Former Premier League ref Graham Poll has backed Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's call for time-keeping to be taken away from match officials.
Poll wrote in the Daily Mail: "At the top level of the game, I know a lot of referees would be quite happy to have timekeeping taken over by an official in the stand and, like rugby union and rugby league, a hooter signal to call time, with the game ending at the next natural stop in play. I would go even further.
"As well as introducing an independent timekeeper, we should establish a set amount of time the ball must be in play rather than time elapsed as currently happens.
"The time the ball is in play is recorded in all top-level football and used to compile possession statistics.
"The statistics for Champions League games show the ball is often in play for less than 25 minutes a half.
"Why not forget the 45 minutes each half and replace it with 30 minutes ball-in-play time?"