TWICKENHAM'S most influential sporting figure, Brian Barwick, ITV's Controller of Sport, believes the Football Association will be making a big mistake if they continue to ignore television evidence when referees have to instantly decide disputes over goals.

The 49-year-old Barwick, the mastermind behind a host of television deals, told me: "It will be sheer folly not to use TV action replays in cases where there are doubts over whether the ball crossed the goal-line. Replays can prevent injustices which are still taking place and there have been a couple of instances this season where goals have not been given even though the ball crossed the line.

"Rugby uses TV evidence to decide if the ball has been grounded for a try or if the scorer's foot has gone into touch. So it would work in soccer, too, providing it was on a limited basis.

"The ball could have an electronic chip inserted in it that would trigger off a beep or a beam when it crosses the goal-line. That should be introduced as soon as possible.

"It would be more difficult to use TV evidence on other decisions because the pace of the game is a crucial element. But it would be a good idea to experiment on which incidents warrant stopping play to look at TV evidence. For example, TV could resolve most penalty disputes. Perhaps experiments could start in the Premiership and, if successful, be extended to the lower leagues. But the referee would have to decide whether incidents warranted being referred to another official watching a TV monitor."

Brian pointed to the fact that non-league Scarborough are still convinced they were robbed of FA Cup glory when they were denied a penalty for hand ball' against Chelsea.

Barwick, who has lived in Twickenham and Richmond for 24 years and has two sons, Jack, 14, and Joe, 12, at Hampton School, oversees all of ITV's sports output.

Before joining the channel in February 1998, he had spent 18 years with the BBC, where he edited Match of the Day, Grandstand and Sportsnight. In 1995 Brian was promoted to Head of Production and a year later he was made Head of Television Sport, BBC Production.

He reflected: "I switched channels as I felt I needed a change of scene and a new challenge. That has happened, with ITV screening the Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Premier League football and the RTS award-winning Formula One motor racing."

He played down the loss of the Premiership highlights, which go back to the BBC for three years, starting next season. Brian would only say: "It's very disappointing, but you can't win everything. And as a negotiator, I've won more than I've lost. The BBC have paid £105 million for the three-year Premiership package. We had a sense of its valuation and were not prepared to go beyond that. I don't feel we made a mistake, especially as the money can be used for other sport."

There is still plenty to play for however. The Premiership have sold Sky a package of over 100 live games each season on a subscription channel, but up to eight of those games come onto the market for free-to-air broadcasters under a sub-licence from Sky. Brian revealed: "ITV will be very interested in obtaining them - if the price is right. We await with interest to hear Sky's proposition."

I asked Brian if there was a danger that, with clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea showing matches on their own TV channels, viewers would eventually have to pay for all televised Premiership action. But he insisted: "No, that won't happen. The Premiership will always want a free-to-air terrestrial channel to have a highlights window to make sure as many people as possible can see their product."

Brian agreed that getting the Rugby World Cup was his biggest coup. He said: "It would have to be the biggest. I backed a hunch and not many people were more pleased than me when Jonny Wilkinson made the winning kick in the final. It was the first major team trophy England have won since the Football World Cup in 1966 so it justified playing £10 million for the rights plus £6 million to screen. I actually bought two World Cups at the same time and the next is costing £30 million - the increase in price is because it will be in France in our time zone so viewers can watch matches in the afternoons and evenings instead of early in the mornings from Australia."

The shrewd Barwick's record of success is staggering. He was part of the team which renewed the Champions League contract for ITV in 2002, and joint negotiator with the BBC in securing the Football World Cup in 2002 and 2006. He also did the deal which brought the Premiership highlights from BBC to ITV four years ago.

It gave him great satisfaction to lure Des Lynam from the BBC: "Getting Des showed a huge vote of confidence in our coverage. We have a fantastic team. Andy Townsend is one of the most interesting and insightful analysts on TV and there is a superb chemistry with Ally McCoist, who has great wit and charm, and Robbie Earle, who brings realism and knowledge. And Gabby Logan has proved that women have a rightful place in sports presentation.

"I wouldn't swap them. I brought Gary Lineker and Alan Hansen into television presenting when I was at the BBC and they have done very well, but I've developed my own team at ITV and am very comfortable with them.

"Unfortunately, Des Lynam is going to pack up at the end of the season in terms of major live outside broadcast presentation. Des is the best broadcaster of his generation. He has always had a feel for what the audience wants and never knowingly undersells a great event or oversells a poor event."

I put it to Brian that, with the loss of the Premiership and the increase in sports coverage by other channels, ITV might be overshadowed. "No," he said emphatically.

"We take sport very seriously and will continue to make a significant investment in it. BBC are better able to show minority sport because they are licence funded and I can't see us giving much coverage to non-league soccer. But we will continue to show top sports events which have a mass appeal. It is significant that ITV 1 gets into 24 million homes and ITV 2 into ten million, whereas Sky Sports can achieve only four million. I launched ITV 2 in 1998 and it is now the seventh most watched channel in Britain. ITV 2 will continue to show extended coverage of events featured on ITV 1."

Barwick is proud that ITV's screening of the Rugby World Cup final attracted an audience of 14 million and Rugby now enjoys the most TV coverage of any team game apart from soccer. He said: "Rugby can build on that, but the clubs must teach the game as well as preach it, because lots of people do not have a great understanding of the laws. My local club Harlequins are setting an example in attracting and developing youngsters and my two sons are coming along well at London Welsh."

October 2006 marks Brian's 25th year in television and he reckons he has ten years left. He mused: "I won't have to make the decision - I'll have been quitted by the age of 60. But I'm still enjoying it greatly and have been privileged to go round the world several times over to watch the very top events.

"My bad days at work would be other people's good days!"