During the Tottenham Hotspur versus Nottingham Forest game, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system was unexpectedly interrupted due to a fire alarm at Stockley Park.
At halftime, referee John Brooks and his assistant Dan Robathan had to leave Stockley Park, the officiating center located in West London, because of the alarm.
Nottingham Forest, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, was leading 2-0 at halftime, with goals scored by Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood.
As the second half commenced, the officials were still unable to re-enter the Stockley Park building.
The Premier League released a brief statement confirming the situation: “Due to a fire alarm at the VAR Hub at Stockley Park, VAR will be unavailable for the match until further notice.”
The technology remained offline for approximately eight minutes into the second half before normal service was restored.
A subsequent Premier League announcement stated: “VAR is now operational again.”
Fortunately, the system was not needed for any critical decisions during its brief absence.
Fans reacted humorously to the situation. One fan commented, “We experienced freedom for about a minute.”
Another added jokingly, “Whoever triggered the fire alarm deserves a pay rise.”
Prior to the fire alarm incident, VAR’s new semi-automated offside technology had been utilized at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Chris Wood had a goal disallowed for offside earlier in the game thanks to this technology.
However, shortly after, Wood successfully scored, heading in a cross from Anthony Elanga, which counted.
Tottenham showed improvement in the second half, with Richarlison scoring a goal late in the game.
Despite Tottenham`s efforts, Nottingham Forest secured a 2-1 victory, improving their chances for Champions League qualification.
