Millwall boss Gary Rowett keen on version of VAR in the Championship
Gary Rowett would like to see a version of VAR brought in at Championship level – with the Millwall boss adamant his side were denied a clear penalty in Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Huddersfield Town.
Referee Geoff Eltringham did not penalise Harry Toffolo after the former Lions loanee appeared to clearly handle Ryan Leonard’s goalbound shot.
Millwall’s bench have access to a monitor which plays back any segment of the action. And Rowett struggles to see why officials are not being given a better opportunity to get key calls correct.
He said: “Every league is so important but this is a league where people are trying to get that golden ticket to the Premier League, you are talking about that being worth about £150million.
“You want as many decisions right as possible. Goal-line technology was fabulous, because no-one ever argues about that any more. It’s either over or it’s not.
“What makes it even more frustrating not having VAR in the Championship is that most of us have monitors anyway, you don’t always get the best view or angle but often you can see something a little bit clearer than the officials at the time. That adds to a lot of the frustration.
“That was all my frustration was on Saturday. The referee and officials said it wasn’t a penalty. But I said: ‘Don’t forget that we get the opportunity to watch it again, I know you don’t get that’. It makes it difficult for them.
“Surely there is a cheaper option of VAR? You don’t need people sat in Stockley Park but maybe the ref needs to have the opportunity to see a replay of the incident. I’d be a big advocate for that. Ideally you do it all the way through the football league. But, if you can’t, maybe the Championship is the first one and then as finances allow it filters down year on year.
“We all just want a fair decision. If that is interpretated differently between managers and referees then so be it. But at least the ref gets a chance and he’s going to get the clear ones more right than wrong.”
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