For the first time in English football history, fans inside a stadium heard directly from a referee during a match. On Wednesday night, Stuart Attwell addressed supporters to explain the decision to disallow Dominic Solanke’s goal in the League Cup semi-final first leg between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Solanke appeared to have scored in the second half after connecting with a through ball, but VAR determined he was offside. After the review, Attwell used his microphone to announce the decision to the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“After a review, Dominic Solanke was in an offside position in the build-up to the goal,” Attwell explained.
This marked the first instance of a referee providing a public explanation of a VAR decision during a game in English football.
The initiative is being trialed during the semi-finals. A similar system was in place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday for Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United, though it wasn’t used during that match.
The EFL later clarified the offside decision on social media, stating: “Solanke’s goal was initially awarded on-field. VAR checked and determined that he was in an offside position and recommended that the goal be disallowed.”
