The proposal brought by Wolverhampton Wanderers to scrap Video Assistant Referees (VAR) from next season is expected to be voted down by the other Premier League clubs at annual general meeting set to take place on Thursday (May 6) in Harrogate. 

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While clubs sympathise with Wolves for bringing forth the proposal, most are in favour of “evolution rather than revolution” regarding the technology, according to a report in Telegraph. 

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With majority of the clubs expected to cast ballot to keep the technology, various improvements and tweaks to the existing system could be pursued, the report added. 

VAR was introduced in the top tier of English football five seasons ago in 2019/20 after its successful implementation in the Russia World Cup. However, since then, the technology has been under constant controversy with clubs often ruing that VAR was not doing what it had set out to correct. 

After a string of decisions went against Wolves due to VAR in the 2023-2024 season, the club decided to pursue the route of abolishing the technology. 

“There is no blame to be placed. We are all just looking for the best possible outcome for football and all stakeholders have been working hard to try and make the introduction of additional technology a success,” Wolves said in a statement. 

“Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy is at odds with the spirit of our game, and as a result, we should remove it from the 2024/25 season onwards,” it added. 

Controversies with VAR

While small errors have been part of VAR since its inception, the officials using the VAR system made a massive howler in September last year when Liverpool’s Luiz Diaz scored a clear onside goal against Tottenham Hotspur but it was chalked off due to a communication breakdown. 

A few matches later, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta labelled the defeat against Newcastle United a ‘disgrace’ after Anthony Gordon’s tap-in goal stood despite the VAR checking the goal for three possible fouls. 

“Embarrassing, it’s an absolute disgrace, that’s what it is: a disgrace. There’s so much at stake, we’ve put in so many hours to compete at the highest level and you cannot imagine the amount of messages we’ve had saying this cannot continue. It’s embarrassing,” said Arteta at the time. 

More recently, Nottingham Forest wrote letters of complaint to PGMOL and threatened to sue the referee’s body. The club also questioned the appointment of VAR Stuart Attwell following April’s defeat at Everton.

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