The Premier League will keep VAR next season after a motion tabled by Wolverhampton Wanderers was overwhelmingly rejected at the league’s AGM this afternoon.
Wolves’ attempt to scrap VAR ‘for the benefit of the game’ was defeated with the clubs voting 19-1 to keep the system, although the league have approved a number of ‘improvements’. These include the implementation of semi-automated offsides in October, increased training for match officials, an in-stadium announcement of the reasons behind the overturning of a decision after a VAR intervention and ‘an enhanced offering of big-screen replays’.
The Premier League said in a statement:
‘While VAR Âproduces more accurate Âdecision-making, it was agreed that Âimprovements should be made for the benefit of the game and Âsupporters. As part of thorough discussions at the annual general meeting, it was agreed that PGMOL, the Premier League and clubs all have important roles to play in improving the system and its reputation.’
Wolves expressed their disappointment in their own statement:
‘While we are disappointed with the outcome of the vote on the future of VAR at today’s Annual General Meeting, we acknowledge and accept the decision made by our fellow Premier League clubs and we are reassured that the Premier League is taking the concerns of clubs and supporters seriously.
We welcome the commitment to improve VAR, particularly in areas that address delays, consistency and fan experience. While we still believe that Premier League football would be superior without VAR, we think that these improvements are crucial for the integrity of the game and for enhancing the overall matchday experience for our supporters.
“Wolves remain committed to working closely with the Premier League and PGMOL to ensure that VAR continues to evolve and better serve the interests of football. We appreciate the efforts being made to address the issues that have been highlighted and look forward to seeing these positive changes implemented.’
As long as it’s fair and not Bias against certain clubs let fans see the decision on the screen and lets hear the person making the decision,like in Cricket you can hear the third umpire and runouts are shown on the stadium Screen then maybe people will understand it a bit more,certain decisions went for the big clubs last season as always even before VAR because Referees were frightened to give it how many Penalties were given at Old Trafford because Ferguson would moan about a certain Referee and would not Ref there again so FA this small club Bias is still there