Shocking footage on social media appearing to show a large blaze at Watford’s training ground has been slammed as false. Images circulated on Saturday evening which appeared to show the Hornets’ training facility, near St Albans, with flames and smoke billowing from its roof. However, when a member of staff went to inspect the dome, they found there was no fire.
Shortly after the images began to circulate on X (formerly Twitter), the maintenance manager and his wife posted a video showing there was no blaze. The woman said: “Okay, right, we live on Watford’s training ground because my husband – there he is – is the maintenance manager.
“In no shape or form was the dome ever on fire. If it was, it would have collapsed. And now we’re going to go inside and show you the dome is not on fire.”
The couple went on to enter the dome, gaining access with a key the man used to open the door of the facility. The dimly-lit interior looked completely intact with no sign of flames or fire damage at any part of the structure.
The woman added: “Okay, we are now inside the dome and there are no flames here. I can’t see any. If it was on fire, it would have collapsed, so I’m thinking somebody posted it as a joke about Watford. So there you go.”
Meanwhile, the X user who posted the video of the ‘training ground fire’ told the Daily Star that while the Watford dome was not the building in question, another dome close to where he lived was indeed ablaze.
He said: “I live near the training ground. I assumed that was the dome. I’m not sure what dome it is now. But there is a dome on fire.
“The videos and photos are completely real. And not something that should ever be joked or lied about, and there is a real fire going on, but it WAS NOT the Watford dome in the end.”
Express Sport have reached out to Watford FC for comment.
The Hornets wrapped up their Championship campaign last weekend as they played out a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road. They ended up finishing 14th in the table, having taken just one point from their last five league games.
Days later, it was confirmed that manager Tom Cleverley had been relieved of his duties after 60 matches in charge, winning 20 and losing 26.
Sporting director Gian Luca Nani said: “The time has come for a change and to build on what we believe is a young and talented squad that will have benefited from the experience of the Championship this season.
“It has been a privilege to work closely with Tom, to understand how he sees the game and his enthusiasm for everything here. He deserves to be recognised for this and I’m sure he will have a bright future in the game.”
