Old Trafford Evacuated And Manchester United Game Cancelled As Police Deal With Bomb Hoax

The game was due to kick off at 3pm.

A controlled explosion has been carried out at Old Trafford by bomb disposal experts, Greater Manchester Police said.
The stadium had been evacuated and Manchester United’s last-day Premier League match cancelled after a suspicious package was discovered at the grounds.

A suspicious item which sparked the evacuation “was a training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs”, Greater Manchester Police said.

Bomb disposal experts carried out the explosion on what was described as “incredibly lifelike explosive device”.
Greater Manchester Police said after the evacuation: “Full assessment now concluded and found device wasn’t viable. A full search of the stadium is ongoing.”

Fans on the Stretford End and the Sir Alex Ferguson stand were ordered to leave and players, who were already on the pitch warming up ahead of the 3pm kick off, were sent back down the tunnel after the find.

At around 2.40pm, an announcement was made for security personnel to invoke “operation red code” and it soon became evident fans were leaving the South Stand and Stretford End.

The match against Bournemouth has been abandoned. MUFC said the package was found in the north west quadrant of Old Trafford.

Police walked sniffer dogs through the ground and the army’s Bomb Disposal Unit is at the scene.

It is the first time a match has been abandoned at the ground since 2004, the Manchester Evening News reported.
The club said: “Due to the discovery of a suspect package in the north-west quadrant of the ground, the match has been abandoned for today on police advice.

“People in the stadium are advised to remain in their seats while the forecourt is cleared of fans evacuated from the stadium. Further announcements will be made as soon as possible.”

Fans gathered outside the ground having been ushered out by security and police.

Alex Morton via Getty Images
A sniffer dog at the ground after the evacuation
Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport
Fan outside the ground after the evacuation
One fan had travelled all the way from Sierra Leone to see Manchester United play at their home ground for the first time, according to the vice-chair of the club’s supporters trust.

In a statement, the Premier League said the game would be rearranged for “as soon as practically possible”.
The statement said: “The decision to abandon the match was taken after police advised of the necessity to deal with a suspect package.

“When it comes to security, it is obviously right that Manchester United and the Premier League place the safety of supporters and employees foremost.

“The Premier League will seek to rearrange the fixture as soon as is practically possible and will advise fans accordingly. 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.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/old-trafford-evacuation-manchester-united-bournemouth_uk_57388232e4b01359f68706a1?utm_hp_ref=uk



Oh my, someone's in trouble!!!!

A private company, what a surprise, not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36297390

Heads MUST roll.

Private firm, bet they cost a bomb.lol

Yes, there will be some red faces around I should think. That is incredibly lax, especially given the new threat from NI.

Someone was not doing their business properly. lol

Can you imagine how many millions this has cost? That private firm, which I note is not named, should pay the costs involved in this monumental clusterfuck.

Miffs2 wrote:Can you imagine how many millions this has cost? That private firm, which I note is not named, should pay the costs involved in this monumental clusterfuck.

Miffs, you have shocked me.

They do not have anything to 'go on' yet.

Stormee wrote:

Miffs2 wrote:Can you imagine how many millions this has cost? That private firm, which I note is not named, should pay the costs involved in this monumental clusterfuck.

Miffs, you have shocked me.

They do not have anything to 'go on' yet.

I thought you were unshockable 

It is a handy excuse to blame a 'training exercise'...


Sniffer dogs sniff out things that smell like explosives... not things that LOOK like explosive devices!

'I'm just fixing my roof while I've still got one' jokes security boss following Old Trafford fake bomb blunder

The device - a mobile phone with wires attached to a gas pipe - was accidentally left by a private company following a training exercise

The boss of one of the security firms involved in the fake bomb fiasco at Old Trafford has described it as "a very unfortunate situation".
Police launched a full-scale terror alert after a device - understood to be a mobile phone attached to a pipe with wires coming out of it - was found at Man United's stadium.
Thousands of fans were evacuated shortly before the 3pm kick-off and the game against Bournemouth was eventually called off as the bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion.
Police confirmed last night the item which sparked the scare was found to be a training device left behind by accident.

It is understood Deacons Canines, a specialist sniffer dog team, had been running a training exercise with Security Search Management and Solutions Ltd, a counter-terrorism training firm, on Wednesday.
But one of the dummies was left taped to a toilet and only discovered hours before 75,000 fans were due to watch the final Premier League match of the season.
Security Search is run by a former Met Police counter terror officer Chris Reid.
Speaking to reporters outside his home in Biggin Hill, Kent, today, Mr Reid said: "It is a very unfortunate situation and the consequences obviously were that a lot of people were inconvenienced.
"Fortunately everybody was fine which is the most important thing."
He said he would like to say more about the "security situation" but that he is waiting on Manchester United to contact him.
He added: "But I'm waiting for them to get back to me. I'm just fixing my roof while I've still got one. I can't say anything.
"They said this afternoon, and I'm sure they're having meetings at the moment to see which guillotine they're going to use on me. I have to take responsibility in the end, I won't shirk my responsibility.
"It will come out I'm sure. I don't know what I'm allowed to say, what they want me to say, or anything like this so I don't want to compromise that at all.
"There's a lot I want to say to the fans, but I don't want to do that now. I've actually spoken to a couple of people who were there and they said don't worry about it, everybody was fine.
"I said as long as no one was injured, and I'm really sorry they had to miss their game."
Asked to confirm his job title, Mr Reid said: "I'm the managing director of Security Search Management & Solutions Ltd, which is probably about to go into liquidation."
Deacons Canines have been contacted for comment but have so far failed to respond.
The firm's Facebook page, which was visible on Monday morning, has since been taken down.
Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester's police and crime commissioner said Manchester United must be "up front" with answers about Sunday's "shambolic" security scare.
Lloyd, who is also the mayor of Greater Manchester, said the club's reputation and public safety had come under scrutiny after a security firm accidentally left a fake bomb in stadium toilets.


PA
Security firm director Chris Reid said he was "fixing my roof while I've still got one" at his home today
He said: "I think United have to come up front with all this because in the end it's their reputation, but it's also public safety and both those two really do matter.
"I think United have got to begin to put answers forward and I look forward to hearing what they have to say as soon as possible.
"Fiasco is the right word. It was shambolic. Of course United are a huge organisation. It wasn't the fact they're the world's richest club - that they are - it was the fact that the security had missed something that in the end ought to have been found.
"What's almost impossible to understand is how in placing so many dummies for an exercise, those dummies were not counted in again.
"If that was, as I understand it, on Wednesday, really shouldn't people be searching all the way through till it's found, whether on Wednesday, on Thursday, on Friday - and certainly long before 20 minutes before kick-off of a major game at a time when already tens of thousands of people were in the ground?
"I think it's also astonishing that there isn't a routine sweeping of the ground to find something that seemingly was discovered quite easily once the sweep was taking place 20 minutes before kick-off, but far too late on."
Manchester United have said they will carry out a full investigation as it is estimated they will pick up a £3million bill to host the game tomorrow instead.


PA
Fans leave the stands after a security announcement during the Barclays Premier League match at Old Trafford, Manchester
Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said: "The safety of fans is always our highest priority.
"I'd like to thank the support from the police which was first class and the impeccable response from fans of both teams.
"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.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/im-just-fixing-roof-ive-7979349

Sounds like he's saying that he agrees a fuck up happened and that he can see that he is going to be made to take the blame for it...

Oh good grief!

Do you ever read beyond the dog whistle headline...?

You obviously didn't.

Well, clearly somebody screwed up.....

is it "his" bomb?

if it is...why wasnt it accounted for

he owns the company...and is therefor responsible for the actions of his employees....

he's gonna get the shit......simples......

He said: "I think United have to come up front with all this because in the end it's their reputation, but it's also public safety and both those two really do matter.
"I think United have got to begin to put answers forward and I look forward to hearing what they have to say as soon as possible.
"Fiasco is the right word. It was shambolic. Of course United are a huge organisation. It wasn't the fact they're the world's richest club - that they are - it was the fact that the security had missed something that in the end ought to have been found.
"What's almost impossible to understand is how in placing so many dummies for an exercise, those dummies were not counted in again.
"If that was, as I understand it, on Wednesday, really shouldn't people be searching all the way through till it's found, whether on Wednesday, on Thursday, on Friday - and certainly long before 20 minutes before kick-off of a major game at a time when already tens of thousands of people were in the ground?
"I think it's also astonishing that there isn't a routine sweeping of the ground to find something that seemingly was discovered quite easily once the sweep was taking place 20 minutes before kick-off, but far too late on."




It appears to me that he is saying that it was the MAN UTD SECURITY who were doing the exercise... and it was them who fukked up!!!

They were probably in charge of the placing and finding of the 'devices'... and I would bet that the scapegoat was just responsible for hiring out the said 'devices' but was not involved any further in the proceedings!


He even says ...

"If that was, as I understand it, on Wednesday, really shouldn't people be searching all the way through till it's found, whether on Wednesday, on Thursday, on Friday - and certainly long before 20 minutes before kick-off of a major game at a time when already tens of thousands of people were in the ground?"

Bit different to what he was reported saying before...


I'm not convinced...


I think there is much more to this story...