Fans are losing patience

A fresh survey from the Football Supporters Association has found that more than 75% of Premier League supporters are against VAR. The poll reached nearly 8,000 fans of clubs in the English and Welsh top flights and points to a mood that has shifted well beyond simple grumbling. Since VAR arrived in the 2019/20 season, the complaints have become more consistent, more pointed and, apparently, more numerous than the system’s on-field interventions.

The headline numbers are hard to ignore:

  • 95% of respondents said VAR reviews still take too long.
  • More than 90% said the stadium experience has been damaged.
  • 81% said they would rather watch matches without VAR at all.

One of the biggest grievances remains the loss of spontaneity. Fans say goal celebrations now arrive with a small asterisk attached, because everyone has to wait for the inevitable check. Football, as it turns out, is less fun when every eruption of joy comes with a pause for administrative review.

The mood has changed fast

The contrast with earlier years is striking. In 2017, when VAR was still just an idea, 74% of fans were in favour of bringing it in. By 2021, dissatisfaction had already climbed to 63%. Now, after almost seven full seasons of disputes, delays and endless slow-motion replays, resistance has hardened further.

That does not mean supporters want to throw every piece of technology into the bin. The survey suggests fans are much more comfortable with some tools than others. Nearly 95% back goal-line technology, and somewhere between 40% and 55% support at least some VAR reviews for decisive offsides and red cards.

There is also some openness to change. About 47% of respondents said they would be willing to try a challenge system similar to the one used in cricket or rugby. The International Football Association Board has just announced new tests for that idea as part of its biennial review of VAR.

Almost 82% of those surveyed said they have seen a VAR decision in the stadium this season. Public announcements from referees are viewed as a modest improvement, but many fans still say the decision-making process remains too opaque. In other words, the technology may be there, but the explanation still needs work.

The Premier League response

The Premier League says it is working with the PGMOL to keep refining VAR while limiting its intrusion on matches.

"The Premier League works closely with the PGMOL to continually improve how VAR operates, with the aim of ensuring the minimum possible interference in matches. The League applies a very high threshold for VAR intervention, giving priority to the referee’s decision on the pitch. For this reason, VAR is less intrusive in the Premier League than in other European competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, where it intervenes almost twice as often."

The league also says its own research shows fans are broadly in favour of keeping VAR, provided it is used better. That remains a priority for both the Premier League and the PGMOL, with further consultation planned as part of the VAR Improvement Plan.

For now, though, the message from supporters is plain enough: they do not necessarily hate technology, but they are very tired of this particular version of it.