I have long argued and campaigned for, what to me, is an easy solution to the arguments that ensue when the number board goes up at the end of games and “Fergie time” comes into play.
An independent timekeeper should have control of a stadium clock, as they do in sports such as ice hockey and basketball, or as we see on TV on the screen in rugby matches.
Then, when the game is stopped, so is the clock and how long is left is apparent to everyone.
For drama we could even have a “Countdown” style clock.
UNP Pictures / Channel 4 Television 
Rachel Riley and Jeff Stelling on Countdown
We used it in Masters football and it added to the tension in the closing seconds.
The truth is, though, that if a system like that was in force and whenever the ball was out of play or the game stopped for a free-kick, corner, penalty kick, goal kick or throw-in, then we could see easily up to 10 minutes added in each half.
After night games, Boro’s faithful could even miss last orders!
Mentioning added time, last Tuesday night at Blackpool proved why I, along with probably thousands of other Boro fans, want automatic promotion rather than the lottery of the play-offs.
After Bloomfield Road, I don’t think my heart or my nerves could take the strain.
The conditions didn’t help our cause but, after looking to have won it, then thrown the three points away, then won it again we faced the agony of an amazing SEVEN minutes added time.
When the stadium announcer informed us, I honestly thought I was hearing things.
I really didn’t know how the match referee Christopher Kavanagh had come up with that so, post-match, I did a bit of digging.
Obviously there were six substitutions, three goal celebrations and a little bit of time wasting.
But what I think most of us had forgotten was that in the first 10 minutes of the second half - when both Kalas and Ayala received treatment - the game was stopped for almost four minutes.
I am sure though that had Blackpool grabbed a second equaliser in added time, the 1,800 travelling supporters and the Boro bench would have had plenty to say.
Anyway, even after seven minutes that seemed to last forever, the ref finally did blow and we were top of the league.
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