Many around the football world have been left astounded by the events at
Old Trafford on Sunday, as Manchester United's match with Bournemouth
was abandoned by what was thought, at the time, as a suspicious
package.Then, with fans evacuated and bomb disposal experts sent to the stadium, it transpired that the device was a dummy, giving rise to the theory that the 'bomb' was a hoax. But in a remarkable twist, it has now emerged that the so-called bomb was a training device left over from safety excercises earlier in the week.
And perhaps even more remarkably, this is not the first time such a scenario has presented itself in English football, with Wolverhampton Wanderers having to evacuate part of their Molineaux stadium in 2014 while police investigated what turned out to be a training device left over in the Steve Bull Stand.
While the match, in Wolves' case, went ahead, with 30,000 fans in attendance to see the club claim the League 1 title against Carlisle, West Midlands Police were forced to issue an apology for panicking fans who found the "imitation explosion device". At the time Chief Inspector Ian Marsh, Silver Commander for the match, said: "An imitation explosive device was found in an executive box at Molineux Stadium on Saturday during the match against Carlisle United. It had been placed there during a training exercise.
"Whilst the device posed no danger to anyone we appreciate it may have caused concern for the supporters who found it and we apologise for any distress it caused.
“We’ve received a complaint and will respond to this in due course.
Sequel to the bomb scare, Manchester United have announced fans who had a ticket for the abandoned Premier League clash with Bournemouth will receive a refund from the club and also gain entry for the rescheduled match free of charge.
However, it has since emerged that the parcel was actually a dummy which had accidentally been left behind by a training company after a security training exercise.
The rearranged date for United's encounter with Bournemouth is Tuesday, 17 May,
with kick-off set for 8:00pm. United season ticket holders, match ticket purchasers and Matchday VIP
buyers, as well as all Bournemouth fans who had a ticket, will be given a
refund, according to the Red Devils' official club website.Any United supporters who would have accessed the stadium with their Season Card or Membership Card will be able to do so again, while those with paper tickets can also use them again.
United also added that replacement paper tickets can be reissued and reprinted to supporters.
Louis van Gaal's men play hosts to Bournemouth knowing their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are all but over following Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Swansea City on Sunday.
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