Old Trafford barricaded to prevent more Man U fan unrest

By: Rob Harris, The Associated Press Posted: 1:16 PM CDT Tuesday, May. 11, 2021

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Old Trafford was barricaded Tuesday to prevent a repeat of the fan unrest that saw Manchester United’s previous home game called off, while earlier the police arrested a man for allegedly attacking an officer during that storming of the stadium.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/05/2021 (1966 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Metal fences blocked entrances for the Premier League game against Leicester while the stadium was ringed by officers, dogs and horses.

But only a couple of protesters against the owners — the Glazer family — were seen outside compared to more than 1,000 fans who swarmed the area on May 2 for the Liverpool game that had to be postponed when some fans got into the stadium and police were attacked.

Police are deployed in force outside the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, May 11, 2021 ahead of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Leicester City. This is the first Manchester United home match since fans protested against American owner Joel Glazer, forcing the postponement of the team's Premier League game against Liverpool. The protests prompted Glazer to publish a letter in which he pledged to accelerate discussions with fans about supporters being able to have a greater say at the club. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

A 25-year-old man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of wounding, violent disorder and burglary after breaching the stadium where an officer suffered a broken eye socket, broken nose and a slash to the face when an object was thrown.

“Although we currently have one male in custody we are continuing to appeal to the public with information or video footage from the day to make contact with police,” Superintendent Caroline Hemingway said.

Long-running anger against the American owners that began with a 2005 leveraged takeover that loaded debt onto the club reignited when United joined the European Super League, which collapsed within 48 hours under widespread condemnation last month.

United was among six Premier League clubs that tried to join the largely closed competition with three clubs each from Spain and Italy.