Manchester United’s final Premier League match of the season against Bournemouth has been abandoned after a ‘suspect package’ was found in the north-west quadrant at Old Trafford.
The Stretford End and the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand were evacuated 30 minutes before kick-off and it was initially said to be at least a 45 minute delay before the police and United decided to call the game off.
The club confirmed on Twitter that the game has been called off, saying: “Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the NW Quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned today on police advice.”
A bomb disposal unit arrived after the suspect package was revealed to be a mobile phone was attached to a pipe in one of the toilets inside the ground, and a controlled explosion was carried out to neutralise the device.
Senior police officers say that Old Trafford will now be combed to ensure that there are no further suspicious packages, and the process could take several hours.
United needed to win today to stand any chance of making the Champions League next season, but safety has been the key priority here and the fixture will most likely be played at a later date.
The Reds still have the FA Cup final to play for against Crystal Palace at Wembley next weekend, so any fixture may have to be played during midweek.
Comments.
Loading comments…