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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/15/manchester-united-abandon-final-premier-league-game-after-security-alert-leads-to-old-trafford-evacuation
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| Manchester United abandon final game after suspect package prompts Old Trafford evacuation | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Manchester United’s final Premier League match of the season has been abandoned after a suspect package found at Old Trafford forced the evacuation of the stadium. | Manchester United’s final Premier League match of the season has been abandoned after a suspect package found at Old Trafford forced the evacuation of the stadium. |
| Supporters in the north and west stands were told to leave shortly before the scheduled 3pm kick-off. A short time later, fans in the remaining two stands were also evacuated. | Supporters in the north and west stands were told to leave shortly before the scheduled 3pm kick-off. A short time later, fans in the remaining two stands were also evacuated. |
| Related: Manchester United v Bournemouth abandoned after Old Trafford evacuation – live | Related: Manchester United v Bournemouth abandoned after Old Trafford evacuation – live |
| The game against Bournemouth, which was to be their final outing of the 2015/16 season, was delayed for 45 minutes, before the club announced it had been abandoned. | The game against Bournemouth, which was to be their final outing of the 2015/16 season, was delayed for 45 minutes, before the club announced it had been abandoned. |
| The club described the incident as an “operation code red”, and later confirmed a suspect package had been discovered in the ground. A source said UK anti-terror officials were monitoring the situation. | |
| It was reported that bomb disposal officers arrived on the scene shortly after the evacuation, raising speculation that a controlled explosion would take place. | |
| Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Greater Manchester police, tweeted: “Greater Manchester Police working with Man Utd to make sure everyone is safely evacuated. Gold Commander is gmpolice ACC John O’Hare, he is working with the team and club to resolve safely.” | |
| Security personnel were supervising fans as they left the stadium, with the crowd of thousands told to move a safe distance from the complex. | Security personnel were supervising fans as they left the stadium, with the crowd of thousands told to move a safe distance from the complex. |
| The moment it was announced at Old Trafford that the match had been abandoned pic.twitter.com/tnMsOxFXbR | The moment it was announced at Old Trafford that the match had been abandoned pic.twitter.com/tnMsOxFXbR |
| Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the NW Quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned today on police advice. #mufc | Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the NW Quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned today on police advice. #mufc |
| Those inside OT are asked to remain seated while the forecourt is cleared of fans already evacuated from the stadium. #mufc | Those inside OT are asked to remain seated while the forecourt is cleared of fans already evacuated from the stadium. #mufc |
| Further announcements will be made as soon as possible. #mufc | Further announcements will be made as soon as possible. #mufc |
| Many fans never managed to get into the stadium at all, and diverted instead to the beer garden at the Tollgate pub by Trafford Bar tram stop.Pub landlord Steve Kerr was trying to look on the bright side. “The sun’s shining, everybody is in good spirits. But we’ve not really been happy all season but this puts the final nail in the coffin,” he said. | |
| “It sums up our season, that. Just fizzling out – something and nothing,” said Matt Crew, who had come up for the match from Leek in Staffordshire. | |
| His father, Dave, said there was no trouble. “People were just singing and chanting as usual. You can’t blame the club really. They’re caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. If anything goes wrong they’ll be the ones criticised. Security is the most important thing these days.” | |
| Richard Stockwell, a dentist, had come from Oxford for the match but was sanguine about not seeing any football. “It’s just one of those things. I’d already decided I wasn’t going back in once we had been told to leave the Sir Alex Ferguson stand, before I heard the match was cancelled. | |
| “The security worked really well. I’ve been in similar situations years ago when we’ve had to get out of places quickly and it was a mess. This was very well organised.” | |
| Others outside the pub were speculating over who might have left the suspect package. A consensus emerged as word reached the picnic tables that the club’s biggest rivals were one nil up against Swansea after five minutes of play: “It was definitely a City fan.” |