Doug King talks Coventry’s Premier League hopes and explains why VAR should be the Championship

Owner and chairman Doug King talks Coventry’s Premier League hopes and explains why VAR should be the Championship.

ON VAR:

Jim White: Doug, we wish you well in the Premier League and you’ve just come there from the Championship.

“There’s been a lot of debate this week Doug about VAR and the Championship only having it in the Championship playoff final and not in the Championship season proper. Do you think the Championship should have VAR?

Doug: Yes. Of course it should. It’s a top league, one of the top leagues in the world, and you’re playing and officiating it with, I don’t know, 100 year technology, couple of linesmen and the referee, and it’s it’s hugely important.

“Look, I know everybody goes, “Oh, it spoils the game.” I don’t believe it does. I want fairness, accuracy, and semi-automated offside or a challenge. You know, the hand ball I saw at the weekend at Norwich. I mean, you know, you can’t be having that at this level. It’s ridiculous.

Jim: “I think the EFL believe it makes it more authentic not having it, Doug.

Doug: I know they do, but I disagree with them. I think that they need to move forward and they need to you make the product as as as good a product as they possibly can and I think you know you need to have it in there.

“It costs a bit of money and the issue I bit think from the EFL viewpoint is that they know that the Championship clubs are under the cosh and if they need to invest you know a few hundred grand on VAR they don’t really want to put it to them but I think we need to think bigger than that and I’ve always been a big fan that you need it.”