Survey finds VAR is still working badly but fans in favour of keeping system

Fewer than one in five Premier League fans want the video assistant referee (VAR) to be scrapped, even if most believe the system is still working badly, the latest YouGov survey has found.

Introduced in the 2019-20 season, VAR remains a hot-button issue, with Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham saying recently he wants it removed entirely.

According to YouGov, just 18 per cent of 434 adults who watch Premier League football matches at least fairly regularly agreed with him.

The more widely held view is to keep the system but make changes to how it is used, favoured by 68 per cent of those surveyed, with 12 per cent 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