Manchester United’s abandoned fixture against AFC Bournemouth today was swiftly re-arranged for Tuesday May 17 with an 8pm kick off.
The Premier League issued a statement saying:
“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.
“Both Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth’s management has been extremely helpful in reaching a swift resolution, which is the best possible given today’s events.
“The clubs will make their own announcements regarding ticketing arrangements.”
Greater Manchester police had earlier confirmed that a suspicious item had been found and later confirmed that a “controlled explosion” had been carried out at Old Trafford on an “incredibly lifelike explosive device”, thought to consist of a mobile phone attached to a pipe, that had appeared “lifelike but not viable” in the north west quadrant of the stadium.
There was an orderly evacuation of Old Trafford starting with the Stretford End and Sir Alex Ferguson stand and finally finishing with the East stand and Bobby Charlton stand before a full search of the stadium could begin.
Bomb disposal experts carried out controlled explosion at Old Trafford on what is described as incredibly lifelike explosive device…
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 15, 2016
Reports later began to emerge of a terrible error by an external company brought in to stage a training exercise the previous week at Old Trafford, though.
Manchester City’s draw at Swansea City means that United, currently in sixth position, can’t leapfrog City for fourth place without a 19 goal swing due to goal difference but a point against Bournemouth would guarantee them a fifth place finish above Southampton who finished their campaign level on 63 points with the Reds but ahead on goal difference.
With an FA Cup final this Saturday and two fewer days of rest for Louis Van Gaal’s men, there remains an incentive to resist making wholesale changes to the squad that would face Bournemouth on Tuesday just four days before the FA Cup final.
City’s fourth place finish means that United, in sixth, have earned a place in the third qualifying round of the Europa League on league position with the first leg due to start on July 27 and the second leg a week later on August 4.
United would have to win the FA Cup this Saturday to qualify directly for the group stage whereas a point against Bournemouth would allow them to leapfrog Southampton into fifth to achieve the same result.