Fans' survey puts VAR, referees and ticket prices in spotlight
The Journos panel went through the new Supporters Direct in Scotland fans' survey, with Michael Grant expecting referees and VAR to dominate the responses.
By Peter Martin,
Scottish football supporters have been given the chance to shape the game through a new fans' survey from Supporters Direct in Scotland, and on The Journos the panel looked at what it covers and what supporters are likely to say.
Peter Martin, joined by Michael Grant, Hugh MacDonald and Gordon Parks, went through the areas in the survey: online abuse, club ownership, referees and VAR, the match-day experience, grassroots football, league reconstruction and facilities for disabled fans.
The discussion opened with a direct challenge over how VAR arrived in the Scottish game: "What say did football fans have in the introduction of VAR? None."
Referees and VAR expected to dominate
Michael Grant thinks referees and VAR will be the issue that dominates the responses. He also raised the number of Scottish players in the top flight, counting only 38 Scots out of 132 players across the six Premiership games.
The panel considered whether the exercise risks becoming "another talking shop", before moving on to ticket prices and a voting structure described as "basically a dictatorship".
Communication in the ground
VAR returned as the conversation turned to how decisions are handled inside stadiums, with "a lack of communication" identified as an issue for supporters at the match. The panel also discussed the argument that "it's about percentages" and looked at VAR in relation to last season's title.
The final word on the subject came with the line "my opposition to VAR is primal".
Fans' voices
Elsewhere, the panel touched on the midterms, the Celtic AGM and the wider question of how fans' voices are heard in the game. The episode also included the story of an outdoor toilet that went up in flames.