VinceTracy Podcasts

Author: Vince Tracy

Weekly insight into how the news is presented to us PLUS a football discussion
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VAR in the news Again!
Wednesday, 3 December, 2025

Good Day from a beautiful part of the world where blue skies prevail today. There is a cutting edge to the wind but how can we complain about anything with so much going on elsewhere in the world. In today's podcast I discussed football matters with Graham Smith. VAR was at it again in the Newcastle drawn game with Spurs. I knew what I needed to ask the chatbot. 'Was the VAR decision to award a penalty to Spurs last night against Newcastle the correct decision?Algorithmic answerThe incident occurred in the 86th minute with the score at 1–1.• VAR spotted Rodrigo Bentancur tugging Dan Burn’s shirt during a Newcastle corner.• Referee Thomas Bramall initially did not give a penalty but was sent to the pitchside monitor.• After review, he awarded Newcastle a spot-kick, which Anthony Gordon converted to make it 2–1 before Cristian Romero’s stoppage-time equaliser rescued Spurs.Tottenham boss Thomas Frank: “It’s an absolute mistake by VAR. It’s never a penalty”.• Cristian Romero (Spurs captain): Publicly expressed frustration, calling the decision “disgraceful”.• Jamie Redknapp (Sky Sports pundit): Slammed the lack of consistency in VAR decisions, noting that similar shirt-pulling incidents often go unpunished.• Premier League statement: Defended the referee’s final call by saying Bentancur “clearly does not look at the ball” while committing the foul, but this explanation has been met with widespread skepticism.⚽ Why It’s Controversial• Subjectivity of shirt-pulling: These tussles happen frequently in the box, and referees rarely penalize them unless they are blatant.• Inconsistency: Fans and pundits argue that if this incident is deemed a penalty, then dozens of similar situations should also be punished. Impact on the game: The decision nearly cost Spurs the match, fueling anger among supporters and adding to ongoing debates about VAR’s role in football.📌 VerdictWhile VAR followed protocol in flagging the shirt-pull, the consensus among managers, pundits, and fans is that the penalty should not have been awarded. The incident highlights the persistent problem: VAR is supposed to correct clear and obvious errors, yet its interventions often feel inconsistent and disruptive to the spirit of the game.How did a football journalist and former player see it?