It’s official: football fans want to KEEP VAR in the Premier League, says new poll

The vast majority of Premier League fans want the video assistant referee (VAR) to stay, even if most believe the system is still working badly, the latest YouGov survey has found.

VAR has been a hot topic for debate ever since its inception in the top flight in the 2019-20 campaign, with Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham saying recently he wants it removed entirely.

Just 18 per cent of 434 adults, which is less than one in five, who watch Premier League football on a regular basis, agreed with the current Mayor of Greater Manchester.

The more widely held view is to keep the system in place but make changes to how it is operated in the division, favoured by 68 percent of those surveyed, with 12 percent happy to keep using the technology without any modifications.

However, there remains an overall negative perception of VAR, with 59 per cent feeling it has worked poorly, unchanged from the last YouGov survey on the system two years ago.

Almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of regular viewers think VAR has made watching games less enjoyable.

While tweaks are desired, most support VAR being used in instances of offside, determining red cards and penalties and whether the ball has crossed the goal-line.

But nearly six in 10 believe VAR has operated poorly when deciding whether a penalty should be awarded, while just over half feel the same about instances of red card fouls.

Two months ago, a Football Supporters’ Association survey found three-quarters of Premier League fans are against the use of VAR.

More than 97 per cent of respondents opposed the statement that VAR made watching football more enjoyable, while more than 90 per cent disagree that it has made the match-going experience better.

A Premier League spokesperson at the time said the league ‘recognises the importance of minimising the impact of VAR on the supporter experience’, before adding: ‘VAR delivers more correct decisions.’