Video ref kills joy for football fans
I AM a lifelong football fan, but am becoming disillusioned. The problem with the lack of crowds due to Covid restrictions is bad enough, but the real cause of this turn-off is the video assistant referee (VAR). The joy and excitement of scoring a goal for fans and players has disappeared because we have to wait to see if a big toe is offside! These ridiculous VAR decisions have ruined the beautiful game because the spontaneous excitement has gone. To maintain the joy of football, the advantage should be with the attacker, not wiped off after a break in play by a decision made by an official staring at a screen. Almost all fans and players are against it. VAR should be abandoned or supporters may decide it’s not worth the money to return when crowds are allowed in football grounds again. Goal-line technology is fine, but ditch VAR before it’s too late.
BrIan Green, southend-on-sea, essex.
VAR – Very Amateurish Refereeing – is ruining football. The offside flag rule is a joke. Are they waiting for an accident before they see sense?
MIke HIGGIns, Dundee. THE managers of Manchester City and Liverpool have claimed the hectic fixture list is the reason players are suffering injuries. Could I suggest some of the footballers’ muscle damage may be the weight of the money in their pockets! TerrY knIGHT, Bridport, Dorset.
PREMIER League clubs are insisting they need five substitutes, not three. Footballers earning hundreds of thousands a week play on perfect pitches with a lightweight ball. It’s nothing compared with the conditions endured by footballers from previous decades. They earned a pittance to play on muddy pitches with a heavy leather ball. Substitutes are supposed to be used to replace injured players, not namby-pamby footballers unable to play a whole 90 minutes. ron Moore, West Bromwich, W. Mids.
I AM surprised football managers are complaining about the fixtures schedule and claim the broadcast demands of Sky and BT Sport are too onerous. The Premier League lost its right to fixture determination when it sold its soul to the satellite channels. If football managers want to regain control of the fixture list, are they prepared to give up the king’s ransom that funds their lifestyle?
PeTer BoWler, london e4.