VAR
I enthusiastically welcomed it. Was sold on the higher percentage of right decisions so we could all go home knowing football justice had been done and we could concentrate on which player was crap instead.
But I was wrong. Woefully and completely wrong.
Waiting 5 minutes for a decision to be made alone means the system isn't fit for purpose. Why? Because I sat with TV producers who said everything would be wrapped up in 10-30 seconds. It has literally taken the spontaneous joy from the most important part of the game. A goal.
Then, one thing completely blindsided me and many others.
Subjectivity.
I thought there would be science and a nailed on guarantee of a successfully and universally accepted decision. How wrong we were. Instead, arbitrary lines are drawn that simply can't with any certainty say whether a player is offside or not. So a human in a portacabin, 200 miles away only does what the referee can do, make a best guess.
Likewise handballs, dives, any penalty decision to be honest. A subjective decision decided out of stadium allowing an increasingly small and poor refereeing pool a get out of jail free card. Instead of them making a shit decision and owning it, they just pass it on 200 miles away so 3 men in a portacabin can make a shit decision instead. Lunacy.
For the love of the game, let's go back to investing in getting more referees, respecting them so that they join the trade and don't feel constantly abused. In short, treat them like rugby referees. Ultimate respect.
Then, fuck VAR off, it's ruined the game, made it petty and chaotic, and taken that one ingredient that you simply can't replace, instantaneous joy.
As a player and fan I accepted a referee making a bad decision in a game in the same way I accepted fucking up a shot or pass. We're all human.
Let's get back to that, humans doing their best, everyone walks away from the ground accepting that and less unrealistic pressure put on officials to be perfect when perfection doesn't exist in any walk of life.
VAR stinks. A system designed to help is a massive hindrance and it's about time pundits, fans, players, referees, clubs put pressure on authorities to get rid of it. We only need goal line tech, the rest can and should be refer refereed by humans making their best judgement. A best judgement that was over 98% right( audited fact pre VAR).
Enough is enough, fuck it off.
This is absolutely heartbreaking π
The family of Rhiannon Whyte have been given the chance to tell their story at Tommy Robinsons Unite the Kingdom.
Rhiannon Whyte was a worker at a hotel that housed illegal migrants when she was stabbed 23 times with a screwdriver by a Sudanese migrant who resided at the hotel Rhiannon worked at. Out of respect for Rhiannonβs family as it is what they want, I will not name the monster.
You can read more about Rhiannonβs story on her mothers page here: @siobhan1437154
π€― "It would just as big a miracle!"
Alex Crook believes #AFCB getting UCL football would rival #LCFC winning the title for biggest miracle! π³
Get the latest 'TS Daily: Fiery Fridays' podcast now! π₯
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"I am fighting for them. We are fighting for them. I am their Prime Minister, and this is their government."
Sir Keir Starmer says he's spent too much time talking about what he's doing for working people, and not enough about why or who he stands for.
https://t.co/B3Cb2fuWf8
Just been down to get my 5 year old lad one. Let the roller coaster begin he don't realise what kind of treat/heartbreak he's in for π up the blue army π
Actions speak louder than words. You've let us all down if you don't want to sell the club start by removing people from there jobs tomorrow morning. Start the rebuild NOW!!
Following confirmation of Leicester Cityβs relegation to League One, Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has issued the following statement:
To our fans,
Relegation to League One is now confirmed. As Chairman, that responsibility sits with me. There are no excuses.
We have experienced the highest highs and now the lowest lows, and the pain is shared by all of us. I am truly sorry for the disappointment we have caused. I understand the strength of feeling among our supporters, and we do not take your support for granted, especially at moments like this.
Our focus now is on what comes next. We will take the necessary decisions to move the Club forward, working together to rebuild, improve, and restore the standards expected of Leicester City. Our objective is clear β to respond strongly and compete to move this Club forward again.
We will face this head-on. We will keep going.
Together.
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Leicester City in the 21st century:
π February 2000: Leicester City beat Tranmere Rovers at Wembley to win the League Cup for the third time in their history
ποΈ May 2000: Leicester City finish eighth in the Premier League
πͺπΊ September 2001: Leicester City are knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Red Star Belgrade
π April 2002: Leicester City are relegated from the Premier League, finishing bottom with 28 points
ποΈ July 2002: Leicester City leave their Filbert Street home of 118 years to move to the new Walkers Stadium
ποΈ October 2002: Leicester City go into administration
π May 2003: Leicester City promoted to the Premier League under Micky Adams
π May 2004: Leicester City relegated to the Championship with 33 points
ποΈ April 2007: Leicester City are bought by Milan Mandaric
π May 2008: Leicester City are relegated to the third division for the first time in their history
π May 2009: Leicester City are crowned League One champions under Nigel Pearson
ποΈ May 2010: Leicester City lose to Cardiff City in the Championship play-off semi-finals on penalties
πΉπ August 2010: Leicester City are sold to Asian Football Investments, headed by King Power
ποΈ May 2013: Leicester City lose to Watford in the Championship play-off semi-finals
π May 2014: Leicester City are crowned Championship champions under Nigel Pearson
ποΈ May 2015: Leicester City win seven of their last nine matches to stay in the Premier League and complete the 'great escape'
π May 2016: Leicester City win the Premier League at odds of 5,000-1
πͺπΊ April 2017: Leicester City reach the last eight of the Champions League before being eliminated by Atletico Madrid
ποΈ October 2019: Leicester City beat Southampton 9-0 at St. Mary's to record the biggest away win in English top-flight history before going on to finish 5th
πͺπΊ February 2021: Leicester City are knocked out of the Europa League in the last 32 by Slavia Prague
π May 2021: Leicester City beat Chelsea at Wembley to win the FA Cup for the first time in their history but go on to finish 5th in the Premier League for the second successive season
π August 2021: Leicester City beat Manchester City on penalties to win the Community Shield for second time in their history
πͺπΊ May 2022: Leicester City reach the inaugural Conference League semi-finals where they are beaten by Roma
π May 2023: Leicester City are relegated from the Premier League with the highest wage bill to be relegated from the top flight
π May 2024: Leicester City win the Championship title under Enzo Maresca to set the record for most second division titles (eight)
π May 2025: Leicester City are relegated from the Premier League with 25 points
ποΈ February 2026: Leicester City are deducted six points for the first time in their history after breaching EFL financial rules
π April 2026: 10 years after winning the Premier League title, Leicester City are relegated to the third division for only the second time in their history with the division's highest wage bill