Manchester United vs Bournemouth, the Premier League clash that potentially has an UEFA Champions League spot at stake, has been abandoned. Club officials have confirmed that a suspect package found inside the stadium resulted in a security alert, with Manchester United being advised to call off the game after earlier evacuating two stands.
Update:
A bomb disposal squad has arrived at Old Trafford to perform a ‘controlled explosion’.
Update 2:
Here is the statement released by Manchester United revealing that a controlled explosion had taken place at Old Trafford:
Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the North-West Quadrant of the Old Trafford ground, Manchester United's match against Bournemouth was abandoned on police advice.
People in the stadium were asked to remain in their seats while the forecourt was cleared of fans who had already been evacuated from the stadium.
Bomb disposal teams conducted an assessment of the suspicious device at Old Trafford and a controlled explosion was then carried out by experts within the stadium.
Greater Manchester Police is working with staff at Manchester United as part of the investigation and Assistant Chief Constable John O'Hare commented: “We are doing everything we can to investigate this item as quickly as possible, however our priority is obviously to ensure the safety of everyone in the stadium and surrounding area. As a result, today’s game has been abandoned.
“We don’t make these decisions lightly and we have done this today to ensure the safety of all those attending. I am thankful for everyone’s support and assistance and we will continue to provide updates on this matter as soon as they become available.”
Further announcements will be made as soon as possible.
What happened before kickoff:
With a sizable set of fans entering the stadium about an hour before kickoff, the mood was set for a blockbuster of an end to the Premier League season. However, as club security officials carried out their pre-match security drills, there was already an inkling of what was to come, with Sky TV pundits Graeme Souness and Thierry Henry being patted down, which had ‘never happened’ to them before.
A ‘suspect package’ was found in the North West Quadrant at Old Trafford, with an announcement over the tannoy coming in that ‘Operation Red Code’ was in place, with the announcer also asking fans to ‘stay calm’. About 20,000 supporters in the Stretford End and the Sir Alex Ferguson stand were evacuated about 20 minutes before kickoff, leading to strange scenes of the ground being half-full.
Manchester United then made the announcement that the game had been delayed by 45 minutes:
As things progressed, club officials met with police advisors and were told to abandon the game, with the remaining two stands being gradually evacuated.
Police sniffer dogs continued to roam around Old Trafford, with security officials conducting further investigations.
United star Ander Herrera revealed the situation for the players, saying “We are still in the dressing room and it seems we'll be the last ones to leave the stadium. It has been very tense and we have all been nervous.”
What happens next:
Club officials have confirmed that the game will be re-scheduled by the Premier League, but it will be complicated given that Manchester United have the FA Cup final on 21st May.
Update: The Premier League has released a statement that says that they will ‘seek to rearrange the fixture as soon as practically possible.’
