The Premier League will introduce goal-line technology next season to become the first major European league to take the step.

The decision was made following a vote involving England's top-flight clubs, answering the calls of many fans, players, managers and pundits.

August's Community Shield will be the first game in which the new technology will feature ahead of the start of the 2013-14 season proper.

Thursday's vote by Premier League teams led to British-based Hawk-Eye being given the contract to provide the goal-line system in the wake of their success in supplying the technology in tennis and cricket.

The system will see seven cameras pointed at each goal which instantly detect whether or not the whole ball has crossed the line. If it is a goal, the referee is immediately alerted, putting an end to wrong decisions being made in the game's most fundamental area - scoring a goal.

Support of the technology has increased in recent years due to several controversial incidents. One of these was Frank Lampard's disallowed equaliser for England in the 2010 World Cup finals against Germany, despite the ball being comfortably a yard over the line.

The installation at the grounds of the 17 remaining Premier League teams and three promoted Championship clubs will take up to six weeks to complete and will occur during the summer.

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