Aberdeen chairman proposes radical Premiership change that would impact Hearts, Hibs and rivals
The Aberdeen chairman has expressed some views on changes that could be made to Scottish football
Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has made a bold VAR suggestion that would impact Hearts, Hibs and the rest of the Premiership.
Head of referees, Willie Collum, has been under pressure this season amid a raft of errors and controversies surrounding whistlers plus the tech they use. Cormack believes one way to negate the problems fans and clubs have will be to introduce a 60-second limit on decisions, as the rival of Hearts and Hibs took issue with the fan experience being impacted on VAR.
Speaking on BBC’s Sportsound, the Aberdeen chairman also claim according to the broadcaster ‘that a suspension of VAR should be on the table if standards don't improve.’ Cormack said: "My opinion, and this is not just about Aberdeen, but for the whole Scottish Premiership, is that if it takes four minutes to make a decision, it's not clear and obvious. If they can't make a decision within 60 seconds, the on field decision should be upheld.
What has Dave Cormack said on VAR?
"However, if the inconsistency of decision-making continues, we should suspend it indefinitely until such times as it can be consistently relied upon. When video assistant referees were first proposed four years ago, the Scottish FA's pitch was that VAR would increase the volume of correct decisions and do so with a light-touch approach that minimised disruption to the game.
"While the association may be able to provide, as far as I'm aware, unaudited statistics showing an increase in correct decisions, I suspect that if you took the temperature of rank-and-file supporters across the Premiership, the feeling would be quite different. It simply doesn't feel like it has improved.
"Even if accuracy has marginally increased, I'm not sure many fans would say that VAR has added enough to justify the millions that clubs are required to pay. Supporters no longer feel able to celebrate goals freely for fear they will be ruled out; matches are slowed down by lengthy checks; there is a lack of clarity within the stadium about what is being reviewed; and too often decisions take far too long to reach.
What is verdict on VAR within Scottish football?
"Some of this stems from the limitations of the technology available to us in Scotland given what the game can afford, and some is down to the inconsistency in how decisions are applied. Make no mistake, the fact that after every round of games, the most commonly talked about subject is VAR decisions, that does nothing for fan engagement and experience."
A range of personalities on the panel were asked for comment, ex Hearts and St Johnstone player Allan Preston adding: "I don't think it'll apply with IFAB, they wouldn't have Scotland as an outlier as a country that are running to a time limit, I don't think it happens.
"What if it takes one minute and five seconds to get a decision which may be the difference between winning the league, winning a cup tie, getting relegated, a manager losing his job? I've said it before, it needs to be better, it needs to be speeded up, the fan experience is dreadful at times. As long as we get to the right decision and that's the problem we're not ultimately getting to the right decision, it should take as long as it takes."