Video review technology should be scrapped from the A-League, according to Central Coast Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth.
His comments follow days of controversy that have plaged Australia’s top domestic football league, shining light on the negatives in the competition rather than any positives.
It began on Sunday when Scottish import Jason Cummings critised lengthy breaks in play, many of which were a result of VAR decisions.
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“I’ve never been at a game where it gets stopped that long,” Cummings said.
Just two nights later, the Mariners were again on the wrong end of the VAR, this time have two decisions go against them in highly controversial scenes.
Mariners coach Nick Montgomery later said he was “in disbelief” at the decisions made, and how long they took to make them. The VAR regularly uses up several minutes before coming to a conclusion that is often obvious to everyone else.
Now Charlesworth has had enough.
“What has VAR done to enhance the product in Australia and the A-League? In my view, nothing,” Charlesworth told the Herald and The Age.
“But what’s it costing us? I don’t know, but it’s not cheap to implement that system. You put that money into a marquee player that generates proper interest and proper supporter dollars – that’s something tangible.
“[The A-League is] in a very difficult situation right now and that kind of thing doesn’t help at all because all it does is create negativity.
“I don’t get why VAR exists at our level. In the Premier League, OK, fine, but not at A-League level at this point in time in its evolution.
“I think that money can be much better spent elsewhere. What’s the point of spending all that money to make bad decisions? Get rid of it.”
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