VAR from the madding crowd

A new survey has presented the damning effects VAR is having on the match day experience of the average football fan.

It shows that clubs can expect to lose a significant amount of support while the controversial technology continues to be used by the game’s top brass.

Conducted by the Football Supporters’ Association, the poll sought fans’ thoughts on the VAR experience – in stadia and on TV.

It is the largest survey yet conducted (33,000 responses were given), with 95 per cent of all supporters who had experienced a live game and 94 per cent of armchair fans saying it makes watching football less enjoyable.

‘There is a clear feeling among fans that VAR has ruined the spontaneity of goal celebrations, and taken away a big part of our most enjoyable match day moments, said FSA vice-chair Tom Greatrex.

‘With four-in-10 fans saying that VAR is likely to lead them to attend fewer matches in the future, we hope that the Premier League and referees’ body PGMOL will hear the fans’ voice and take urgent steps to improve a system that isn’t delivering clear and understandable decisions in stadiums.’

The major complaints were spontaneous joy of goal celebrations (95 per cent), and the impact of delays, with 86 per cent of TV viewers and 91 per cent of match-goers complaining decisions were generally not resolved in a reasonable amount of time.

More than a third of respondents (39 per cent) who had Premier League season tickets before the COVID-19 crisis, said they were likely to attend fewer games in future as a result of the impact that VAR was having on the game. This figure was reduced to 44 per cent when the views of all regular-match goers were taken into account.

Only 26 per cent of those polled said they supported the use of VAR, compared to 97 per cent who said they were in favour of goal-line technology.

This was a big and much-needed survey. Its results should be noted very strongly by the game's administrators.

There can be no question that VAR has sanitised football to a point, which is entirely unacceptable. That fewer fans are now likely to attend games as a result of VAR is a sobering moment for clubs.

The explosion of joy when a goal is scored has been destroyed and that is basically what this game is all about.

Well done to the Football Supporters Association for holding the survey. Now football’s ruling bodies need to take note – and act swiftly and decisively.