A bomb was discovered and has been dispatched by a controlled explosion at a British soccer match.
Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth in the Premier League has been abandoned after a suspect package was found inside Old Trafford stadium.
Greater Manchester police said on its Twitter page Sunday that the match had been abandoned.
Two stands inside Old Trafford — The Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and the Stretford End — were evacuated about 30 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time of 3 p.m. local time (1400 GMT), with United saying “a suspect package was found in the North West Quadrant.”
Fans in other stands initially had been allowed to stay inside the stadium.
Police are asking people to “avoid the area if possible.”
The rest of the Premier League games being played on Sunday, the final day of the season, went ahead as scheduled.
The Brits took the occasion to mock “Jihadi John” and chant expletives:
Video: Manchester United fans singing “Jihadi John we don’t give a f**k, we’re gonna win the FA Cup” #MUFCpic.twitter.com/dZ8PpJnzOa
— Manchester United (@MUFCScoop) May 15, 2016
Seems fair.
Phone attached to piping and wires was found on the 5th floor of Sir Alex Ferguson stand. [@StanCollymore] #MUFC
— Manchester United (@MUFCScoop) May 15, 2016
UPDATE!!!
It turns out the device was made to look like a bomb but wasn’t “viable.”
Old Trafford bomb scare: I understand police will examine whether the hoax may have been a sinister 'test' by terrorists
— John Scheerhout (@johnscheerhout) May 15, 2016
Yup.