A local YouTuber said he was testing his drone in the area just moments after a drone caused Southampton’s match against Aston Villa to be temporarily halted.
After the Saints’ Premier League match was postponed due to a drone flying over the stadium, a Southampton-based YouTuber said he was ‘testing my new drone today’.
Nathan Jones’ side’s home match against Aston Villa was called off in the 42nd minute after it was spotted over St Mary’s. Both teams had to be rushed off the pitch until the drone flew away.
The use of drones in football stadiums is prohibited by Premier League rules, and play must be stopped if one is seen hovering over the field of play. While it is unknown whether he was the cause of the stoppage, a Southampton-based YouTuber named Ally Law posted a photo of his drone on Twitter shortly after the game was called off.
Law posted an image of his drone with the caption “Testing my new drone today over Southampton” 52 minutes after the Saints-Aston Villa game began. It’s a beautiful day for it!”
Drones are strictly prohibited from flying near or over Premier League matches for safety reasons.
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Ally Law, a YouTuber, claimed he was testing his drone in Southampton during the game.
A report conducted by Football Safety Officers Association’s business development manager John Newsham states, “Although the use of drones over football stadiums has not been widespread, the emergence of cases of aircraft being flown over grounds to capture games and images has highlighted the potential safety and security risks that they bring.
“The very nature of their remote-controlled design leads to a number of risks including the possibility of the loss of control of a drone over spectators or near to structures.
“What is most concerning is the potential for terrorist activity presented by drones. Terrorists already have a plethora of weapons at their disposal, but as new technologies become more affordable and widely available, drones now allow them to carry out even more heinous attacks.
“Drones have become an integral part of global military life, where they have been used to launch remote attacks, and the potential for devastation at football stadiums by carrying explosives or poisonous gases cannot be overlooked.”
