A former Premier League referee has admitted that VAR is ‘not fit for purpose’ and claimed that officials ‘hate’ the technology that continues to anger and frustrate fans
Former Premier League referee Graham Scott has slammed VAR as “not fit for purpose” and claims officials hate the technology.
Scott refereed over 400 Premier League matches in over a decade in the top-flight before retiring in 2025. And in his retirement the former official has given his brutally honest opinion on the technology that has angered and frustrated fans since its introduction in the league at the start of the 2019/20 season.
Last month, a survey by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) found that over 75 per cent of fans are anti-VAR and over 90 per cent feel it makes the match-going experience worse. 85 per cent also said the lengthy review process makes football less enjoyable.
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And as it turns out, it’s not just players and supporters who are frustrated by VAR, with referees also sharing the same viewpoint.
Scott wrote in a column for The Athletic that the experience of being a video assistant referee checking over the footage while the anger of fans boiled over felt like the “walls were closing in”.
He added: “Referees are people, too, and feel the pain inflicted by a video review system that is simply not fit for purpose.
“We take no pleasure in disallowing goals because a player’s forehead, kneecap or big toe is too far advanced in the build-up. We hate standing around getting cold and wet while a colleague conducts a forensic analysis of a poorly timed tackle or potential penalty.”
Despite virtually no one connected with the sport in favour of the technology, the Premier League insisted that VAR will stay despite the process not close to ironing out the errors and anger that still arise from reviews almost seven years on from its debut.
Instead, the league insists that fans want to keep VAR as football lawmakers look to broaden the scope of the technology, with corner kick decisions set to be reviewed at the World Cup this summer.
A Premier League statement read: “As part of ongoing dialogue with supporters, Premier League research indicates fans are largely in favour of keeping VAR, but improving the way it is used.
“This remains a priority for both the Premier League and PGMO, and the League will continue to engage with all stakeholders to build on the progress made through the VAR Improvement Plan.”