Video assistant referees will not be eliminated from the Premier League if Wolverhampton Wanderers persist in forcing a vote on the matter, rival clubs told Telegraph Sport.
What began on Wednesday as a crusade by one team for the world’s richest league to abandon VAR has so far failed to generate enough support from the division’s other 19 teams to succeed.
Wolves would need 13 more clubs to support a resolution that forced the Premier League agree to vote its members at its annual general meeting next month.
But none of the 10 teams that agreed to speak to Telegraph sport on condition of anonymity, they said they would vote to eliminate VAR, with some confirming or strongly indicating that they would oppose such a move.
A senior club figure said there was “no chance” of clubs abandoning VAR and that “all 19 others” could vote against Wolves’ proposal in a show of unity.
However, many teams said they wanted to see VAR improved following the litany of errors and controversies since its introduction that saw The wolves’ patience finally ran out.
The Midlands club could now be under pressure to withdraw their resolution, forcing a team vote, potentially in return for a full and frank discussion about further changes to the way VAR works in the Premier League.
Clubs have already voted unanimously in favor of introducing semi-automatic offside in the competition next season, which should help resolve one of the biggest complaints about the system – that decisions take too long to be made.
Referees must also be able to explain VAR decisions to fans in attendance, as part of a test that began at last year’s Women’s World Cup.
Howard Webb, head of Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, wants to go further by showing images of these decisions on big screens in stadiums.
But, controversially, this is not permitted under the Laws of the Game, which the International Football Association Board has repeatedly refused to change.
The move could put clubs at odds with fans, who appear to be in favor of eliminating VAR. In a poll carried out by Telegraph Sport, more than 80 per cent of 2,749 readers said they would be in favor of a return to pre-VAR refereeing, although it is also understood that an initial poll carried out by the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust among its members was 66 percent of the 328 respondents who were also in favor of ending VAR measures.
