BOMB BLUNDER
Dummy device was left at Old Trafford by mistake
Manchester United had to abandon yesterday’s Premier League clash with Bournemouth because a dummy device was left in the stadium by mistake after a training exercise, Sportsmail has learned.
Old trafford was evacuated after a mobile phone was found strapped to piping. the match, which was being broadcast on sky sports, was postponed before a bomb disposal unit carried out a controlled explosion.
the results of the explosion showed the device was actually a mock-up, described by police as ‘incredibly lifelike’.
in what appears to be a staggering blunder, the ‘bomb’ was left at
the stadium in error by an external training company in the days leading up to the game. A training exercise was held at the venue and the device, designed to look authentic, was not returned at its conclusion.
The match will be played tomorrow night, with an 8pm kick-off.
One security official, who saw the device, said: ‘It certainly did not look like something you would want to mess with.’
The Premier League felt abandoning the fixture had been the right course of action after discussions with both clubs and the police. ‘When it comes to matters of security, it is right that Manchester United and the Premier League place the safety of supporters and employees foremost,’ the League said in a statement.
‘It is always the last resort to abandon one of our fixtures and while we apologise for the inconvenience caused to fans we are sure, in the circumstances, they will appreciate the need to do so.’
United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: ‘The safety of fans is always our highest priority. The club takes security very seriously and staff are regularly trained with the police and emergency services to identify and deal with these incidents.
‘We will investigate the incident to inform future actions and decisions.’
Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable John O’Hare said: ‘We have since found out that the item was a training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving search dogs.
‘While this item did not turn out to be a viable explosive, on appearance this device was as real as could be, and the decision to evacuate the stadium was the right thing to do, until we could be sure that people were not at risk.’
Greater Manchester’s Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd last night demanded a full investigation. He said: ‘It is outrageous. A full inquiry is required to find out how this happened, why it happened and who will be held accountable.
‘This fiasco caused an inconvenience to supporters who had come from far and wide, wasted the time of huge numbers of police officers and the army’s bomb squad, and unnecessarily put people in danger, as evacuating tens of thousands of people from a football stadium is not without risk. It is unacceptable.’
An expected crowd of 76,000 were settling into their seats when a steward spotted the device and raised the alarm. After a police officer trained in recognising suspect packages inspected the find and decided it looked viable, the bomb disposal unit was called.
Players were kept inside the stadium while fans dispersed as the device, on the opposite side of the ground from the dressing rooms, was not thought to be big enough to threaten their safety.
Police had told fans to stay away as detectives and sniffer dogs flooded the stadium to carry out their investigations and a warning was broadcast to those inside 30 minutes before kick-off. Stewards ushered around 20,000 from the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and the Stretford End when the warning was announced.
At about 3.20pm, the remaining fans began to filter out of the ground. The controlled explosion was carried out at around 4.45pm.
Bournemouth flew south following the abandonment. Manager Eddie Howe said: ‘The players were doing their warm-up as normal and everything was good. Then, they came in early and we were a little unsure what was happening at that time.
‘Word got back to us that there had been a suspect package spotted. Very quickly it became apparent the game was not going to take place. We decided to come back to Bournemouth because there was no sign of the game being played the next day.’
With tension high, extra measures were introduced. Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness claimed he and coanalyst Thierry Henry were searched amid heightened security ahead of the evacuation. He said: ‘For the first time today we were patted down. I can’t remember that here. Unless they were given a tip-off.’
As supporters left the stadium, there was inevitably disappointment that the game did not go ahead.
Sam Stride, a United supporter, said: ‘This is the first time I have been to Old Trafford to see a game. My mate and I have known each other for 63 years and we travelled up together. It’s disappointing.’
Billy Ifrose, from Cardiff, said: ‘I came on a coach from Wales. It is the first time I have been to see United live. I am a bit sad.’
A United fan from Sierra Leone, whose dream trip to Old Trafford was ruined, will have an extended stay funded by supporters.
The man, known as ‘Moses’, who works in security in the west African country, had been invited by friends at the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, who have offered to pay for a later return flight home and to give him a ticket for Saturday’s FA Cup Final.
Ian Stirling, vice-chair of MUST, said: ‘A friend of mine worked with Moses in Sierra Leone and he said he should come over for a game. The poor lad was distraught.
‘We’ve agreed to rearrange his flight and sort him out with a ticket for the FA Cup Final. A couple of friends will put him up as well. He’s still distraught at not getting into Old Trafford — that was his dream.’