EPL Clubs Vote to Keep VAR

Nineteen out of 20 English Premier League (EPL) clubs have voted to keep the video assistant referees (VAR) next season.

The EPL teams cast their ballots on Thursday, 6 June, during the Annual General Meeting. As a result of the majority vote, the league has committed to implementing changes to reduce systematic delays and enhance the experience for both fans and players.

“While VAR produces more accurate decision-making, it was agreed that improvements should be made for the benefit of the game and supporters,” the Premier League said in a statement shared via their official website.

Wolverhampton Wanderers – the club that called for the tally in May on the basis of delays in decision-making among other issues – was the only side that voted against keeping the system in place.

In order for the Western England team to have won the vote, they would have needed 14 out of the 20 clubs to show their support.

The Wolves, who were disappointed with the outcome, spoke with an international publication on the same day: “While we still believe that Premier League football would be superior without VAR, we think that these improvements are crucial for the integrity of the game and for ­enhancing the overall match-day experience for our supporters.”

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