‘Why can’t the Premier League treat paying fans like grown ups? We were all stood around like LEMONS!’: Lee Clayton, Ian Ladyman and Chris Sutton debate ‘ridiculous’ 5 min 37 sec West Ham VAR check on It’s All Kicking Off

Paying Premier League spectators are being left in the dark by ‘ridiculous,’ lengthy VAR checks such as the five minute, 37 second referral in West Ham‘s draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.

That was the view of It’s All Kicking Off panel Lee Clayton, Ian Ladyman and Chris Sutton after officials took an age to disallow Tomas Soucek’s ‘winner’ for handball.

Players from both teams and over 62,000 paying fan inside the London Stadium were left standing around as VAR official Tony Harrington checked multiple angles of the incident.

In the end, Harrington sent referee Jarred Gillett to the pitchside monitor and eventually the goal was chalked off as the game ended 1-1.

Global Publisher of Mail Sport and West Ham season-ticket holder Clayton described how it feels for supporters to be left clueless as to what is happening for such a length of time during what was the longest VAR check in Premier League history.

West Ham manager David Moyes confronts referee Jarred Gillett after a late ‘winner’ by Tomas Soucek was disallowed for handball after a five minute, 37 seconds VAR check

The players and over 62,000 paying spectators in the London Stadium were left totally clueless as to what was happening as VAR Tony Harrington checked multiple replays

Ian Ladyman (left) and Chris Sutton (right) debate the ‘ridiculous’ VAR check on Sunday

He said: ‘You’re in the stadium, I’m behind the goal at the other end with my friends. I’ve got children to one side and an older guy behind me and people are just questioning, “what is going on?” You’ve got no idea. 

‘Five minutes and 37 seconds waiting for someone to make a decision is a long time, it’s a ridiculous amount of time.

‘Once again, the people who are the paying customers are ignored in this, nobody is considering the impact it is having on them. There is no communication, whereas in rugby there is. 

‘You’re in a state-of-the-art, Premier League stadium with giant screens everywhere and you are the last person to know exactly what has happened.’

After Football Editor Ladyman described it as a ‘vacuum of information’, Clayton pointed out he didn’t know the full picture until later in the evening and said football must learn lessons from rugby union. 

‘You’re standing there like a lemon and you’re turning to each other and you’re saying “what is going on?”‘ he said. 

‘I don’t have issue with the decision that was taken by the referee or VAR. I had to wait until Match of the Day 2 last night to actually see what had happened or have any kind of understanding of what happened because you have no clue and no idea when you’re in the stadium.

‘When we debate these things, the PGMOL come in and they talk about the impact it has on referee and the Premier League talk about the impact it has on the product.

Referee Gillett was eventually sent over the consult the VAR screen before ruling the goal out

Soucek was adjudged to have handled the ball as he and Jarrod Bowen forced it over the line

Soucek reacts with frustration after the longest-ever Premier League VAR check went against him and West Ham on Sunday

‘I’m talking about if you’re in the stadium, if you’ve paid for your ticket, I think it’s outrageous you’re being treated in this manner. Why can’t you be treated like a grown up?

‘Look at the rugby, big day in the Six Nations on Saturday night, there was a contentious decision, a critical try for Ireland and the Scottish defensive work was sensational. 

‘You could only see that with close-ups on the camera. If you’re in the stadium, that is being shared with you.

‘You have an understanding of the decision the referee is taking because you’re seeing it at the same time, you’re trusted with that information.

‘The Premier League and everyone who is involved with the significance and the importance of the Premier League, because we all care about it, has to wake up to this. 

By contrast, officials in rugby union keep the crowd updated during the video ref process

There were contentious moments as Ireland beat Scotland to clinch the Six Nations 

‘It is totally unacceptable and, in my opinion, if it takes longer than three minutes to make a decision, then stay with the on-field decision.’

Ladyman agreed the three-minute cut-off suggestion might well have legs. 

He said: ‘I think that is a really important point. As a West Ham fan, you accept it having seen it on Match of the Day that it was a handball. 

‘I think it was a clear handball and you, having looked at it again, think it was a clear handball.

‘It’s not that, it’s the interruption to the flow of the afternoon, it’s the interruption to the flow of the experience and enjoyment of a paying customer at a football match.

Villa fans watch on nervously during the VAR check as their side faced the prospect of defeat

‘I think the point you make there, about the three-minute cut-off, is a really, really good one because at the end of the day, you’re only supposed to turn over really clear and obvious errors and if it takes you six minutes, it can’t be that obvious.’

Former England forward Sutton added: ‘I think the biggest thing in what you said, Lee, is why can’t football copy rugby? 

‘So fans inside the stadium can understand what is going on and what is going on in the referee’s mind, and what the debate is about.

‘How can rugby do it and football not do it?’