFC Bournemouth relegation became official also.