Sky Sports have released new footage that has reignited the controversy surrounding Newcastle United’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup.
The clip shows Tottenham defender Djed Spence spending nearly 47 seconds tying his bootlaces just before Fabian Schar scored the opening goal at St James’ Park, leaving Spurs furious and fans debating whether referee Chris Kavanagh made the right call in allowing play to continue.
The incident unfolded midway through the first half when Newcastle were awarded a corner. Sandro Tonali stepped up to take it, while Spence, stationed near the goalpost, was seen crouching down to fix his boot.
As he tried to retie his laces, his boot came completely off, forcing him to take longer than expected to sort it out. Despite seeing what was happening, the referee signaled for play to continue.
Seconds later, Tonali whipped in a brilliant corner that found Schar, who rose above the remaining defenders to power a header past goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, giving Newcastle a 1-0 lead.
Tottenham players immediately surrounded the referee, protesting that the corner should not have been taken while one of their players was out of position and effectively off the pitch.
Thomas Frank, speaking after the match, expressed his frustration and disappointment with the decision. He admitted his side were guilty of their own mistakes but insisted that the officials played a major role in the first goal.
“We conceded two goals because of two mistakes,” Frank said. “Unfortunately, the referee was part of the mistake for the first one. His boot came off, and he was tying his shoelaces.
You can clearly see from the footage that he’s trying to fix it. It’s common sense to allow him time to get back in position.”
Frank also pointed out the irony that the goal was scored by the very player Spence was supposed to be marking. “To make it worse, it’s Djed’s man who scored. That’s why we were so animated. It’s not just a random situation; it directly cost us a goal,” he added.
After the match, Sky Sports analysts examined the moment closely. Using a stopwatch, they confirmed that Spence took exactly 46.5 seconds to tie his laces before Newcastle scored.
Pundit Jobi McAnuff described the situation as “harsh” on Spurs, suggesting that common sense should have prevailed. “This was the big moment,” McAnuff said.
“He gets a nick on the laces, takes his boot off, and the referee does try to give him some time, but then he decides it’s enough and says ‘play on.’ I feel it’s harsh on Spurs because Spence was marking an important zone. That’s exactly where the ball ended up.”
McAnuff added that the assistant referee could have easily intervened. “The linesman was right there,” he explained. “He could have just radioed the referee and said, ‘give him another five or ten seconds.’ It’s not about bending the rules, it’s about being fair in the context of the game. I just think Spurs were unlucky in that situation.”
The controversy has sparked debate among fans and pundits about how referees should handle similar incidents in the future.
While the laws of the game allow play to continue as long as the referee deems it safe, many believe that moments like this require more judgment and flexibility.
Some argue that Kavanagh was simply following the rules, while others insist that he should have waited until all players were ready.
For Newcastle, the decision worked in their favor. Schar, who was named man of the match, said he was unaware of Spence’s absence and was focused only on converting Tonali’s perfect delivery.
“I didn’t know there was a rule about waiting for someone to tie their laces,” Schar told Sky Sports with a smile. “I actually didn’t even see where he was. We were focused on what we trained for, and the corner was just perfect.”
The goal gave Newcastle a crucial advantage, and they went on to double their lead through Nick Woltemade early in the second half, securing a well-deserved win and a place in the quarter-finals.
Despite Tottenham’s protests, the officials stood by their decision, and the match concluded without any review or intervention from VAR, which is not used in this stage of the competition.
For Tottenham, the frustration is understandable. They were already dealing with injuries and squad rotation, and this controversial moment only added to their disappointment.
Frank’s men will now look to regroup ahead of their Premier League clash with Chelsea, where they’ll hope to put this setback behind them.
As for the debate, it will likely continue for days. Sky Sports’ footage has shed light on the incident, but opinions remain divided. To some, it was simply a case of bad luck; to others, it was a lapse in officiating that changed the game’s course.
Either way, the footage serves as another reminder of how fine the margins can be in football even something as small as tying a boot can have massive consequences.
