Referee Mark Clattenburg and UK YouTubers launch Deli-VAR-y service for gamers to combat sweaty goals and FIFA bugs

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has teamed up with UK YouTubers Chunkz and Darkest Man to launch a new ‘Deli-VAR-y’ service for gamers.

The VAR (Video Assistant Referee)-like panel will review video clips of glitchy gameplay sent in and compensate victims with a free meal on Just Eat.

With the launch of FIFA 23 today (September 30th 2022), Just Eats’ Deli-VAR-y panel aims to to compensate football gamers suffering from buggy moments, sweaty goals or the game ‘doing a madness against you’. FIFA is known for its weird in-game bugs and odd goals or freak computer decisions.

YouTubers Chunkz and Darkest Man, who shot to fame as members of the YouTube group Beta Squad, will put the Deli-VAR-y panel to the test. The panel reviewing all glitchy gameplay footage and compensating unlucky gamers with a Just Eat voucher worth £25 to help ease the pain.

It comes as new research by Just Eat reveals a vast majority (92%) of gamers have been victims of glitches with over a third (36%) saying a glitch has resulted in them losing a game.

The most frustrating glitches are gameplay freezing (47%, players getting stuck in something like the goalnet (33%) and players suddenly being unable to jump, run or shoot (27%).

Just Eat says that malfunctioning gameplay has caused real life collateral damage, with irritated gamers admitting to damaging a controller (19%), arguing with a loved one (26%) and kicking something in a rage (15%).

76% of gamers said that they would use a VAR panel in-game if it was available.

Mark Clattenburg, former Premier League and international referee, said, “I’m really looking forward to being back in the VAR hot seat and analysing the gaming clips as part of Just Eat’s new panel.

“Football and gaming can both be very tense affairs, and losing because of a glitch just isn’t fair game. I’ll bring all my refereeing experience to the table, and hopefully getting some free food on Just Eat will take the sting out of it!”

YouTuber and TV personality Chunkz added: “Every gamer, including myself, has lost it because of a glitch. I hate a jammy goal, they drive you mad – trust! Nothing worse than seeing your best mate celebrating ’cause he got lucky. If you’ve been on the wrong end of a horrible glitch or a ridiculous keeper howler, Just Eat is here to ease the pain.” 

Just Eat’s VAR panel is running from September 28th for ten days only. Gamers can email their gameplay clips to [email protected] and if the VAR panel agrees, they will be compensated with free food on Just Eat.

Dom Sacco

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.

As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.