Referee Bobby Madley has launched a fierce critique of VAR, declaring he “hates” the technology for stripping away the raw emotion that makes football unique. Speaking at the Cheltenham Science Festival during a panel on sports technology, Madley said the video review system has changed how fans experience goals—and not for the better.
“As a fan, hate it, hate it,” he said. “I love the Championship, love League One—because when you score, you look at the ref, the assistant, there’s no flag—it’s a goal. That emotion is immediate.”
Madley, who currently officiates in the English Football League and occasionally serves as a Premier League fourth official, argued that the delays VAR introduces rob fans of spontaneous joy.
“Football is a game where there could be one moment, one goal, and that’s it,” he added. “To wait and wait—it feels like an eternity. I’m not a huge fan of that experience.”
A Complicated Career
Madley’s comments come as he continues to rebuild a career that was derailed in 2018, when he was dismissed by Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) after sending a video that mocked a disabled person. He spent time officiating in Norway’s lower leagues before returning to England in 2020 as a National List referee.
He has only overseen two Premier League matches since then—one in 2022–23 and another in 2023–24—and was left off the 2024–25 top-flight fixture list entirely.
“Driven by Money, Not Football”
Beyond the emotional impact, Madley also criticized the motivations behind VAR’s implementation, attributing its rise to commercial interests rather than genuine calls for reform from fans, players, or referees.
“There’s so much money in football—it’s business-driven,” he said. “Any mistake is perceived to cost people money.”
Madley suggested that the push for VAR came from football’s financial elite—not the sport’s community.
“Players weren’t asking for it. Referees weren’t. But the people who run football are billionaires. They had issues with referees making mistakes.”
A Growing Backlash
Madley’s candid remarks echo wider frustrations from across the football world. While VAR was introduced to reduce errors, critics argue it has disrupted the rhythm of matches and drained key moments of joy.
“I think we’ve got to the stage where people go, ‘Sorry, we’re ruining football with this now,’” he said. “But we knew the monster that had been created. As referees, we knew what was coming.”
His views are likely to strike a chord with many in the game who believe football is losing its soul in pursuit of technical perfection.
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