Players left the pitch in the eighth minute at Highbury Stadium. The match resumed after police reportedly identified the operator.
Arsenal’s Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Fleetwood Town was stopped for almost nine minutes on Tuesday night after a drone was spotted above Highbury Stadium. The players were taken off in the eighth minute. Referee Michael Salisbury explained the delay to both managers, and the crowd booed as the drone’s faint lights glimmered in the sky. Police reportedly identified the operator, and play restarted around the 10th minute of the match.
What happened
After an initial pause, the official gestured for both teams to leave the pitch, which briefly suggested the delay could be longer. The problem was soon resolved. Police intervened and identified the operator, which allowed the game to resume. The research notes could not verify that the operator was arrested, charged or formally detained.
Supporters described the drone hovering over the ground and players warming up while play was suspended. Some Arsenal fans questioned why a drone should stop a match, while others raised concerns about the danger if an unmanned aircraft fell into the crowd. These are fan accounts, not police findings.
The FA’s drone guidance
Mr Salisbury’s decision was consistent with Football Association guidance, published in November 2023. It says: “Upon the sighting of a drone above a football pitch/ stadium, the Referee should stop the game and advise both team captains and managers that play will not continue until the drone has passed, or left the vicinity of the players and spectators.”
It adds: “Where appropriate speak to the safety officer of the home team to take their advise on the matter.”
The guidance says that if the drone stays overhead, the referee should direct players towards the changing rooms where practical. It does not require an arrest before play restarts, and games can resume once the drone no longer threatens players or spectators. It also bars authorised filming drones from flying directly over the pitch while players are warming up, playing or cooling down.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s ordinary drone rules prohibit flying over crowds, set a maximum height of 120m (400ft) and require operators to keep the aircraft in direct sight. Some authorised specialist operations may be permitted under different arrangements. The operator’s identity, equipment and permissions have not been established, so it is premature to say that an offence was committed.
A historic night for Fleetwood
It was the first time Fleetwood had hosted Arsenal, and their first appearance in the fourth round of the League Cup. They reached it by beating Chesterfield, Shrewsbury Town and Championship side Sheffield United, according to The Guardian. Fleetwood were 18th in League Two and had not conceded in their three previous League Cup matches. The Blackpool Gazette said the clubs were 84 league places apart, and that about 4,000 home supporters were expected.
Storm Austen and Storm Boelo had raised doubts about the fixture, because of the exposed stadium, but it went ahead at 8pm. The interruption was blamed on the drone, not the weather.
Arsenal landed at Blackpool Airport at 11.57am on a chartered Boeing 737 from London Luton. According to the Blackpool Gazette, the match-day trip was arranged because the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London had disrupted their usual travel plans. Fans greeted the squad, and some players signed autographs. The EFL had named Mr Salisbury as referee, with Matthew Wilkes and Alex James as assistants and Lewis Smith as fourth official.
