Metro’s Craig Munro in conversation with Keir Starmer and Martin Keown (Picture: Tom Pullen)
Sir Keir Starmer has thrown his weight behind reforming the offside rule in the wake of a controversial weekend for football’s video assistant referee.
The Labour leader was speaking to Metro.co.uk this afternoon alongside pundit and Arsenal legend Martin Keown at the FA’s headquarters near Burton-Upon-Trent.
His intervention came a day after VAR ruled out a last-minute goal by Coventry which would have seen them beat Manchester United for a place in the FA Cup final.
The Championship side had overcome a 3-0 deficit to bring the score level, and fans were crestfallen when the tech brought their fairytale run to a cruel end.
Sir Keir, a die-hard Arsenal fan, said: ‘This is classic cup, come back from 3-0 down, 3-3, you’re Coventry. This is a giant killing.
‘It’s a really well-worked goal, and it’s ruled out because there’s what, a toenail of difference between the attacker and the defender? Don’t tell me a toenail gives you an advantage in football.
Keir described the VAR decision as ‘giant killing’ (Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
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Martin Keown disagreed and said ‘we all have to try and accept’ VAR (Picture: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
‘I would change the offside rule. I wouldn’t change VAR, I’d change the offside rule to make it more beneficial for the attacking team.’
Martin disagreed, saying: ‘It’s not subjective, it’s objective, he’s definitely off. If he’s off, he’s off. He’s unlucky, but we all have to try and accept it.’
The pair had travelled to St George’s Park to watch the FA’s training facilities being used by up-and-coming football stars – and to discuss the similarities between the sport and politics.
Sir Keir said: ‘We saw the under-17 women’s team, and the competition is all about the preparation as they get ready.
‘And that’s the same in politics, it’s about preparing and being ready for what happens next.
‘Because when that election comes, if we are privileged enough to win it, it’ll be like the whistle going and you’re on the pitch.’
Martin added: ‘If you come into government, one by one you’ve got to throw out the shirts to your team members who are going to lead their departments.
‘We were stood in the dressing room and I was thinking that about your team, they were tapping into this and thinking this is how we’re going to have to run our government a little bit.’
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Sir Keir was joined at the facility by almost his entire shadow cabinet, including Rachel Reeves, Ed Miliband, Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry.
The leader of the opposition also revealed what role he would hand Gunners boss Mikel Arteta if he made an unexpected move into politics.
He said: ‘He would have to be something like Cabinet Office, right in the middle of it. Making everything work.
‘The sort of central hub, if you like, making sure that all the other bits were operating properly.’
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