Fifa, VAR and rising ticket prices among football fans’ biggest gripes as top 20 revealed

FOOTBALL fans have revealed their biggest gripes with the modern game, with rising ticket prices, money and VAR among their top complaints. A survey of 5,000 supporters found that 61 per cent believe football has lost its way. Under-fire FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has been told the top 20 things football fans don’t really like about the modern game Credit: PA Modern football fans don’t really like that there is too much focus on money in the game now Credit: AP And when asked what they would change about the sport, cheaper tickets came out on top, with 88 per cent believing ordinary supporters are being priced out. Fans also hit out at the growing influence of money, diving and exaggerated contact, inconsistent refereeing and the use of VAR. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The cost of watching matches at home was another major frustration, with supporters unhappy about the number of subscriptions needed to follow their teams. The Champions League not being available free-to-air also featured among the top ten complaints, while fans were also left frustrated by the seemingly endless stream of replica kits and merchandise released by clubs. The survey was commissioned by OLBG to mark the launch of the Marc White Fixes Football show. Dorking Wanderers founder and manager White said: “Let’s be honest, as football fans, we’ve all got countless things we would change about the sport. “The results won’t surprise many supporters. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS “Fans are the lifeblood of the game, but a lot of them feel football is drifting further away from the people who made it what it is. Most read in Sport “People still love football, they just want decisions to be made with supporters at the heart of them.” VAR proved particularly unpopular, with just 18 per cent of those surveyed saying they would keep the system as it is. Fans’ biggest complaints were the amount of time VAR reviews take, the stop-start nature of matches and the feeling that the technology creates more arguments than it resolves. Almost half of respondents, 48 per cent, also believe VAR gives bigger teams an advantage, according to data from OnePoll. Those who wanted changes called for greater consistency, quicker decisions and even a time limit on reviews. Fifa was also singled out as one of football’s biggest problems, ranking fifth in the overall list, while UEFA came 16th. Supporters were also asked about the introduction of Super Bowl-style half-time shows at football matches. The data shows that rising ticket prices is the main concern for football fans Credit: Alamy Surprisingly fans don’t like football games that are too physical Credit: Getty Only around a quarter said they enjoyed the performances, although there was a significant generational divide. Almost half of Gen Z respondents, 47 per cent, said they liked the idea, compared with just six per cent of Boomers. Overall, however, 72 per cent reacted negatively to the prospect of half-time shows becoming more common, with 31 per cent describing the idea as “a terrible idea”. White added: “The feeling that fans are being priced out of football really stands out from the study. “Following your club has become more expensive than ever, and supporters are noticing it. “Football doesn’t exist without fans, so it’s important the game doesn’t lose sight of that.” TOP 20 BIGGEST FOOTBALL GRIPES 1. Rising ticket prices2. Too much focus on money3. Players diving / exaggerating contact4. VAR5. FIFA6. Inconsistent refereeing decisions7. Too much time-wasting8. Too much football being behind paid subscriptions9. Too much commercialisation10. Champions League not being free-to-air11. Super Bowl-style half-time shows12. Replica football shirts being too expensive13. Too many kits being released every season14. Modern “systems-ball” / overly tactical football15. Premier League decision-making16. UEFA17. Fixture congestion18. Lack of atmosphere at some grounds19. Clubs releasing too much merchandise20. Matches being too physical and not technical enough Comment now