Following additional controversy over the weekend, the question of VAR in the second tier is still very much alive.
From the beginning of his time at Hull City, Tim Walter has been a strong supporter of the implementation of video assistant refereeing (VAR) in the Championship, a position Simon Jordan has also endorsed.
The co-host of talkSPORT and former owner of Crystal Palace thinks it’s “preposterous” that the technology isn’t utilized in the second division, which has confused Walter a little bit coming from Germany where it’s commonplace.
On Saturday, Walter expressed his annoyance once more after believing that Callum Robinson’s offside call on Cardiff City’s opening goal should have been overturned. Meanwhile, Norwich City’s opponents this weekend were awarded a goal when Josh Sargent’s cross was clearly behind the goalline and was cleverly flicked into the Derby County net by Borja Sainz.
Norwich were also the recipient of a fortuitous winning goal against the Tigers on the opening day of last season when the ball had crossed the line before being turned into the back of City’s net deep into added time, a decision by Keith Stroud which left the visitors enraged, and manager Liam Rosenior sent off.
The technology has been in use in the Premier League for five years now, even dating back to its first introduction in this country in the FA Cup seven years ago, so in spite of the logistical and financial challenges such changes would require, pundits such as Jordan have been left stunned that there is yet to be any sort of trickle-down effect that ensures the fairness of competition across divisions, but ultimately, second-tier clubs have so far resisted the temptation.
“Right, two sides to that argument – depends where you are with VAR in the first place,” an irate Jordan began when asked on talkSPORT if the Championship should be using VAR technology.
“If you believe it is an advantage to football, and the second side of it is it is preposterous to suggest a game of football in the Championship is worth less than a game of football in the eyes and minds of the fans watching it in the Championship than the Premier League. It should be deployed, it should be deployed at perhaps the cost of the Premier League because some of their clubs are dropping into the Championship.
“Every ground within reason – every professional football ground – should have the same opportunity,” he said before later clarifying to a supporter phoning in this means all 92 teams across the Premier League and EFL.
“It is not a different game of football, it is not governed by a different set of rules. It is relatively ridiculous to suggest that football being played in one space has a different set of opportunities to be correct in the analysis than another.
“What does it tell you about English football? It is perhaps another example for those who want the independent regulator in to suggest that distributions of money will allow these things to facilitate themselves. The FA should be going to the Premier League or doing whatever they need to do, rather than sitting there reading their newspaper waiting for the next England game, to distribute money in to be able to make sure all grounds are hardwired for VAR. End of discussion.