Gary Neville left in stitches as football fans poke fun at referee Simon Hooper having to tell Newcastle fans why VAR ruled out Alexander Isak goal
Gary Neville left in stitches as football fans poke fun at referee Simon Hooper having to tell Newcastle fans why VAR ruled out Alexander Isak goal
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Football fans have taken aim at referee Simon Hooper after his 'nervous' explanation as to why Newcastle had a goal ruled out against Arsenal. Eddie Howe's side welcomed the Gunners to St James' Park on Wednesday night for the second-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie. Within minutes, Newcastle thought they had taken the lead after Alexander Isak raced in behind and smashed the ball into the back of the net.
However, after consultation from VAR, it was swiftly ruled out. Hooper then had the task of explaining the decision to frustrated crowd at St James' Park. Addressing the crowd, he said: 'After review, the goalscorer [Isak] was in an offside position. The restart is an indirect free-kick for offside.'. A screenshot from Sky Sports' coverage showed that the Swedish international had in fact strayed into an offside position.
Meanwhile, Gary Neville reflected on the incident and said: 'It's the first time I've seen it live. Who'd be a referee? If you wanted to make them more unpopular, let them announce a disallowed goal'. It didn't take long for fans to share their opinions on the matter, with many suggestion the official looked 'like a nervous kid'. One fan wrote: 'Simon Hooper delivering his lines far too quickly there. Like a nervous kid in the school play'.
