BBC reporting that during a recent Premiership game, football was played for less than 48 minutes of the ninety.

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Some seasons ago, this statistic was always reported for all the top matches, and I remember then being appalled at how much time is being wasted.

Everyone knows where the time goes: a corner is awarded, how long before the ball is launched (especially if the ref has to lumber about sorting out the shenanigans in the penalty area); free kicks are given, how long before the ball is kicked (the ref has to talk to the offender, a Wolves player most likely, mark the spot from where the kick should be taken, mark where the wall should stand, get into position to carefully miss all the grappling and holding and then signal the 'go ahead'. Then there's goalies wasting time with goal kicks, throw-ins, refs remonstrating with players etc etc. The list is long.

Perhaps it's more surprising that we see any football being played.

It has long been an argument that video refereeing would slow the game down and make it stop/start. I've got news for theses pundits: the game has already been slowed down and is fundamentally stop/start.

Perhaps fans at the match mentioned above should be refunded 48/90 of their admission price.