Manchester United fans near-unanimous in call to change VAR



Manchester United Supporters Trust are calling for Premier League clubs to listen to fans before the vote, which has been scheduled for 6 June.

A new survey conducted by MUST of 14,111 supporters has near-unanimously (99.4%) called for change on VAR with fewer than 1% supporting keeping the current system.

The survey has been carried out in advance of the vote on 6 June on whether to keep VAR in the Premier League.

Results are the product of unprecedented cooperation between MUST and the Club, with the poll initially sent to MUST’s 100k+ members, and then also distributed by United via email to all Full and Cup Season Ticket Holders and on its Twitter account (96k followers).

Other findings from the survey include:

Match-going fans more strongly want the abolition of VAR than armchair supporters, with 51% of match-going Reds wanting the system completely gone, against 17% of TV viewers. Season ticket holders want abolition most strongly of all, with 52% backing abolition against 45% of occasional match-goers. Those under 65 want VAR’s abolition more strongly than those over 65, with 53% backing abolition versus 41% for the older group

Fans wanting the reform, rather than abolition, of VAR were also asked how they would like it change. The two most prominent improvements requested were around better communication so supporters in the stadium can understand the decisions being made alongside faster decisions, followed by VAR only being used to confirm clear and obvious errors.

Speaking about the results, a spokesperson for MUST said: “When Manchester United exercise their vote on VAR on 6 June, they need to take these results into account. Almost unanimously, football fans are sick to the back teeth of VAR. It has made the game worse, not better, and Premier League clubs have the opportunity do something about it in the upcoming vote.

“We’re not surprised that the group most opposed to VAR are season ticket holders and other match-going fans. Again and again, the fan in the ground is left in the dark whilst lines are drawn on a screen in Stockley Park, destroying the atmosphere in the stadium. It’s time to ditch the failed experiment of VAR, and either get rid of it entirely or make fundamental reforms.”

Fellow United fan groups The 1958 and TRA agreed to run an identical survey to gauge the level of feeling from United’s fanbase regarding the upcoming vote. A strong 95.9% of TRA members want VAR scrapped, while The 1958 survey came back with 84.6% of the vote wanting abolishment.

Surveys by @The__1958 and @TraMufc reveal 84.6% and 95.9% in favour of “voting to scrap VAR… indicates a consensus for the vast majority of supporters”. #MUFC https://t.co/qvq6kjdIvg

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 31, 2024

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