Over 90 per cent of football fans are in favour of Premier League referees being mic'd up during games.
Recent incidents in the English top flight, namely Lee Mason disallowing Lewis Dunk's goal against West Brom and Stuart Attwell's decision to not award a penalty for Manchester United, have brought about discussions as to whether fans should be able to hear conversations between officials.
SPORTbible decided to get an idea of where people stand on the matter and a poll on Twitter saw a very one-sided result.
With over 14,000 votes cast, 90 per cent of fans voted 'Yes' for wanting refs mic'd up - with just 5.8 per cent opting for 'No'.
We want your view on the issue... should Premier League referees be mic'd up? 🤔
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) March 2, 2021
The feeling from many is that allowing further access to the match officials would give viewers a better understanding of why they made specific calls.
It's a point former Blackburn, Norwich and Celtic striker Chris Sutton made recently.
"If they explain what they are seeing in real time then they'll get more sympathy," he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"It'll clear things up - the viewers will see things through their eyes.
"If they were mic'd up and explained why they made the call then there would be a far better understanding. It will be a good thing and transform the game."
Currently, broadcasters and commentators are privy to what is being said between the referee and those manning VAR at Stockley Park but fans are not.
A video of a referee mic'd up in Australia has been doing the rounds again and has those on these shores hoping the Premier League follows suit.
Jarred Gillett took charge of his 159th and final game in the A-League and all of his conversations with players and officials could be heard throughout,
This is fascinating...
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 19, 2019
A-League ref Jarred Gillett had a live microphone for the entirety of his final game before leaving for the Championship 🎤
• Every decision explained
• Every chat with a player heard
Would you like to see something like this in the Premier League? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/1edNBwLHy8
Not only did it provide a unique insight into his relationship with the players and how he spoke to them, it also gave further clarity on his decisions.
BT Sport, who broadcasted the fixture between Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar, posted footage.
source https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-fans-want-premier-league-referees-to-be-micd-up-during-games-20210302
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