75% of Premier League Fans are Opposed to VAR
The latest survey conducted by the Football Supporters Association says that three-quarters of Premier League fans are agaiиnst video assistant referees. The survey was done with 8,000 supporters from 20 teams in the top division. Up to 90% of the fans believe VAR has not improved the game. Up to 91% of supporters believe VAR has actually harmed the spontaneity of celebrating a goal.
With these latest statistics, it is clear that most Premier League supporters want VAR removed from the game. Thomas Concannon, the Premier League Network Manager, has said:
We have all lived with VAR for so long now that we have seen the negative impact it has had on our game. Fans are disappointed with the time it takes referees to make decisions. “VAR takes away the special moments that football fans want, like the spontaneity in the game.
Data from last week has shown that referees and VAR mistakes are increasing in the Premier League. It is clear that Premier League clubs want to make sure that correct decisions are made, but it is difficult for supporters when a goal is deemed offside because of a hair. There is no prospect of VAR going anywhere fast. In 2024, 19 out of 20 clubs from the top flight voted to keep VAR. For VAR to be abolished, at least 14 top-flight teams would need to vote against it.
In recent seasons, there have been 100 correct VAR overturns per season. Instances when goals would otherwise have been incorrectly awarded or disallowed, or red cards and penalties missed or wrongly awarded. It seems like VAR is here to stay for now, at least.
