Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O'Neill (right) has been left frustrated by a number of VAR decisions this season. Photo: Reuters/Molly Darlington
This week we formally submitted a resolution to the Premier League to hold a vote on the future of VAR at the league's AGM in June. The reason we have done this has nothing to do with the decisions that have been made against Wolves this season, but it is an honest attempt to preserve the excitement, reputation and future of the game we have all come to love.< /p>
Fans attending Premier League matches are becoming increasingly disengaged due to the negative impact VAR has on our match experience, which has also led to apathy and hostility in the stands and on social media, negative and destructive rhetoric from pundits, players and managers, and also a devastating erosion of trust in football authorities and officials.
All of this is damaging the Premier League's brand and reputation, and unless we stop it now, the damage could be irreversible.
Few fans would disagree with Geoff Shea's opinion – many have protested against VAR this season. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Regan
It has become abundantly clear that our current version of VAR is simply not compatible with high-end sport. subjective laws, and its continued use will worsen the current situation, jeopardizing the league's reputation as the best in the world. We must act now to fix this and bring back the essence of what makes the Premier League and English football so exciting.
In November 2018, Premier League clubs voted unanimously to introduce VAR for the 2019/20 season. – a decision made in good faith and with the best interests of football and the Premier League in mind. We truly believed that VAR would benefit the product through a significant increase in accuracy, leading to greater respect for officials, widespread acceptance by clubs and fans, and overall we hoped there would be little or no negative impact.
Unfortunately, five years have passed since then, and we are still being told that we need to “give him more time to improve.” How long will we wait? Isn't it time we had a good conversation about whether it's worth the wait?
VAR is sometimes referred to as a “technology”, but in reality it is simply added cameras, replays and communication between additional match officials. If we can find real technology that can help make perfectly accurate decisions on objective decisions, similar to goal line technology, or perhaps as we are told semi-automatic offside technology should work, then this could add something to our game.
Unfortunately, the IFAB will not allow the Premier League to use a hybrid version of VAR and it is an all or nothing situation which I believe is disappointing for the Prime Minister. League and PGMOL, but ultimately simplifies the case for removing VAR.
Today, as we discuss football's new independent regulator, we talk about the “unintended consequences” its introduction could have for the Premier League. We can use the same logic to evaluate VAR and its first five seasons, we can now summarize the following unintended consequences that it has brought to the Premier League.
- Impact on celebrations and atmosphere – A widespread reluctance to celebrate goals for fear of VAR intervention reflects a loss of passion and spontaneity in the game, alienates match-goers and threatens the very essence of football and the atmosphere that makes the English game special.
- Frustration and confusion in stadiums. VAR checks during matches, especially in stadiums, cause frustration and confusion due to long delays and lack of communication. Referees often do not understand the reasons for inspections, which further undermines trust in the system, officials and the league.
- Hostile and negative atmosphere in stadiums. We now see booing of the Premier League anthem, chants of “F— VAR” and “This is not football anymore”, and organized protests by fan groups occurring regularly during games. a country. This creates a new problem for stadium management teams and damages the image of the Premier League around the world.
- Exceeding the original goal of VAR –VAR's original purpose was to correct blatant and obvious errors, but its use has expanded to include subjective decisions and little things that have no bearing on the outcome. Such abuse undermines the smoothness and integrity of the game.
- Undermining the authority of the refereesThe use of VAR has reduced the authority of our senior referees on the pitch. Referees no longer make decisions with confidence, knowing that their decision is final, and assistant referees are becoming obsolete: most offside decisions are postponed and then checked by VAR.
- Continued errors despite VAR. Regardless of the implementation of VAR, errors still occur regularly, which is to be expected as technology is driven by people. However, after a long break from the game and being able to watch the action again in slow motion and from different perspectives, it becomes much more difficult for fans to accept the inaccuracy, and it undermines confidence in the standards of the league's officiating.
- Incompatible with the pace of the Premier League –The fast-paced nature of the Premier League for which our league is renowned is incompatible with the long interruptions in play that VAR brings. VAR checks disrupt the flow of matches and change dynamics to the detriment of the entertainment value of the competition.
- Extended stoppage time and disruptions –Due to stoppages in play caused by VAR, stoppage time at the end of Premier League matches has more than tripled since its introduction. This has resulted in matches taking obscenely long periods – over 100 minutes on average – causing disruption for broadcasters and increasing the workload and risk of injury for our players.
- VAR discourse is overshadowing matches . –Of course, we discussed refereeing decisions before VAR was introduced, but the constant debate about VAR decisions that we now have every weekend tarnishes the reputation of the league.
- < strong> Erosion of trust and reputation –Before VAR, if a decision was wrong, fans knew it was due to human error. Since the introduction of VAR, we have given oxygen to those who believe that Premier League and PGMOL officials are corrupt and that this is damaging the reputation of our league.
The Premier League is fighting back against us. concern, stating that today the percentage of accuracy of referee decisions is higher than five years ago.
However, we firmly believe, and are convinced by the vast majority of fans of all our clubs, that the price we pay for a small increase in accuracy by introducing a level of interference that goes against the spirit of our game is not a price worth paying.
< p>Of course, the decision will not be made by the fans who pay their hard-earned money to attend the matches that we spoil, but by the 20 heads of football clubs themselves in the conference room at the general meeting of the Premier League. As I did when we met with our Fan Advisory Council last month, I encourage the leaders of these clubs and the league itself to listen carefully to the views of their fans, players and managers and consider voting in their best interests this time.
< p>The abolition of VAR is not a move back, but a move forward, and it is not an admission of failure, but a reaffirmation of the league's commitment to the passion, spontaneity and authenticity that makes English football truly exceptional.
Let's act decisively now to preserve the integrity and magic of the Premier League for future generations.
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