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Stuart Attwell made history in English football on Wednesday night as the first referee to make an in-stadium VAR announcement during the Carabao Cup semi-final between Tottenham and Liverpool.
The 42-year-old official used the public address system at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to explain a crucial decision to disallow a goal in the 76th minute.
The groundbreaking moment marked the introduction of NFL-style announcements to English football, with Attwell communicating his decision via wireless microphone to both stadium spectators and television viewers.
Dominic Solanke thought he had put Tottenham ahead when he capitalised on Pedro Porro’s through ball and slotted past Alisson.
Stuart Attwell made history on Wednesday night
Sky Sports
However, after a VAR review lasting around two minutes, the goal was ruled out as Solanke was deemed to be ahead of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Attwell then made the historic announcement over the stadium tannoy, stating: “After a review Dominic Solanke was in an offside position.”
The decision was met with boos from the home supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking a contentious start to this new communication system.
The Carabao Cup semi-finals were specifically chosen to pilot this new communication process in English football, following its successful implementation in other sports.
The NFL introduced referee microphones as early as 1975 to explain penalty decisions, while Major League Baseball began in-park announcements during replay reviews in 2022.
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The system has already been used in international football, featuring at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, as well as other FIFA events.
Rugby referees have long employed microphones, while other major sports leagues including the NHL and NBA adopted replay systems in 1991 and 2002 respectively.
Fan reaction to the new announcement system has been mixed, with many questioning its value.
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Dominic Solanke thought he had scored before VAR chalked it off
Reuters
One social media user wrote: “Completely meaningless that explanation from Stuart Attwell btw, at least if you’re just watching on TV.”
Another supporter commented: “Yep, having the referee announce his decisions was exactly as pointlessly s*** as I expected.
“At least I know what Stuart Attwell sounds like now.”
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Stuart Attwell had to speak to the crowd for the first time in refereeing history in England
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“Thoroughly enjoyed Stuart Attwell’s announcement. Not sure it was necessary in any way, of course,” added a third fan.
Others were more direct in their criticism, with one stating: “That VAR thing where the referee talks to the crowd is one of the most pointless things I’ve ever seen.
“Everyone knows it’s offside that’s being checked.”
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