This version of VAR must stop now, it’s not working
VAR — as it is being trialled in this country — has to stop now. I’ve been immersed in football my whole life. I was a referee for 27 years, took charge of 1,554 matches and I was a supporter of introducing technology to help officials. But the way vAR has been running over the past two months is ruining the flow of games and the enjoyment of all concerned. Just imagine a player scoring a last-minute winner in the World Cup final this summer and having to wait for vAR to say if the goal is valid. That would be unthinkable. All football fans recall the CLEAR AND OBVIOUS errors they want rectified like the Diego Maradona ‘Hand of God’ and France’s crucial goal after Thierry Henry’s handball against Ireland. Those could have been corrected in seconds. But reviewing every goal is ruining the joy of scoring — which is too high a price to pay. If you look at the two decisions reviewed on Wednesday, both affected Tottenham, who had a perfectly reasonable goal ruled out and a penalty awarded. If vAR had not been in operation the first goal would have stood and the penalty would not have been awarded. Borderline decisions should not be reviewed as football is not an exact science and watching Paul Tierney, an excellent referee, seem to dither and delay routine decisions proved how unsettling it is. I would have loved the opportunity to correct some of my most glaring errors. My own World Cup dream was shattered when I took charge of the Croatia v Australia game in 2006 and infamously booked Josip Simunic three times. vAR could have helped and I could have refereed the World Cup final instead of coming home early. People often ask me why I refereed and my reply is simple: ‘Because I love football.’ I’m afraid to say this rushed introduction of vAR is in danger of ruining the game I love. In its current format, we must stop vAR now. It is killing the joy for players, fans and managers. If it is massively improved, come back to us. But for now, English football does not need it.
P.S ON REFLECTION, the decision to award an indirect free-kick after Son Heung-min’s penalty was incorrect. Son feinted during his run-up — as the law allows — and not at the end of it, which is banned. So with vAR in place, why didn’t the video ref help Tierney to get it correct? If it’s because protocol doesn’t allow him to, then it’s a farce.