The Sunday game between Manchester United and Bournemouth was postponed after a bomb scare prompted authorities to evacuate people gathered at the Old Trafford. Manchester United assured fans offered a refund for the interrupted game and also assured seats for those who still wanted to see the game rescheduled Tuesday.
In a report, BBC News said authorities found a fake bomb in one of the toilets in the stadium. The dummy bomb was accidentally left in the area during a security exercise involving bomb-sniffing dogs.
Fake Bomb Left Behind During Earlier Exercise
"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," said Greater Manchester Police assistant chief John O'Hare.
About 75,000 individuals were asked to leave the premises of Old Trafford on Sunday because of the bomb scare. Greater Manchester Mayor Tony Lloyd said they will investigate the incident and tagged what happened as "unacceptable."
"[We want to know] how this happened, why it happened and who will be held accountable," Lloyd told BBC News. He added that it caused a lot of inconvenience for thousands of fans who went to the venue just to watch the game.
Inconvenience to Bournemouth Fans
Daily Mail noted that an estimated 3,000 fans of Bournemouth traveled to Old Trafford just to witness the game. It explained that a round trip to and from the place is about 800 kilometers.
In a statement sent to Mirror, Manchester United said they will issue ticket refunds for Sunday's game. "Entry to the rescheduled match on Tuesday will be free," read the club's statement.
The club also advised the fans to arrive early to avoid long lines. The game's kick-off is scheduled at 2000 BST on Tuesday.
