Tottenham are set to face Newcastle at St. James' Park on Sunday afternoon, with West Ham in action away to Bournemouth, at the same time as the Government are set to send a nationwide alert to millions of mobile phones
The UK government are set to role out the first-ever nationwide public alert system test on Sunday afternoon. Millions of mobile phones across the country will receive the alert, alongside a loud alarm at 3pm on Sunday, April 23.
The system is intended to be used in life-threatening situations, such as flooding and wildfires. The alert coincides with a number of sporting events that are taking place, with spectators at the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield urged to turn their mobile phones off, which is the only way to avoid receiving the alert.
Spurs will kick-off at 2pm on Tyneside as they look to take points off the Magpies in the race for a top four spot. The first half will end around 2:45pm, depending on additional time, with second half action set to get underway around 3pm.
The alert will last for around 10 seconds but it is likely that the second-half of the 2pm fixtures will not resume until after the alert has been tested to avoid distractions in the stadium. The message will say: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.
“In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
“This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
Phone users will be prompted to swipe away the message or click “OK” on their home screen before being able to continue using their device. Many fans may choose to turn their phones off during the match to avoid receiving the alert, but it could produce quite the noise if all 52,000 supporters at St. James' Park receive the alert.