Scottish Premiership faces VAR uncertainty after costs 'nearly double'

The introduction of VAR to the Scottish Premiership is up in the air with reports that the cost for each team has doubled.

Clubs were hoping to invest in the controversial technology which could be brought in during the 2022/23 season.

However, according to the Scottish Sun, the price each of the 12 teams would have to pay is nearly twice as much as the original projection.

The Premiership clubs were told at a recent SPFL board meeting that VAR would cost each club nearly £120,000 having first been quoted around £60,000.

A VAR check during Rangers' game with Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

One of the reasons for the increase in costs is the number of cameras that would be required at each game with up to six manned cameras needed and two fixed.

VAR would be operated from a central point. While in England the base is St George’s Park, which is home to the national teams, the Scottish Sun report Scotland’s would be based in a business park near Glasgow.

On Sunday, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst expressed his desire for VAR after the 2-2 draw with Motherwell after he felt offside decisions went against his team.

Speaking in December, Crawford Allan, Scottish FA head of referee operations, revealed they were trying to speed along it's introduction.

"Our desire is to bring it in as early as we can," he said.

"There's not one referee that I've spoken to that doesn't want it. We're doing what we can in the background to try to speed it along. It's going to take a while."

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