David Martindale on why he would 'cut the VAR cable' as Livingston boss performs U-turn on previous stance
The Lions boss couldn't hide his fury about a penalty that was awarded against his side against Ross County last Thursday
David Martindale would openly pull the plug on VAR - insisting it doesn't enhance the game and only takes money out of clubs' pockets.
The Livingston manager was left fuming after a review awarded Ross County the penalty that got them a 96th minute equaliser and leaves the Premiership play-off in the balance going into tonight's second leg in Dingwall.
Martindale has gone without VAR in the Championship and believes the game is far better without it.
He joked: 'Cut the cable for VAR! I tried to waterlog it this morning, I tried to break it. It didn't work, it's waterproof.
'I'll be honest guys, I've really enjoyed the Championship, not having VAR.
'We had VAR in the Premier League and I came and went with it, I was on the fence slightly, but thought: 'oh well, it's here, it's the same for everybody'.
'But I've had the 'luxury' of not having VAR now for a full season, and I'm telling you now, it does not enhance our game.
'All it does is take money out of the club's pockets.'
Martindale used to be all for VAR but has since changed his stance.
He added: 'So, no, I used to be kind of a bit of an advocate for VAR, I was quite happy to have VAR in the game.
'But now, working with VAR and not working with VAR, if you said to me, would you want it, I would be saying I would rather VAR was out of the game, one million percent.'
He hopes Monday night's return in the Highlands is decided by the players and not the technology.
The Livi boss admitted: 'The stakes are so high on Monday, you'll be hoping there's no controversial decision.
'I just don't want to be sitting here talking about VAR.
'Like, I'll be honest with you, I'm sitting on my couch watching Sportscene last week and I looked at the incident with Tony Docherty with Ross County.
'I felt so sorry for him because that should never be a penalty and it's ruining the game, in my opinion.
"And we're paying for it to ruin the game, which I find absurd. I can't get my head around that one.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Is America making Scottish football great again?
The American takeover of Rangers represents a significant shift at Ibrox but it also marks a broader milestone for Scottish football. With the arrival of US-based consortium, including Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises in Glasgow, half of this season's 12 Premiership clubs now have substantial investment from the United the latest development in a trend which has been building quietly for over 10 years and one which reflects similar changes across Europe. So, what's driving this wave of transatlantic interest? And what might it mean for the future of Scottish football? A decade in the making American involvement in the Scottish game began back in 2013, when Texans John Nelms and Tim Keyes took control at Dundee, with a vision centred on youth development and player trading. Five years later, across the road at Tannadice, Mark Ogren bought Dundee United. He has since invested an estimated £13m during what has been a turbulent but committed tenure. Since then, the US footprint has expanded. Bournemouth owner Bill Foley acquired a significant stake in Hibernian, St Johnstone were bought by businessman Adam Webb, and Aberdeen brought in a group of US investors via Scotland-born, US-based Dave Cormack. There was also interest in Motherwell from former Netflix ex-vice president Erik Barmack last year. More bang for your buck in Scotland than England? In England, following Dan Friedkin's recent acquisition of Everton, half of the 20 Premier League clubs are now under US ownership, including Manchester United and Liverpool. Nine more clubs in the English Football League have also attracted American investment. The reasons are varied, but value is a key factor. While the average NFL franchise is valued at around $6bn, and an NBA team commands roughly $4.6bn, Everton reportedly sold for just £400m. For investors used to those numbers, European football clubs can seem like a bargain - especially when they come with global brand recognition, loyal fanbases, and historical why Scotland?"They love the sport and the cost for getting involved with sports ownership in the states is significant," said Cormack, Aberdeen's is cheaper, but the potential rewards - particularly through European competition - are very real. While Everton's new owners may have limited expectations of reaching the Champions League, those backing Rangers will expect to be there regularly. That offers a route to financial growth, global exposure, and an increase in brand value. There's also a growing focus on player trading. Celtic have shown how effective this can be, developing talent and selling at a premium. US investors see Scotland as a shop window. Les Alan, an LA-based investment banker, helped broker the Rangers takeover and thinks the attraction was obvious. "If you're looking at the investment from a financial point of view, the figures speak for themselves," he said. "Rangers' enterprise value is probably around £150m. For that you could probably buy a very small fraction of the 49ers, you could buy a fraction of an English Premier League club."Yet Rangers offer you one of the top two teams in Scotland, with a 38-acre training facility, a magnificent stadium in the heart of Glasgow and the possibility of top-tier European competition every year. "So from a financial point of view, the comparisons I believe are compelling. In fact, in the US, here in LA, a women's team just traded for $250m, without the background, the history or the trophy winning past of Rangers." The rise of multi-club ownership The attraction and acquisition fits into a wider model now common across world football. Many American investors own more than one club - often across different Black Knight group has stakes in Bournemouth, Lorient and Auckland. Webb holds a share in Cambridge United. Rangers' new owners also control Leeds insist the goal is to share best practices, not necessarily move players around. But, for fans, there is unease. Supporters are proud of their club's identity and traditions - and wary of becoming a satellite in a wider footballing and passion won't allow fans to entertain the notion of their club existing to feed the parent company's bigger offspring but with scouting and analytics playing such a key role in football, collaboration in some form is inevitable."Every team is just as important as the next team but we need to have ways of avoiding the heavy transfer payments that you have in football and at least if you have transfer payments, we're paying ourselves instead of paying a third party," said Foley."So, I understand sometimes there's apprehension about multi-club ownership - Manchester City has proved it works for them and we feel it works for us with the size of club we are and we respect every team that we own a part of."I was only allowed to buy 30% of Hibs but if larger ownership percentages are allowed, you'll see many more Americans investing in Scottish football. I have no doubt about that." With great power comes great responsibility What evidence do we have of success so far? Dundee have yet to realise the dream of becoming a conveyer belt for young Scottish talent, but their US owners have brought stability to a club that was unpredictable. Their neighbours at Tannadice have steadied the club financially, but fans might be forgiven for expecting more. It's perhaps a similar story at Hibs, and St Johnstone's new owners couldn't prevent the club being relegated for the first time in 16 years. We also have to acknowledge when fans didn't welcome fresh investment from the US. In 2024, Motherwell fans, the club's majority shareholder, voted against a club takeover by Barmack. The episode at Motherwell shows there are also cultural differences to navigate. In the US, sport is often positioned as entertainment - a product consumed by families, sponsors, and corporate clients. In Scotland, football is deeply personal. American investors entering the Scottish game may find the passion and expectations here very different from what they're used to. And while financial backing is welcome, it comes with a responsibility - not just to balance the books, but to honour what the club means to its supporters. "Each club has different but deep histories no matter if you're Stenhousemuir or Rangers," said Alan. "If we're out there in the investment banking world and you're selling two semi-conductor companies, how do you differentiate from the two? But football clubs, even in the same league, have deep and different cultural pasts." Scottish football may benefit from US investment. But if it's to succeed, it must be done with care, respect, and a clear understanding of the culture it's entering.
Daily Mirror
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Premier League trio in Jadon Sancho transfer battle as Man Utd make decision
Jadon Sancho remains likely to leave Manchester United this summer after failing to secure a transfer to Chelsea and Premier League clubs are monitoring his situation at Old Trafford Jadon Sancho is commanding interest from three Premier League clubs and looks set to be on the move once again this summer. Ruben Amorim has decided the England international will not be part of his first team squad and is said to have no plans to integrate him into the set-up. Chelsea made their decision to not make Sancho's move permanent official as they named their Club World Cup squad on Wednesday. The Blues were forced to stump up £5million to send the winger back to United after they had satisfied condititions to make the deal permanent. Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all keeping tabs on the 25-year-old's situation as the Red Devils look to facilitate an exit. Unai Emery's side prefer a loan deal for the ex-Borussia Dortmund star, having taken Marcus Rashford on a temporary basis in January. United would prefer a sale to bolster their funds amidst a busy summer of rebuilding, as they attempt to replenish Amorim's squad. Already the club have spent £62.5m on Matheus Cunha and a significant fee is expected to land Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. Sancho would see a return to Champions League action if a move to Newcastle or Tottenham was completed. It is claimed the sides both see Sancho as 'a strong option' as they attempt to build squads to battle on multiple fronts in 2025/26. READ MORE: Jonny Evans makes surprise announcement on future after being released by Man Utd The former Borussia Dortmund star, who has also drawn interest from his former club, enjoyed a steady if unspectacular loan at Chelsea last term. Sancho made 45 appearances as he helped Chelsea win the UEFA Conference League and qualify for the Champions League. But his five goals and 10 assists were not enough to convince Enzo Maresca's side to extend his stay. The player, who arrived at Old Trafford at United from Dortmund in a £73m deal, is also finding interest from Europe however. Dortmund have asked to be kept up to date on any developments over his future. And Chelsea's interest in Jamie Gittens could prompt some action, though the German side have already signed Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland this summer. Gittens is said to have already agreed terms with Chelsea, but the Blues could not make a deal with the Bundesliga giants in time for the Club World Cup. It remains to be seen if they return with another offer. Sancho's salary could prove problematic as United attempt to offload their unwanted star. It means another loan could be considered for the attacker, who has already enjoyed two spells away from the club.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Football transfer rumours: Liverpool to spend £100m on PSG's Bradley Barcola?
It is a wingers special for today's tittle-tattle. Starting with Liverpool's willingness to splash £100m on Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola. Arne Slot has already signed Jeremie Frimpong and is set to add creativity in the form of Florian Wirtz. Naturally, there is not a bottomless pit of cash at Anfield, so they would be open to selling Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota and Darwin Núñez to fund the spending. After it was confirmed that Jadon Sancho will not be joining Chelsea permanently, his next move is a hot topic of conversation. Manchester United will be quite eager to earn some cash in exchange for the winger, so the prospect of Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham are considering a potential move for the 25-year-old. Another wideman needing pastures new is Jack Grealish, who was left out of Manchester City's Club World Cup squad. On the upside, he does get a few extra weeks off compared to his current teammates, giving him time to send his CV out to clubs. Newcastle and Everton could offer Grealish a route away from the City bench. Nico Williams is another who likes to get chalk on his boots. Clubs queueing up to sign him. Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Chelsea are all eager but Athletic Club want to tie the Spain international down to a new deal to keep him at San Mamés. Bayern seem to be the most eager and the European champion might have given his representatives a nudge and a wink to have a chat with the recently-crowned Bundesliga winners. Supposedly plenty of teams are interested the Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres but no one is yet to make an offer for him, according to club president Frederico Varandas. 'I can guarantee that Viktor Gyökeres will not leave for €60m plus €10m because I never promised that,' Varandas said. 'To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyökeres – neither today nor last season.' It looks like Manchester City have stolen a march of European rivals to sign Rosenborg teenager Sverre Nypan. The Norwegian was a target for any major club with a pulse, Arsenal and Aston Villa among those batting their eyelids in his direction. Nypan, however, has plumped for the Etihad Stadium as the location to progress his career alongside compatriot Erling Haaland. Trevoh Chalobah is on Napoli's shopping list. The Chelsea defender started last season on loan at Crystal Palace before being called back by Enzo Maresca to boost his centre-back options. Despite starting the triumphant Conference League final and being called up to Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad, Chalobah's future at Stamford Bridge is less than certain and a move to the Serie A champions might be tempting. Djordje Petrovic was not keen on a Club World Cup sojourn to play backup in the Chelsea goalkeeping department, so instead asked to be left out to allow him to work out for what the future holds for him. Leeds could be the answer swirling around the crystal ball. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion If anyone wants an experienced full-back, then Vladimir Coufal is looking for a new club after his West Ham contract expired. Everton, Wolves and Fulham are those pondering offering him a new home. Sunderland are waiting for offers for midfielder Nectarios Triantis. The Premier League newcomers want around £1.5m in exchange for his services after an impressive season on loan at Hibernian. Fortuna Düsseldorf and MLS clubs are keen on the player who is currently debating where his international future lies, with Australia and Greece vying for his qualities.
