Man Utd game rescheduled after bomb scare

Manchester United's abandoned clash with Bournemouth has been rescheduled for Wednesday (AEST) after a bomb scare at Old Trafford.

Manchester United fans leave the ground following a security announcement.

Manchester United fans leave the ground following a security announcement. Source: AAP

Manchester United's final Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth, which was abandoned after the discovery of a suspect device at Old Trafford, will be played on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).

A bomb disposal team carried out a controlled explosion on the package - later described as a training device accidentally left at the ground - after the 75,000-seat stadium was evacuated.

The rescheduled game makes it a busy week for United who play in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace four days later on Saturday.

A statement from the Premier League said: "We would like to thank Manchester United's staff, the police and other emergency services for all their efforts today as well as rearranging the match for this coming Tuesday."

Police had earlier investigated the package and used sniffer dogs to search the area, before calling in an army bomb disposal unit.

"Following today's controlled explosion, 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 explosive search dogs," Assistant Chief Constable John O'Hare of the Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

Manchester United had said in a statement on their website the package had been found in the North West Quadrant, and the match abandoned on police advice.

"We don't make these decisions lightly and we have done this today to ensure the safety of all those attending," assistant chief constable John O'Hare said in a statement.

United, currently in sixth place, cannot qualify for next season's Champions League unless they beat Bournemouth by a margin of 19 goals, but are guaranteed a place in the Europa League.

A draw against Bournemouth would be enough to move them up one place, overhauling Southampton.


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Source: AAP



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