FSA poll reveals over 75% of supporters oppose VAR in Premier League

The poll took place online from February 26 to March 23, involving nearly 8,000 supporters of clubs in the top division, according to the Football Supporters Association (FSA).

Findings indicated that 75.7% opposed the implementation of VAR in the sport, while 91.7% felt it had eliminated the spontaneous excitement of goal celebrations.

These results align with the FSAs earlier poll from 2021, in which supporters voiced concerns over the rollout of VAR, stated Thomas Concannon, the FSAs Premier League network manager.

The FSA has passed the poll outcomes to the Premier League and the referees organisation PGMOL, and anticipates conversations about the data, he mentioned.

The Premier League responded by noting that VAR has improved decision accuracy and is less of an interruption compared to other European tournaments.

In the last few seasons, there have been approximately 100 accurate VAR reversals each year, situations where goals would have been wrongly allowed or denied, or red cards and penalties overlooked or incorrectly applied, a Premier League representative commented in a release.

The competition maintains a strict standard for VAR involvement, prioritising the referees decision. Consequently, VAR is less obtrusive in the Premier League than in other European leagues, such as the Champions League, where interventions occur nearly twice as frequently.

Additionally, it highlighted that enhancing VAR application is a primary priority for both the league and PGMOL, with continued involvement from interested parties to refine the process.

Through continuous discussions with fans, Premier League studies show that supporters generally support retaining VAR, though they want better methods for its application, it noted.