Hawk-Eye goal verdicts to be shown in stadiums

Television audiences and crowds in stadiums will be able to watch replays of goal-line technology decisions from next season after the Premier League agreed a deal with British firm Hawk-Eye.

Under the agreement, hailed by the England manager, Roy Hodgson, as "a momentous day" for football, all 20 top-flight clubs will use the system and the Football Association is set to follow suit with Wembley Stadium, possibly beginning with the Community Shield in August a week before the league restarts.

Spanish, German and Italian leagues have held off introducing the new technology but the Premier League confirmed that not only would it be used, but replays would be available to be shown by broadcasters and in grounds, too.

The FA has been part of negotiations along with the Premier League but still has to sign a separate agreement with Hawk-Eye. A German system, GoalControl, which is favoured by Fifa and is set to be used at the 2014 World Cup, had also been under consideration after submitting a tender.

Hawk-Eye, which was sold to Sony two years ago, already provides systems for tennis and cricket. The Premier League provided seed money to help Hawk-Eye develop a goal-line technology system back in 2007, but there was no formal relationship with the company.

The technology instantly sends a message to the referee that the ball has crossed the goal-line via a special watch. The agreement comes after a campaign which only bore fruit following Frank Lampard's "ghost goal" for England against Germany at the 2010 World Cup, which persuaded Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, to change his mind on the issue.