11 May 2026; Goalkeeper Killian Cahill during a Republic of Ireland training session at La Finca Resort in Alicante, Spain. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Events at the London Stadium feel like a rubicon moment
Rob Shepherd, Guest Columnist
The day the Premier League gave the green light to introduce VAR I waved a red flag and warned it would become VARcical.
On so many occasions since 2019 it has been just that. Now it has gone beyond farce or shambles. It feels almost criminal.
West Ham’s last gasp ‘equaliser’ against Arsenal on Sunday is likely to have finally condemned the Hammers to relegation and delivered the title to the Gunners.
Obviously we know these scenarios are not just down to this one heinous decision, but the perception is that the outcome of the season has now been forever tainted.
Tainted by a made-for-TV blunt instrument that should have never been introduced in the first place: Video Assistant Referee.
At this point I must declare an interest. My team is West Ham. But this outrage goes way beyond any biased grievance.
It’s about the soul of football. If so called science runs the show then you may as well watch an AI generated game.
VAR will cut out controversy, they said. Improve consistency. Make for a better spectacle. More entertainment. Be fairer. Balderdash.
Actually it has created more bitter contention. It has made things worse.
Events at the London Stadium on Sunday seem like a Rubicon moment.
Just to emphasise that VAR was brought in to judge marginal offside calls and adjudicate on matters of foul play around goals or penalty decisions, if it appeared the ref had made a CLEAR AND OBVIOUS ERROR. Trojan Horse promises.
When a foul was a foul and VAR was science fiction. 24 May 1964; England captain Bobby Moore, West Ham United, left, and Republic of Ireland captain Noel Cantwell, Manchester United, lead their respective sides out ahead of the match. International Friendly, Republic of Ireland v England, Dalymount Park, Dublin. Photo by Connelly Collection/Sportsfile
It’s long gone way beyond that remit.
In real time the only doubt about Callum Wilson’s stoppage time ‘equaliser’ was whether the ball had crossed the line.
Goal line technology - which to be fair has worked superbly - instantly told us it had.
So referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the centre circle and we had a wonderful moment of sporting drama with nothing else to worry about.
Sure, there had been a coming together of plenty of players as the Gunners keeper David Reya fumbled a corner, but nothing clearly or obviously remiss just like plenty of Arsenal goals from set pieces this season.
Suddenly though the PGMOL tech bros decided they needed to muscle in on the action and run an Inspector Clouseau style forensic check, feverishly determined to solve a murder with no dead body or smoking gun.
A zillion replays from numerous angles. But still they needed more time. Five minutes to make up their minds that, in the opinion of the PGMOL nerds, Pablo’s outstretched arm as he jumped had impeded Reya, with a freeze frame as dubious DNA evidence proof.
Evidence still not beyond reasonable doubt however - indeed an opinion espoused by many in the game is that it wasn’t even a foul since physical contact is not automatically an infringement. If you want that, go watch basketball.
Certainly, if it took more than a minute to decide it could NOT be Clear and Obvious.
Five minutes! Marvin Gaye’s seminal protest single “What’s Going On” was 3min 48 seconds. And that got to the heart of the Vietnam War.
What the hell is going on with VAR and its dubious gatekeeper , PGMOL - Professional Game Match Officials LTD?
A limited company? For profit ? An ever expanding payroll? It stinks.
What became crystal clear during the chaotic reruns is that just before the alleged clashpoint, two West Ham players were clearly and obviously being rugby tackled by Arsenal defenders.
So if the phase of play was being dissected in full, ALL the evidence should have been taken into account and there would have been two options open to the ref
1). Consider the evidence NOT clear and obvious. Goal stands.
OR:
2). Goal disallowed due to player interference on the goalkeeper. Therefore penalty to West Ham due to two Arsenal fouls in the box.
But refs now have to put up with something worse than being taunted as ‘That w........r in black.’ They are, in effect, Eunuchs.
In justifying their decision PGMOL, hardly for the first time, actually undermined its own integrity and the credibility of VAR with a gibberish statement, part of which said other fouls in the melee were not as significant. Really!
This by the same geeks who often this season - not least in favour of Arsenal at set pieces - have legitimised degrees of ‘grappling’ and ‘blocking’ which, when blatant, are not allowed according to the LAWS OF THE GAME.
But actually do we really want all this passion killing, semantic debate?
That leads us back to the stink: Are those running VAR simply not fit for purpose?
And how safe is VAR from outside interference?
When VAR came in, I glibly questioned how long it would be before clubs would have lawyers joining linesmen on the sidelines.
Could this ‘crime scene’ prompt legal action from West Ham or Manchester City given the implications ?
After all, as pointed out, PGMOL is a LTD company so could it be exposed to corporate High Court litigation rather than a Premier League inquiry?
FIVE2FOLLOW
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Trusty Wednesday night
Come on ref
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City quit X
Despite my ire around what feels like a massive miscarriage of justice, I hope not. But something has to be done.
And here is a simple question I ask - especially to those fans who attend matches but are left in the dark when the VAR button is pressed and emotions are put on agonizing pause: Is PL football as a sport and entertainment better with VAR - YES or NO ?
If the overwhelming answer is NO. then it’s time to kick it into Row Z.
I for one say, for the good of the game, Go - End this VARce now. Otherwise Video Will Kill The Football Star.
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Liverpool legend John Aldridge has claimed that the boos following Saturday’s Anfield draw with Chelsea are a fair reflection of a poor season for the Reds and the outcome of their dismal title defence.
Not even the guarantee of Champions League football for next season after the 1-1 result was enough to convince Aldridge of the need for anything other than a Liverpool overhaul in the summer.
Writing in his regular column, carried online by the Irish Independent website, Aldridge echoed the feelings of many Liverpool supporters who can’t wait for the season to end.
He wrote: “Boos at full-time tell the story and the jury is still out for Arne Slot and many of his players ahead of a summer which is likely to bring another overhaul.
“Even though Champions League football will be back on the agenda next season, this will be remembered as a very disappointing season for Arne Slot and his players.
“The 1-1 draw against Chelsea was the latest example of a team failing to make the most of the momentum they should have got from a fine early goal from Ryan Gravenberch.
“In the end, they didn’t seem to have the will to push for a winning goal in the closing stages and the jeers at the end were not just about this one game at the end of the season.
“The jury is very much out on Slot and a lot of these players, as they have come up short far too often this season and it might be hard to get some of the fans back onside.”
Aldridge added: “Liverpool have lost 18 football matches this season, and when I look back at a season that can’t end soon enough, it’s hard to take too many positives.
“We can’t blame injuries for the problems the team has had this season, and while there have been plenty of dubious refereeing decisions going against Liverpool, that can’t be an excuse either.
“We can look back to last summer and question whether the club made too many signings after winning last season’s Premier League, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz not living up to their billing so far.
“I would still back them both to shine at Liverpool as they are excellent players, but some of the other signings have not performed and you could also question the decisions to sell some players.”
American centre-back Auston Trusty is ready for the fight as Celtic face into the two games that will decide their season and their title hopes - away to Motherwell on Wednesday night and home to leaders Hearts on Saturday.
The big defender has told the Daily Record that the Fir Park clash will hold no fears for the Bhoys in the first of those two games as he looks to set up another magical day out for the Celtic faithful come Saturday.
Hearts, who host Falkirk on Wednesday night, remain the favourites for the title but Trusty believes Sunday’s Old Firm victory against Rangers and the atmosphere that afternoon can inspire Martin O’Neill’s side.
Trusty said: “I don’t think we’ve ever stopped believing. I think we’ve always had the mindset that it’s been within our grasp. But with the momentum we have now, I would say it can be really magical.
“That atmosphere, it’s everything. It’s everything we need. We think we need to do our part, but as an organisation, as a club, everyone’s playing a part - and the fans, definitely, truly played a part in this win against Rangers. This is the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in.
“Obviously Champions League nights here are incredible, but that atmosphere was insane. The Champions League is hard to beat. But it’s definitely up there. It’s just great. It was so insane it really helped us. But we need to get there.
“We play a game on Wednesday and hopefully we do our thing and set ourselves up for the final game. But we just need to take it game by game.”
West Ham will contact referees’ body the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) over their late equaliser being disallowed against Arsenal.
And Irish legend Shay Given has suggested Arsenal haven’t been afraid to dish it out in the opposition penalty box themselves this season as the VAR controversy continues over the disallowed Callum Wilson equaliser at West Ham on Sunday.
Given’s remarks have been included in a BBC Sport report which states that West Ham will seek an explanation around the VAR review which resulted in the goal being ruled out for a foul by Pablo on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
The BBC report also says that West Ham will raise concerns and request further explanation from PGMO following the controversial decision as well as seeking the audio between referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR Darren England.
Former Newcastle and Ireland goalkeeper Given meanwhile joined the debate in his role as a pundit on Match of the Day:
The Donegal native said: “The thing that grates [on] me is we have seen on numerous occasions with Arsenal this season, goalkeepers and defenders getting blocked off and the goal stands.
“Everyone is frustrated about the consistency of the refereeing decision. Why are some goals allowed to stand and this was disallowed? There is so much at stake at the bottom of the league and the very top.
“The other thing is Gabriel is holding, Odegaard is holding, Trossard is holding before the foul even happens on Raya. When does the referee decide that’s the foul he wants to pick and not the previous foul?”
Cork born teenage strike prospect Jaden Umeh won’t make his Ireland debut against Grenada this Saturday after his club Benfica withdrew from the squad currently attending a training camp in Spain.
The Lisbon giants have told Umeh he must stay in Portugal as they look to qualify for the UEFA Youth League and there is nothing the FAI or Irish manager Heimir Hallgrimsson can do about it.
Hallgrimsson had included the Ireland Under 21 forward in his squad for the training camp in Murcia, a closed doors game against a local side on Tuesday and Saturday’s friendly against Grenada.
But as this camp falls outside the official UEFA international window, Benfica are fully within their rights to keep Umeh in Portugal according to a report on the RTE Sport website.
Ireland boss Hallgrimsson said: “Benfica are still fighting in their Under-19s to be in the UEFA Youth League. The plan was for them to have secured that by now, but unfortunately, results this weekend didn’t go their way, so Jaden still has one more game to play.
“We knew beforehand that this was a possibility, even if it was unlikely. It is unlucky for him that the results went that way, as we were looking forward to working with him, but we understand the club’s position and will have to wait for a future window to bring him into the environment.”
Umeh starred for Ireland at the Under 17 World Cup in the UAE late last year and has featured for Jim Crawford’s Irish Under 21 side already this season.
Cork City have quit the X platform according to a report in the Irish Examiner which outlines how the decision was taken following toxic online reaction to the recent launch of a ‘rainbow’ third kit.
The paper reports that, in its ‘final’ post on the network, City announced on Monday that “X is no longer for us.”
The report adds that City launched a new third kit last month which features a rainbow design in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Some of the reaction online has shocked the club who said: “Over the last while, like many others, we have noticed a significant increase in discriminatory and abusive language on X.
”While differing opinions should and will always be heard, they cross the line when they are intolerant and downright offensive. We have a duty of care to our players, our staff, our supporters and the wider community, and it is a responsibility that we do not take lightly.
“As a result of this, we have decided that X is no longer for us.”
All photos on TheSportsHacks are provided by Sportsfile.com
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