Thick Fog Disrupts FA Cup Clash Between Notts County and Altrincham as Fans Use Phone Lights to See Through the Gloom

A thick blanket of fog descended on Moss Lane during an FA Cup first-round tie, reducing visibility to zero and leaving players and match officials struggling to see the pitch.

Notts County took the lead in the 28th minute against Altrincham, before the hosts equalized in the 39th minute to leave the score level at 1:1 at halftime, global.hk01.com reported.

As the fog worsened in the second half, spectators in the stands turned on the flashlights of their mobile phones to try and cut through the gloom, creating an atmosphere resembling a concert.

Match commentator Adam Summerton admitted the confusion when his co-commentator asked what was happening on the pitch, replying, “This moment is exactly like you, I cannot guess what is happening.”

Altrincham scored again in the 59th minute, but Notts County fought back to equalize late in the match, sending the tie to a penalty shootout at 2:2.

With commentators unable to see the goalposts, they had to rely entirely on the reactions of supporters positioned behind the net to determine whether a penalty had been scored, according to global.hk01.com.

Notts County ultimately won the penalty shootout 3:2, ending Altrincham’s hopes of pulling off an FA Cup upset.

While many supporters embraced the bizarre conditions with humor—with some joking on social media about the lack of visibility—others took to platform X to complain that the match should have been abandoned due to the heavy fog.

More on FA Cup: Reading Beat Peterborough 5-0 as Charlie Savage Stars in FA Cup