Premier League To Vote On Scrapping VAR Following Wolves' Proposal

Premier League clubs will soon vote on whether to scrap VAR for the next season, following a proposal from Wolves. The use of VAR has been a contentious issue since its introduction at the start of the 2019-20 season, with numerous controversial decisions fueling the debate this term.

Wolves have been particularly affected by contentious VAR decisions this season. In their opening game last August, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) representative Jon Moss apologised for not awarding them a penalty during a 1-0 loss to Manchester United. More recently, Wolves had a potential stoppage-time equaliser against West Ham disallowed for a subjective offside call against Tawanda Chirewa, leading to a one-match ban for boss Gary O'Neil due to his post-match outburst towards referee Tony Harrington.

Nottingham Forest have also expressed frustration over several recent decisions, while PGMOL apologised to Liverpool after Luis Diaz had a goal wrongly disallowed in a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham last September. Wolves have now tabled a resolution calling for VAR to be abolished, with clubs set to vote on the issue at an annual general meeting on June 6. Premier League rules require 14 of the 20 clubs to vote in favour of a proposal for it to pass.

In a widely reported statement, Wolves said VAR had been introduced with good intentions but lamented several negative repercussions. The club stated that VAR has caused frustration and confusion among fans, negatively impacted the atmosphere at games, diminished accountability of match officials, and overreached beyond its original aim to correct clear and obvious errors.

Wolves also highlighted that persistent errors despite the presence of VAR were difficult to accept and had led to nonsensical allegations of corruption from supporters. "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," the club added.

A Premier League spokesperson confirmed that the league would facilitate a discussion on VAR at the annual general meeting next month. "Clubs are entitled to put forward proposals at shareholders' meetings and we acknowledge the concerns and issues around the use of VAR. However, the league fully supports the use of VAR and remains committed, alongside PGMOL, to make continued improvements to the system for the benefit of the game and fans," said the spokesperson.

Sweden recently became the first country to opt against implementing VAR at the top level following fan backlash. Wolves boss O'Neil has repeatedly spoken out against VAR since controversial penalties awarded to Fulham in a 3-2 loss last November turned him against the technology.