Game-changing feature removed for West Brom v Wolves FA Cup clash
The FA have confirmed that VAR will not be in use when Wolves travel to West Brom for the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Gary O’Neil’s side will contest the first Black Country Derby in front of fans since 2012 on Sunday as the two rivals face each other in the FA Cup.
Wolves will fancy their chances of ending a terrible run at the Hawthorns which hasn’t seen an Old Gold victory at the stadium in almost 10,000 days.
The Molineux side are unbeaten in their last six games and saw out a 3-2 victory over Brentford in the replay to reach this stage.
Meanwhile, the Baggies beat Aldershot Town 4-1 in the last round but lost 2-0 away to Norwich in the Championship on the weekend.
In the build-up to the meeting, one piece of news which is sure to have an affect on the outcome is the fact that VAR will not be in use for the tie.
No VAR for West Brom v Wolves
With the stakes going into the game the highest in years, both sides have been informed that VAR will not be in operation.
This is down to the technology only being licenced for Premier League clubs. The FA have chosen not to apply for the licensing in the EFL for this competition due to the concerns of costs for the clubs and how difficult it would be to install.
This is despite the fact that West Brom recently played in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season when VAR was in use.
ITV will also be broadcasting the game at 11:45 but those cameras will not be used for VAR.
This puts the club in a baffling situation where the technology was used in their third-round tie against Brentford but not in the next round of the cup.
However, despite its absence, the club and O’Neil may actually end up benefiting from this situation come Sunday.
No VAR might actually benefit Wolves
It is safe to say that Wolves and VAR have never gotten on since in introduction. Throughout its history, the club has been on the back of many controversial decisions that have cost the squad points.
This campaign has arguably seen it at its worst for Wolves. O’Neil’s side has been on the end of multiple horrendous decisions which has cost the club numerous points.
Even against Brentford in the FA Cup, VAR was once again a talking point as it failed to send off two of hosts players in the away tie.
With a play in the round of 16 up for grabs, O’Neil will be doing anything in his power to ensure the club get to that stage.
Therefore, with VAR rarely picking up on the referees mistakes that may benefit Wolves, its absence might end up benefiting the club.
The club also received another boost today as it was confirmed that one of their star players this campaign may well be back in time to play in the derby on Sunday.
