Opinion: If You Could Petition To Change Something In Football What Would it Be?

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·16 luglio 2025

Opinion: If You Could Petition To Change Something In Football What Would it Be?

Last time I checked, nearly 5,000 people had signed a petition saying they did not want Noni Madueke to become a Gunner. Which, of course, is a complete waste of time.

Our billion-pound owners are not going to care about a few thousand signatures on the internet. As long as the Emirates is sold out, there is a waiting list for a season ticket over two decades, and merchandise is flying off the shelf, that is all the Kroenke family will care about.

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Which begs the question, though – if you could petition for 10 things to change in football, what would they be?

Stop punishing celebration and protect the game’s integrity

No bookings for celebrationsFootball is supposed to be about fun and passion. Fans invest a lot of money in the product. The least they deserve is to see players care about the shirt they are wearing. When a player scores, what is wrong with him or her enjoying the moment? Why the need to suppress how they feel?

I understand a booking if you have something written under your shirt or celebrate in a manner that could provoke the away end, but taking your shirt off? Harmless.

Stop clockThis works in the NBA, so why not football? The official or someone on the sidelines simply pauses the time whenever the ball is out of play. After 90 minutes, the additional time is added on. This would reduce many conspiracy theories, with fans able to see for themselves that the correct period of added time is being applied.

Maybe those in charge do not want to highlight how little the ball is actually in play? We could initially end up with 20-30 minutes of added time. Yet long term, any time wasting would be discouraged if players knew the time was paused.

Ban the cheatsLike many things in the world currently, there is an incredible sense of entitlement. Some fans suggest officials are cheating, yet say nothing when they see players doing the same. You might think a referee is corrupt, but you must have the same moral compass when you know others are manipulating the rules.

We cannot talk about improving standards in the Premier League, then watch a striker dive, a midfielder claim a corner knowing it touched them last, or a defender fake injury and say nothing. Worse, these are the same con artists who then criticise the very officials they are trying to deceive.

I do not trust VAR to issue straight red cards in real time, but why not have a panel of ex-professionals review incidents every Monday? Bans must be lengthy to act as a deterrent. At the moment, when a Havertz thinks about diving, the reward is worth the risk. Consequences need to be introduced.

Ban pre-season toursBanning FA Cup replays, no extra time in the League Cup, five subs allowed, etc, every year, something changes in the schedule because clubs say they care about player welfare. Yet the same clubs take squads halfway around the world to play friendlies.

A day after the season ended, Manchester United were flying to Asia. Last summer, Spurs and Newcastle played in Australia just days after their campaign finished, despite a Euros and Copa América coming up.

I understand for fans abroad this might be the only chance to see their team live. I am not against clubs travelling, but you cannot then complain about being tired back in the UK.

So I propose this – if you tweak the calendar or competitions, you cannot have your pre-season outside Britain. Sports scientists might talk about climate benefits, but if clubs could make the same money playing locally, they would. Mentally, surely it is better to spend the summer with your family?

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Restore competitive integrity and protect supporters

Stop diluting the competitionI struggle with change in general, but something is off when the opening group stages of a tournament make it harder to get knocked out. That includes both club and international football.

Some Gooners were excited by the idea of Arsenal finishing third in the Champions League League Phase. I could not emotionally engage. You would have to be poor not to finish top 24 out of 36 teams. It meant most fixtures had little jeopardy until the last 16.

At the Euros, you can fail in qualifying but still make the play-offs through the Nations League. You can finish third in a group of four and still make the last 16. UEFA want more teams, which means more revenue, but not at the expense of quality.

Simplify VARVAR was introduced to support officials. Ironically, criticism has increased. Fans, managers, pundits, and clubs all write statements now. There is more paranoia than when we accepted human error.

I would not scrap VAR entirely, but simplify it. The current issue is inconsistency – in some games the referee is sent to the monitor, in others not, even in identical situations.

Other sports do not have this problem because they use tech consistently. In tennis, was the ball in or out? That is why we rarely have issues with goal-line technology (when it is turned on!).

So let us keep VAR only for offsides. It is black and white, no grey areas.

Price capFor the tenth year running, the Premier League capped away tickets at £30. But what about a cap for home fixtures, merchandise, and subscriptions?

If government ever regulates the sport, this should be a priority. No one is forced to buy tickets or shirts, but that does not make the pricing okay. Football is passion, entertainment, and escape for many. They will keep paying, but it should not be exploited.

We want football affordable for families. Pricing them out kills the atmosphere at stadiums.

Stop the ballotFor over a decade, I had a yearly direct debit for two memberships giving me access to tickets a month before matches. I would attend around one Premier League game per month, sometimes more if there was a home cup tie.

Touts own multiple memberships. If they pay £55 for Arsenal vs Everton, they resell access for much more. Three seasons ago, when we were top of the league, things got out of hand. Tickets for the final game versus Wolves were bought by touts and resold at ridiculous prices.

To combat this, the club introduced a ballot system. The irony? Now the team I love are competing again, I pay a yearly fee just to be entered into a draw. Back when we struggled, I was travelling from Plymouth, Poole, Wales, etc, to show my support.

Online racismThe UK has an issue where fans think the football bubble means they can behave however they like. Laws have tightened, but social media companies could do more. Facebook and X could require users to verify their name and email. Fewer people would abuse anonymity if they were accountable.

Zero tolerance towards racismA few times a year, governing bodies post hashtags and slogans saying they stand against racism. But actions speak louder than words.

Football still cannot claim to have zero tolerance. That is why some players refused to stop taking the knee, tired of lip service.

This year alone, fans were pictured outside the Emirates making monkey gestures towards PSG’s coach. In France, a fan was filmed chanting racist abuse.

Zero tolerance means not accepting racism, ever. We must educate the next generation. If you make racist comments or gestures, you should face serious consequences. I am talking decades in prison and your name made public, so your family and employer know who you are.

What would you petition for?

Dan Smith

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