Man Arrested For Flying Drone Over Liverpool’s 2-0 Friendly Win Vs Huddersfield

A man was arrested Wednesday after a drone was spotted hovering over the Galpharm Stadium in Liverpool’s 2-0 pre-season friendly match victory over Huddersfield, thus causing the action to momentarily grind to a halt.

Man Arrested For Flying Drone Over Liverpool’s 2-0 Friendly Win Vs Huddersfield

The referee approached both benches as the gadget flew above, darting around Huddersfield’s stadium to follow the pattern of play.

The game resumed within minutes after both managers (and friends), Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and the Huddersfield Terriers’ David Wagner debated with the officials the best way to solve the unforeseen complication.

The pilot was quickly identified, and the 38-year-old man has been released on bail by West Yorkshire Police pending further inquiries. The drone was also seized.

Local laws dictate that drones and other similar devices “must not be flown within 150 metres of a congested area, such as a sporting event.”

Wagner hinted he initially believed his own coaching staff could have been at fault for the incident.

“I asked Jurgen if it was from his scouting department but he said “no”. I know it wasn’t from mine,” he said. “It was a little bit funny because this morning (Wednesday) was the first time we tested a drone during training. It was a strange situation but I think the drone was only there for a few minutes. To be fair I didn’t recognise it, it was the fourth official who said.”

West Yorkshire Police stated: “The referee took the decision to briefly stop the match on grounds of safety after the drone was seen approximately an hour into the game.”

“Police officers were quickly deployed to the immediate area,” they continued. “The pilot was identified and the drone recovered. A 38-year-old man from Huddersfield was arrested on suspicion of flying a small unmanned aircraft with a mass of over 7kg at a height of more than 400 feet. This is a breach of civil aviation regulations.”

Marko Grujic opened the scoring in the 31st minute. A slick break saw Sadio Mane get in down the right and find Roberto Firmino, who picked out Grujic brilliantly at the back-post, where the 20-year-old Serbian fired home a left-footed half-volley for his second goal of the pre-season.

With all of Liverpool’s outfield substitutes already on the field, Klopp was faced with a dilemma at the hour-mark when Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva went down with a hamstring injury.

After it became clear Leiva couldn’t continue, Klopp turned to his reserve goalkeeper, 18-year-old Shamal George, to play as an outfield player for the Reds in the second half alongside striker Danny Ings, a move that seemed to make the crowd go wild with delight.

Asked about whose idea it was to bring on George, Klopp said: “They told me from the bench after I’d organized the system with 10 [men] and they said, ‘Come on, we have Shamal’.”

George nearly ended his playing time with a goal after lobbing the opposing goalie, only to be flagged for offside.

Minutes before the end, Liverpool won a penalty after Ryan Kent was tripped in the box, with fans calling for George to take the kick.

However, boos ensued after Spanish defender Alberto Moreno instead shot the ball into the net to seal the win for the Reds, with Klopp insisting that some respect had to be shown to their opponents.

“It is nice when the crowd calls it in but at 1-0 in no game in the world should you make a ‘funny’ decision,” he said.

“If it is 4-0 or 5-0 you can think about it but even then it is a lack of respect for the opponent.”

Liverpool will now prepare for a trip to the USA, where they face Chelsea in the International Champions Cup next Thursday.

HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Marko Grujic of Liverpool shoots to score during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Huddersfield Town and Liverpool at the Galpharm Stadium on July 20, 2016 in Huddersfield, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)