VAR either needs improving or it needs to go, as far as Premier League fans are concerned

According to a research that will form part of a Premier League study into the refereeing technology - less than a third of fans are in favour of the use of VAR in football.

The results of a study conducted by the Football Supporters’ Association will make for challenging reading as the English top flight is currently running a consultation across the game in the hope of improving VAR next season.

As The Guardian reports, the survey was made between both match-attending fans and the ones who watch the games on television. Of those going to the grounds who replied to a survey conducted by the FSA, 95% said VAR made the experience of watching a game less enjoyable with 44% saying they would be less likely to attend a match in future as a result.

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Outcome was barely less striking among the TV-watching fans, with 94% saying it had a negative impact. Both sets of fans agreed that VAR’s impact on the ability to celebrate a goal, and the time it took to resolve decisions were the most frustrating aspects of its use.

More than 33,000 fans were asked in one of the biggest survey of this sort.

“There is a clear feeling among fans that VAR has ruined the spontaneity of goal celebrations, and taken away a big part of our most enjoyable matchday moments,” said the FSA’s vice-chair Tom Greatrex.

“We hope that the Premier League and referees’ body PGMOL will hear the fans’ voice and take urgent steps to improve a system that isn’t delivering clear and understandable decisions in stadiums.”

Complaints raised by fans are more than obvous. However, PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Board) stresses out that VAR has reduced decision times this season, while new rules complicated by VAR, such as handball, have been interpreted.

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Implementation of automated offside technology and an interpretation of the offside law, ruling out controversial ‘offside by an armpit’ decisions, are at the trial stage and it might bring another wave of complaints.

Loss of spontaneity is the key issue for fans. And it will to some extent always be a part of VAR. Earlier this year, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, even said it was good for the game.

“Now if there is a doubt you check, you wait, you see and that’s the adrenaline that makes football how it is: the waiting for a result”, he said.