HIT THE CHANNEL Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Can we just get rid of VAR? I know for some this will seem reactionary, coming right on the back of that Scotland game. But I have always hated VAR. As a fan of a Championship club, one of the major silver linings of being shite and not gracing the top flight is that you can celebrate goals properly and football allows proper euphoria. I don't actually care that VAR results in more 'correct' decisions overall; the loss to the game that the uncertainty brings when goals go in is not worth it. Usually when there is a f**k up and/or there is discussion about how shite VAR is/it ruins the game etc. you hear the 'aye but it is not going anywhere line'. I appreciate this is likely true in international football and leagues run for TV fans. But in Scottish football, how can we get rid of it? Threatening to not buy season tickets actively forced a number of clubs to change their mind on parachuting the The Rangers back into the top flight. So fan power can work. Can fans and fan groups make it clear to their clubs the wish to see VAR removed? Is there appetite for this? I'd be interested in folks ideas and/or knowledge of how it is being resisted elsewhere across Europe. For folks who do have roles in fan groups, if you hate VAR, I would urge you to raise this and try and make your club back a removal. *I appreciate there is general VAR thread, but I think the focus on removal is different enough to justify another thread. Although no worries if over ruled! Cheers 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richey Edwards Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 VAR is an albatross around the neck of football, and it is time that it is launched into the sea. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 I don’t know how many threads I can express how much I detest VAR on, but I suppose another wouldn’t hurt. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA Baracus Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Unfortunately there's a large number of fans who do support VAR. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101 Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 If we can't get rid of VAR, Scottish football should grow a set, play the referee audio in the stadium and relay the VAR screen to the screens in the stadium, it's a complete nonsense that it causes so much confusion to a live sporting event. I get that it's technically against FIFA's stupid rules but I can see us getting punished. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunfermline Don Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 For me VAR has totally destroyed the enjoyment of going to top flight games. A goal can no longer be celebrated as the checks find that someone’s toe has been a couple of millimetres in front of a defender. I much prefer going along to watch championships matches now. Football is a fast paced game and should be all about spontaneous reactions not a stop start game like Rugby where the TMO seems to work well. If VAR was to stay the refs needs to be miked up so everyone can hear what is being discussed. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molotov Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 4 minutes ago, 101 said: If we can't get rid of VAR, Scottish football should grow a set, play the referee audio in the stadium and relay the VAR screen to the screens in the stadium, it's a complete nonsense that it causes so much confusion to a live sporting event. I get that it's technically against FIFA's stupid rules but I can see us getting punished. Rugby seems to have made VAR implementation clear to those players on the pitch and the fans in the stand. Why does fitba need to make it worse? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accies1874 Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Scottish football was in a strong position as clubs could see just how shite VAR was in other countries, including the one right next door that we're exposed to all the time, yet they still chose to bring it in. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Pretty sure the speccy stattos will be along to tell us “well actually” shortly. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 I had an open mind on VAR but it’s had ample chance and has demonstrably made the game less enjoyable. f**k VAR 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Heliums Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 24 minutes ago, Molotov said: Rugby seems to have made VAR implementation clear to those players on the pitch and the fans in the stand. Rugby's massively different though as no-one knows what the f**k is happening anyway. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIT THE CHANNEL Posted October 13, 2023 Author Share Posted October 13, 2023 1 hour ago, DA Baracus said: Unfortunately there's a large number of fans who do support VAR. Is this definately true in the Scottish game? If there is surveys I’ve missed could you share them please mate? The other question is who - is it a majority of season ticket holders? Because if not the fan power element is still in play (something not available in international football or down south). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 I struggle to see an argument against the fact that it's made football worse and less enjoyable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houston_bud Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 25 minutes ago, coprolite said: I had an open mind on VAR but it’s had ample chance and has demonstrably made the game less enjoyable. f**k VAR This is the crux of it. The VAR we have in Scotland sees grounds like St Mirren have only 6 VAR cameras (unless we're on the telly). There's so much that they can't clear up. There's been a couple of incidents at St Mirren Park this year where they've stayed with the onfield decision, not because it was definitely correct, but because VAR couldn't say for sure. Those of us in the stands therefore had to wait a couple of minutes (or longer) at these incidents, that VAR couldn't confirm or overturn. At best we're seeing a marginal improvement in getting to the right decision. It's not worth it. And don't get me started on those stupid offside lines. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scary Bear Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 10 hours ago, HIT THE CHANNEL said: Can we just get rid of VAR? I know for some this will seem reactionary, coming right on the back of that Scotland game. But I have always hated VAR. As a fan of a Championship club, one of the major silver linings of being shite and not gracing the top flight is that you can celebrate goals properly and football allows proper euphoria. I don't actually care that VAR results in more 'correct' decisions overall; the loss to the game that the uncertainty brings when goals go in is not worth it. Usually when there is a f**k up and/or there is discussion about how shite VAR is/it ruins the game etc. you hear the 'aye but it is not going anywhere line'. I appreciate this is likely true in international football and leagues run for TV fans. But in Scottish football, how can we get rid of it? Threatening to not buy season tickets actively forced a number of clubs to change their mind on parachuting the The Rangers back into the top flight. So fan power can work. Can fans and fan groups make it clear to their clubs the wish to see VAR removed? Is there appetite for this? I'd be interested in folks ideas and/or knowledge of how it is being resisted elsewhere across Europe. For folks who do have roles in fan groups, if you hate VAR, I would urge you to raise this and try and make your club back a removal. *I appreciate there is general VAR thread, but I think the focus on removal is different enough to justify another thread. Although no worries if over ruled! Cheers Thankfully we don’t have to put with VAR and probably never will unless Rovers get promoted to the top division. VAR is bureaucracy v creativity. It doesn’t make football more enjoyable and if the powers that be decided to get rid I wouldn’t shed a tear. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shuggie_Murray7 Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 1 hour ago, DA Baracus said: Unfortunately there's a large number of fans who do support VAR. Only VLs IMHO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10menwent2mow Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 I had this discussion with my mate at the Dons v Saints game last Sunday where Consi's og was ruled out by VAR after a lengthy delay. My point was that since the introduction of VAR, have we seen a decrease in the number of goals scored from open play in the league? I'd hazard a guess that we see more penalties given although that may be anecdotal. VAR simply seems to exist to chop off goals for very minor reasons and I can't think of many examples where a goal has been chalked off by the on-field officials but given on a VAR review. When it was being discussed I made this point after a turgid game, against St Johnstone funnily enough, when the one genuine moment of quality came late in the game as Teddy Jenks spanked one in from the edge of the box. The ball had accidently hit his hand before it dropped to his right foot and I said at the time that under VAR it would have been ruled out. It wasn't deliberate but it definitely hit his hand. Now, fans had sat through an utterly dreadful 80-odd minutes and this was a cracking strike from the edge of the box. Cue normal large travelling support bedlam a la Tartan Army last night. We are taking that away from football and it's utterly soul destroying for the game going fan. TLDR Get it in the fucking bin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallant Pioneer Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 One of the things that distinguishes football from the rest of the worlds most popular sports is the low scoring system in football. As a result of this goals are much more valuable and celebrated as such. Now when a goal goes in part of the joy is tempered as you await a possible VAR referral/judgement. The very thing that makes football unique is now being damaged as the officials look for a reason to disallow the goal. VAR GTF 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CambieBud Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Unfortunately it’s here to stay. I agree with most of the above. Part of the joy of football was always the debates over referees and linesmen decisions. Human error is an integral part of the game, both players and officials. Now technology is sucking the joy out of it. Long delays after every goal and they still don’t get them all right. I love watching the Friday night live games from the lower leagues, both here and down south. Much better entertainment because of no VAR. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al B Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 "What time will the game finish?" "f**k knows..." Get it in the bin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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