Fleetwood v Arsenal delayed by unauthorised drone

FootballSports
28 Oct 2026 • 4:28 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Fleetwood v Arsenal delayed by unauthorised drone

Fleetwood Town’s blockbuster match with Arsenal in the Carabao Cup was delayed by around eight minutes due to the presence of an unauthorised drone hovering over the pitch.

The momentous match for the League Two minnows at Highbury had only just kicked off when the players spotted the drone flying in the sky above the stadium.

The drone was not recognised by home club Fleetwood, with referee Michael Salisbury needing to stop play to discuss the situation with the ground safety officer and both managers.

Eventually, referee Salisbury took the decision to call all 22 players off the pitch in the eighth minute, although the drone then appeared to fly away fro the pitch.

Play resumed once the drone had been dealt with (Getty)

There was confusion as the referee stopped play to speak to both managers (PA)

The police were also called, while there was confusion and anger in the stands, before it was reported that the operator of the drone had been identified and dealt with.

The match resumed in the 11th minute. Around 10 minutes later, Aaron Loupalo-Bi fired Fleetwood in front against the Premier League champions.

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