Burrows on VAR: Let’s not go on a wing and prayer with technology
MOTHERWELL chief executive officer Alan Burrows has called upon the league’s governing body to commission an in-depth study into the feasibility of introducing Video Assistant Referees into Scottish football.
Aberdeen released a statement last week asking for trials of VAR technology after their appeal against a Mikey Devlin red card was rejected, while Burrows’ own club’s manager, Stephen Robinson, said that VAR may have ruled out Hearts’ winning goal at Fir Park on Saturday.
An SPFL spokesman told SportTimes: “We will continue to monitor the use of Video Assistant Referees in those European leagues where it is currently being trialled. The feedback from those trials will inform our own decisions about the possible future implementation of VAR. It is important that all costs and benefits of this system are taken into account before any decision is made.”
But Burrows, who joined the SPFL board in July, believes that doesn’t go far enough, and wants a detailed investigation into the technology so that an informed decision on whether it can be implemented in Scottish football can be made.
“VAR was one of the subjects brought up at the last SPFL board meeting, and we had agreed to review it,” Burrows said.
“That was prior to Aberdeen’s statement, and I think if a member club – particularly one of the biggest clubs – say that in such matter-offact terms about VAR, then it really should start the wheels in motion about a further discussion about it.
“I’d like to see us doing a proper study on it and get proper feedback, even if it is just a paper to the SPFL board or through the clubs. We have to take the guesswork out of it, assess the options and let people make this decision from an informed place.
“At the moment, we just kind of shrug our shoulders and say, ‘Let’s see how it goes’ or, ‘I’m not too sure’.
“Let’s get on the front foot here and see if there is a way to do it. If there isn’t, fine, but at least we could look ourselves in the mirror and say we gave it our best shot, rather than just saying it is too expensive.
“What other leagues use it? What is the technology? What is the cost of that technology? Who are the competitors in the market? What works well and what doesn’t? If we have all that information in front of us, we can make a reasoned decision. At the moment, we are just sitting there and seeing what happens.
“People might not think that it is value for money, but we will only know that once we know exactly how much it is going to cost. When you know that number, you can weigh it up against all of the other things that we might like to spend money on.
“The onus is on the people that run the game, like