You cannot be serious!’ – Premier League club chairman risks ‘stadium ban and fine’ to speak out on VAR ‘confusion’

During the game against Everton, Ipswich forward Jack Clarke appeared to be tripped in the penalty area, resulting in an initial penalty call. However, after a VAR review, the penalty was overturned by referee Michael Oliver – a decision that left Ipswich players, fans, and staff feeling aggrieved. Subsequently against Brentford, VAR once again intervened and upgraded a free-kick decision to a penalty in favour of the Bees, which further left the Tractor Boys frustrated.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  More recently against Leicester, Ipswich believed that they had earned a spot-kick after Conor Chaplin was brought down inside the box, but the referee waved play on. Moments later, Kalvin Phillips was handed a second yellow card and subsequently sent off, a decision that only intensified frustrations for Ashton and Ipswich supporters.

  WHAT ASHTON SAID

  Speaking on BBC Radio Suffolk’s The Blue Hour, Ashton said: “I get frustrated and I get angry at things when they don’t go our way, but I thought Saturday was a real injustice. And those who know me know I care passionately about this football club and I will give my last breath defending this football club. And I made that very, very clear to Howard Webb. I live in a world where if I say too much I’ll be put on a charge, so what I’m going to say to you now is putting me on that line. But I’ve tried to be honest and open with this fanbase since the day I joined, so I’ll give the train of events as they unfolded on Saturday.

  “I actually messaged Howard when we were 1-0 up because I had a sense of the way this was going to go. I’ve been in this game a long time and I could feel it. I messaged him simply and said, ‘Look, can we speak directly after the game?’. We spoke directly after the game and some of that conversation needs to remain private because I’ll end up being on a charge, I’ll end up being on a stadium ban, I’ll end up being fined, none of which worries. I’ve seen on international broadcasters today, that former referees giving their opinion that it’s not a penalty. You cannot be serious. Come on, don’t just back your former colleagues. It’s a stonewall penalty.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ashton’s experiences with VAR have led him to reevaluate Ipswich’s previous support for the technology. Initially, Ipswich had backed VAR when the Premier League held discussions on retaining it, despite a petition from Wolverhampton Wanderers calling for its removal. At that time, Ashton had been convinced by assurances from the league regarding the careful oversight and high bar set for VAR intervention. However, recent experiences have left him disillusioned.

  “When we were promoted to the Premier League in the summer, I’d never worked with VAR ever, so it was very new to me,” he continued.

  “And the Premier League presented to me why we should support retaining VAR, Wolverhampton Wanderers had made a petition for it to be removed. We listened to Wolves and we listened to some other clubs and we listened primarily to the Premier League and on the basis of what I was told, we supported the Premier League’s decision. And a key part of that was how high the bar was going to be set for decisions to be overturned and overruled, and at what point VAR got involved in the game.

  “If I was asked to make that vote again tomorrow, I can’t look you in the eye and say I’d vote the same way because I am still angry, I’m still frustrated. All I look for is consistency and right now, I’m confused. I think as a coaching staff we’re probably confused. The culmination of that interesting, shall we say, conversation with Howard on Saturday night is that we will meet this week at Portman Road to discuss it because we need answers, we need to understand. I can’t understand some of the decisions that were made, the refereeing decisions and I struggle to understand why we weren’t awarded a penalty.”

  WHAT NEXT?

  Ashton’s call for consistency underscores a broader issue within the Premier League, where many clubs and supporters are increasingly questioning VAR’s reliability and transparency. Ipswich’s chairman remains hopeful that the meeting with Webb will clarify the technology’s role and application in future games, offering Ipswich and their fans some much-needed assurance as they navigate the challenges of their Premier League return.