Jonathan Liew’s analysis:
And here are our main pieces:
That’s it from a momentous day, something unseen in Premier League history, the postponement of the grandest fixture in English football. And the delaying of Manchester City’s title.
Key points
- The Premier League is yet to strike a date for rearrangement
- Greater Manchester Police have say two officers have been wounded
- United statement: “Our fans are passionate about Manchester United, and we completely acknowledge the right to free expression and peaceful protest.
However, we regret the disruption to the team and actions which put other fans, staff, and the police in danger.” - “Liverpool Football Club was in full agreement with the decision to postpone today’s fixture as a result of ongoing events at Old Trafford and the surrounding area.”
A reminder of Roy Keane’s words on Sky Sports, words that must have sent the director’s earpiece into overdrive.
The United fans have had enough and they’re doing it because they love the club It’s not just as a result of what’s happened the last two weeks with the Super League...it’s been building for a number of years. They’ve come to the end and feel enough is enough. It’s a huge statement for the game to be called off. There’s been a build-up in tension, whether it be about ticketing, poor communication, things going on in the background. The leadership of the club has not been good enough. When they look at the owners, they feel it’s just about making money. The United fans have looked at the Glazers and thought enough is enough. They’re doing it because they love the club. Some people won’t agree with it, but sometimes you have to put a marker down for people to take notice. This will go out all over the world and hopefully the owners of Manchester United will sit up and take note. These fans are deadly serious and this is just the start of it from United fans - I can guarantee you.
And that’s fans’ endgame, the exit of the Glazer family. No mistake need to be made there. And judging by the 50+1 banners, there will be no acceptance of a Saudi-style takeover craved by fans of Newcastle last summer.
Steve, a Liverpool fans in Liverpool, says: “If today’s riot had have happened at Millwall/Chelsea or, god forbid...Anfield – the reporting (sic) would have been 180 degrees different. By the way – any news on the Liverpool team? Sky were camped outside the vastly overrated Lowry weeping for their team inside. They never showed the slightest interest in Liverpool FC. Disgusting bias dominating English football, on and off the field, for the last 40 years.”
Point made, Steve. See a couple of posts below on the whereabouts of the Liverpool team.
Geoffrey emails in: “Amazing that better security was not arranged. First fixture since the ESL announcement. Always a tie with the potential for crowd problems. The pubs are now sort of open. The Chelsea demo emerged from nowhere but they were warned by this. Liverpool had more to lose, needing to win just about every game. United will cruise to second and CL qualification. United fans will not have wanted to lose today and see the title awarded to City. I think these issues still weigh on the hooligan element. I suppose if the Glazers can’t afford to paint the stadium, they might not be able to afford security!”
Greater Manchester Police have released a statement, saying two officers have been injured and that they will pursue those responsible for those acts, criminal damage and trespassing.
Officers were aware of a protest planned to take place in Old Trafford today (Sunday 2 May) and were working closely alongside partners to ensure those that attended were kept safe whilst enabling their right to peaceful protest.
Early this afternoon, groups of protestors began to gather at Old Trafford and separately at The Lowry Hotel, Salford where the United players were staying. By late afternoon around 200 protestors had gathered outside the Lowry and over 1,000 at Old Trafford.
Officers continued to closely monitor the situation, engaging with those present but as the groups grew in size; it became clear that many of those present were not intending to exercise their right to peaceful protest. Flares were let off and bottles thrown at officers.
Protestors outside Old Trafford became especially aggressive and antagonistic towards police before a group of about 100 forced entry to the ground with some United staff having to lock themselves in rooms.
Those in the stadium were evicted by officers but outside on the forecourt hostility grew with bottles and barriers being thrown at officers and horses. Two officers have been injured with one officer being attacked with a bottle and sustaining a significant slash wound to his face, requiring emergency hospital treatment.
With the situation increasing in hostility, additional officers had to be deployed and officers had to be drawn in from neighbouring forces to assist Greater Manchester officers.
Following discussion with The Premier League, Trafford Council and the clubs, a joint decision was made to postpone the match for safety reasons.
GMP Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson said: “The behaviour displayed today by those at both Old Trafford and The Lowry Hotel was reckless and dangerous.
“We understand the passion many supporters have for their team and we fully respect the right for peaceful protest. Plans were in place to ensure this could happen safely, but it soon became clear that many present had no intention of doing so peacefully.
“The actions of those today required us to take officers from front line policing and call in support from neighbouring forces to prevent the disorder getting worse. At different points, bottles and barriers were thrown, officers assaulted and people scaled the stadium structure creating risk for themselves and officers
“We have launched an investigation and we will be working closely alongside partners to ensure we establish the full circumstances surrounding today’s events and prosecute those responsible.”
Updated
Footage of Jamie Carragher when the United fans invade the Old Trafford is on heavy rotation on Sky Sports. He looks perturbed to say the least, his eyes running all over the place. And as a Liverpool legend, he was more than likely to somewhat worried.
And the same goes for Liverpool’s team coach, which has now been allowed to leave and is heading back towards the M62.
News from the Lowry Hotel in Salford: the players have finally been allowed to leave. Mission accomplished with the game being called off, it appears the fans staging a blockade outside the hotel have dispersed.
Oliver Dungey emails in: “There’s always a hardcore minority who ruin it for the rest of us. They might have had some valid points but they’ve gone too far and ruined it with their irresponsible actions. I for one hope they are dealt with severely: a so-called ‘legislative bomb’ that will make sure these owners never be able to dismantle the world of football as we all enjoy it today. You can’t let these ruffians get away with it.”
Christoffer Herberts emails in. “The fans are protesting against an owners who for a long time had the largest salary bill in the Premier League, and paid absurd amounts of money for players like Harry Maguire and Paul Pogba. Man Uniteds self-entitled fans are part of the problem, not the solution. To glorify the fact that they today put other people at risk and interrupted the schedule shows that the media need to think about its role as well.”
Those who committed criminal acts may well have to pay the consequences but the sentiment of direct action appears valid. In the current circumstances people are living in, there has been a powerlessness, and this was a taking back of the power no matter how brief that may prove. That’s the situation that gave rise to the events of today. It might be said that launching the Super League during Covid lockdowns was premeditated, but it appears the owners and authorities did not anticipate how hard fans would kick back.
The hope, of course, is that nobody was hurt too seriously. The Premier League show will go on though perhaps a little more cautiously.
Updated
One thing to say is that this happened when a social media boycott is taking place, with still only a few journalists and media breaking the embargo that runs until midnight tomorrow. Without such noises off, there was a certain purity to the events, with some of those responsible getting their message out there via Twitter and little dissent against them. Though there was always Graeme Souness. Micah Richards also sat on the fence, though Sky’s broadcast included plenty of supportive words for the protestors from Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane. Some afternoon’s work for David Jones as anchorman.
Good evening. What else can be said other than that Manchester United and attendant authorities cannot say they were not warned? The Super League idea triggered forces the owners thought they had no reason to answer to. They thought wrong, though such the game’s authorities are almost certain to kick back against what happened.
We’ve hit one million page views, which is faintly absurd but kind of uplifting. I think. My eyes are starting to go, so I’m going to hand over to John Brewin to continue this blog - you can email him at john.brewin.casual@theguardian.com. Thanks for your company and emails on another surreal day in a hella surreal season. Night.
It’s also been a good day for the Old Trafford Retirement Community
If you want to follow some actual football, Simon Burnton is your man.
“900,000+ views!” says Nigel Moore. “Shows you it’s not really football that draws in the crowd!”
I’m humbled that somebody has finally recognised the magnetism of my digital persona.
“The madness of the security breach before Manchester United v LFC tainted the art of peaceful protest, and achieved absolutely nothing,” says Nichole Graham. “As a former football steward (for Queens Park Rangers) I was worried about the staff stuck in the middle of that.”
It’s interesting that there is no consensus, which is slightly unusual in an age of groupthink. The emails we’ve received, hundreds of them now, are probably about 60/40 in favour of the protest. But even within that there are differences on each side – some condone everything, others qualify it by condemning the danger to stewards, some just want to laugh at videos of scallies wandering round Old Trafford swigging cans of Red Stripe. Even the Sky Sports team covered the full range of responses.
Page views update: 959,111. I think the highest is 2.5m, or something like that, for Croatia v England in 2018. But this must be a record for a game that didn’t happen.
It’s pretty odd that United were so unprepared for a protest that has been flagged for weeks. I should stress this isn’t a conspiracy theory; I’m very confident it was just complacency and incompetence. Still odd though.
“As the teams were officially announced an hour or so before the scheduled kick off, it should now be mandatory for the fixture to be fulfilled today in a local recreation area or any kind of open space that can be bagged at short notice,” says Derek Walmsley. “As anyone who has double booked a five-a-side pitch at their local sports centre will know, things can get nasty if you have to tell a keyed-up bunch of lads to change out of their kit and make their way back home.
“Therefore, they should use their local knowledge to find somewhere to play a scratch game, with a quick safety inspection to ensure that astroturf boots will work alright on asphalt/concrete/wasteland.”
“Has anyone given any thought,” begins Neil Iversen, “as to how this postponement will affect fantasy football leagues and teams across the country?”
Trust me, with Fernandes and Salah in my team and a fairly slender lead to protect in the Smyth family league, I’ve thought about little else since the original excitement wore off.
We normally get around 100,000 page views for a football liveblog. This one is on 935,400.
These are each team’s remaining fixtures
Man Utd Roma (6 May), Villa (9 May), Leicester (12 May), Fulham (19 May), Wolves (23 May), probable Europa League final (26 May)
Liverpool Southampton (8 May), West Brom (16 May), Burnley (19 May), Crystal Palace (23 May).
Someone (I can’t find the email, sorry whoever you are) wrote in to suggest that, if the game isn’t played tomorrow, the Premier League could move either Man Utd v Leicester or West Brom v Liverpool to create a window for this match.
The fallout from this is going to be fascinating. Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville are still passionately defending the protests, whereas the presenter Dave Jones keeps highlighting the bits that “went too far”. A hell of a lot is being left unsaid on both sides.
There are plenty of rumours being discussed on Sky. Graeme Souness is speculating that something else has happened that we don’t know about; Roy Keane says he has heard stories of cars being turned over outside the Lowry.
Souness has now said a flare and beercan were thrown at the Sky gantry. “We’re all skirting round it - let’s be honest, someone threw a flare up to this stage today. If that hit one of us we’d be lying in a hospital bed, permanently scarred. That ain’t a laughing matter.”
The discussions on Sky is really interesting, not least because Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have been encouraged on a number of occasions to criticise the protest, and they haven’t.
“Neville and Keane v Souness and Carra for a game of Wembley Doubles,” says Richard Preston. “Winner gets the points for their team.”
And here’s the Premier League statement
“Following the security breach at Old Trafford, the Manchester United vs. Liverpool game has been postponed. This is a collective decision from the police, both clubs, the Premier League and local authorities.
“The security and safety of everyone at Old Trafford remains of paramount importance. We understand and respect the strength of feeling but condemn all acts of violence, criminal damage and trespass, especially given the associated COVID-19 breaches. Fans have many channels by which to make their views known, but the actions of a minority seen today have no justification.
“We sympathise with the police and stewards who had to deal with a dangerous situation that should have no place in football. The rearrangement of the fixture will be communicated in due course.”
Manchester United’s official statement
“Following discussion between the Police, the Premier League, Trafford Council and the clubs, our match against Liverpool has been postponed due to safety and security considerations around the protest today. Discussions will now take place with the Premier League on a revised date for the fixture.
“Our fans are passionate about Manchester United, and we completely acknowledge the right to free expression and peaceful protest. However, we regret the disruption to the team and actions which put other fans, staff, and the police in danger. We thank the police for their support and will assist them in any subsequent investigations.”
MAN UTD v LIVERPOOL HAS BEEN POSTPONED
No word yet on when it will be played.
Updated
The Premier League, police and the two clubs are meeting now to decide when the game should go ahead.
“The uncertainty surrounding the adjusted kickoff time is wreaking havoc with my beer and chips planning,” hics Paul Pooley.
Thanks Will, hello again.
Rob Smyth is back, which is great news for all of you.
Updated
The fans also took a ball onto the pitch, so they at least got to live out a lifelong dream of playing on the hallowed turf.
The Glazers do not seem too keen on selling the club, so this process might be dragged out for a while. They might give this concept a bit of a shrug.
Mark Ogden on 5Live says he was told it would take 90 minutes to clean the ‘red zone’ within Old Trafford. This could take a while.
There was a heavy police presence at Old Trafford earlier.
It’s already the top story on 5Live news. One of the most recent callers believes writing a letter to the Glazers would have been a better idea.
The turf is deserted at Old Trafford and the warm up nets are on the pitch. However, there is no news of whether the match will go ahead today (or any other day).
Some individuals did get into the players’ tunnel at Old Trafford so the Premier League’s Covid compliance officer will have to be content that the requisite areas have been disinfected and are safe for the match to take place today.
Updated
I’m going to take a quick break, before I have an accident at my desk. Will Unwin will keep you updated for the next 20 minutes or so, cheers.
“I have to say I was disgusted at Graeme Souness’s ill-informed pro-Glazer stance on Sky,” says Steve in Cork. “He said they improved the stadium. They haven’t. The last improvements were made after the Glazers took over but were planned and approved before that. Since then the stadium has been falling apart. When you see it up close it’s rotten and disgusting.
“As for players, the Glazers haven’t put any of their own money in. They haven’t invested anything. The club has bought and sold players based on money it’s earned but when you look at when United have actually spent big money since Ferguson left, it’s only happened when United were outside the Champions League places. The Glazers are happy to sanction some spending to maintain Champions League football and keep the money rolling in but that’s it. It’s all about the illusion of success for the Glazers. They’re happy to do the bare minimum while they bleed the club dry.”
Yes that was a bit weird – even the Glazers, who haven’t bothered to hide their bloodsucking intent, would probably pull him up on his comments. On the plus side, he didn’t blame Paul Pogba.
“I was looking forward to a decent game of football this afternoon,” says Pádraig McAuliffe. “However, I’m delighted to see the protests. In modern society, politics is broken and attention spans are short. Things like #MeToo, Windrush, #OscarsSoWhite etc show that change only comes with persistent protest. Football isn’t as important as these things, but it needs reform. Each and every reminder of this is welcome. Measured, rolling protest is the only way forward - a reckoning must be forced.
Our Gary has suggested the game could be played tomorrow afternoon, and points out there are issues around nutrition and preparation if the kick-off is delayed. Roy Keane says, if it was him, he’d rather play. If it was him.
There has just been an announcement at Old Trafford that the stadium is now secure. Still no kick-off time though.
Apparently the match ball and one of the corner flags are on a tour of central Manchester. It’s lovely that, even amid such a furious protest, somebody has found time to pay homage to the travelling gnome from Amelie.
Thanks again for your emails. I’m trying and failing to keep up with them all. I’ve received about five times as many today as I would during a normal game. I’m not sure what the moral of this particularly story is.
If the ground has been cleared, as Sky are suggesting, there are three potential barriers to the match being played:
1. Getting the teams out of their hotels
2. A possible breach of the Covid bubble
3. Line of Duty’s on at 9.
“Regarding the decision to go ahead or not, Rob,” says Ian Copestake, “do you think this will involve VAR?”
Look, I can see the funny side of most things, but you’ve crossed a line there. A badly drawn line at that.
There are some exceedingly arresting photos in this
Updated
In the interest of balance department
“Emails are dominated by the XXX supporters who don’t care about the large numbers of football lovers who don’t give a damn about ‘cold nights in Swansea’,” says Jazi Zilber. “I just spoke with a friend. For him internationals and any game before the CL semis aren’t worth watching. The closed club was wrong. But a Super League with most games being watchable, competitive and with players whose names you know is a brilliant concept!”
It’s worth repeating that NBC are saying there has been a breach of the Covid bubble (4.10pm). If true, it means the game has to be postponed. Technically. I’ve a feeling we haven’t heard the last of this, because the Premier League are reportedly denying that any supporters went into the dressing-rooms.
Peep peep! The game should have been kicking off right now. It may still be played, as the police have managed to clear the forecourt at Old Trafford. But the teams are still at their team hotels.
“It seems any protest these days is a dirty protest,” says Ian Copestake. “While I am sad to be spared seeing us beat Utd only to lose the next three games, I support the right of middle fingers to be raised to the man.”
<Hastings> Or woman <Hastings>
Whatever the strength of feeling about the Glazers - or, indeed, anything - breaking into a venue, going onto property when not allowed is illegal and completely counter-productive to the very sentiment behind the protest. And, the bottom line, is this will have repercussions...
Gary Neville is off on another spectacular one about the European Super League. This-is a million times better than the match would have been.
“I think it would be the right thing to do for the Glazers to sell. Whether they will is another matter. I’ve seen the 50+1 protests - I don’t think that’s implementable in English football, as great as it potentially would be. What I do think is achievable in English football at this time if that every fan in this country - whether it’s an EFL club or a National League club that’s struggling abnd dying like you wouldn’t believe, whether it’s grassroots facilities in the community and you can’t afford to keep your pitches in a good state, whether you’re the 14 Premier League clubs outside the top six - you really know that you’re in danger from those six.
“So what’s achievable? There’s a fan-led review that’s been announced in the last week by the government, and there is independent regulation that could be achievable if fans mobilise together. We need to make sure there are protections put in place against these six owners. They are a danger to English football and to one of the greatest assests England has. Big Picture, they put a proposal forward and it was kicked back. Then they said they’d signed up to the European Super League, which took it a stage further. The next time, you won’t get asked. They’ll just leave. They’re not going away.”
The stadium has been put into another lockdown, a steward has just told the media outside Old Trafford.
Updated
Official Premier League update
“After the security breach at Old Trafford we can confirm the Manchester United v Liverpool match will not kick-off at 16:30 BST.
The safety of everyone at Old Trafford is paramount.
At present there is no revised kick-off time. We will update accordingly.”
Thanks for all your emails, which I’m doing my best to sift through. It’s really interesting that, after the initial, instinctive condemnation, there is more and more support for the protests. Gary Neville is off on one again about the Glazers and Florentino Perez.
Roy Keane’s verdict
“I have sympathy with the fans, 100 per cent. It’s a tipping point for them. It was peaceful. One or two bottles were thrown and a couple of flares - I think that was towards Jamie to be fair - but they’ve had enough. Enough’s enough. United have some of the best fans in the world and we’ve seen today that they’ve come to the end with the ownership.”
Possible Covid breach
This is interesting from Chris Metzler.
“You’ve mentioned that the Premier League is saying the dressing rooms at Old Trafford have remained secure; and Sky is saying similar things. But NBC, who have Arlo White and Lee Dixon at the stadium, are sticking to their guns - they’ve been reporting for over a half hour that they have sources that have told them at least one fan went into one of the dressing rooms, and just explicitly contradicted the Sky report.”
Updated
And here’s Jamie Carragher
“It’s been a peaceful protest in the stadium, I’m not sure about outside. They’re very unhappy at how they’ve been treated, and how the Glazers have taken money out of the club. It’s heightened by what’s happening with the Super League. Yes, we want to see a game of football, and we don’t want any trouble, but I can’t stand here and have a go at Manchester United supporters. My own supporters at Liverpool were doing things 10 or 15 years ago to get Hicks and Gillett out of the club. Whether it will happen with the Glazers, who knows, but as long as it’s peaceful I won’t have a go at any Man Utd fans.”
Gary Neville is choosing his words very carefully on Sky Sports
“This is the consequence of the owners of Manchester United’s actions two weeks ago. There’s a general distrust and dislike of the owners, but people weren’t protesting before this happened. Generally, the Glazer family along with a number of other owners of football clubs in this country were conniving and scheming behind everyone’s back to walk away with the crown jewels. Today we’ve seen people protest at that.”
Sky Sports are saying the protest have been “largely peaceful”. There are various videos doing the rounds, including one of a civilian scoring at the Stretford End with an inelegant free-kick. It’s interesting that the majority of emails so far, about three in every five I’d say, have been in favour of the protest.
Updated
“I’m hoping for some Adrian Chiles/Roy Keane-style chit chat on the Man U blog,” writes my colleague John Windmill. “Exactly when does heavy rain become a downpour??”
When Roy Keane says so?
“I understand the fans’ anger, their desire to rid themselves of the cynical corporate influence of their game,” says Mary Waltz. “But unless they plan to carry on this form of protest every week through the rest of this season into the next year it will not change a thing. The Glazers, Kroenkes and Fenway Group owners are pricks of misery who do not care one whit about the public, their opinions.
“They are not used to anyone telling them what to do. They will not sell their teams on the cheap. They will issue anodyne comments, claim that they are sorry for the Super :eague, that they have heard and understand their fans’ complaints, but behind closed doors they will be saying ‘Who do these lowlifes think they are, no one tells me what to do.’”
The referee Michael Oliver is in the ground now, looking at a Sky camera with a quizzical expression and moving his thumb up and down. The teams are still at their respective hotels. My instinct is that there is approximately 0.00 per cent chance of the game being played today.
Newcastle 0-2 Arsenal is the final score in the first Premier League game of the day, which finished a couple of minutes ago.
Here’s more from Jamie Jackson on events in M16
“Hi Rob,” says George Wright. “Please spare a thoughts for the social media commentators unable to share their Very Important Opinions on events at Old Trafford during this weekend’s boycotts. And spare a thought for the rest of us when the floodgates open post-boycott...”
It’s killing me. I’ve got a tweet drafted and everything.
Updated
“Can we have a bit of balance?” says Simon Bradley. “As a United fan, I support fans taking their protest inside the stadium. Protest is meant to be disruptive. We’ve put up with 16 years of dreadful capitalist owners sucking the life out our club. Their decision to stick two fingers up to the fans, and indeed the rest of football, by joining the Super League is the final straw for many. I don’t care if the game is postponed, or even if we have to forfeit. It’s a small price to pay for trying to save our club.”
“While I’m inclined to agree with Karine Flores,” says Zach Neeley, “in theory, in reality its the wrong way that usually gets the attention of the powers that be.”
Agreed. Whatever the rights and wrongs, this has been a phenomenally effective protest.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Stephen Carr. “Could we use the delay to have a full and frank discussion about VAR? It feels overdue to be honest.”
I’ve just had a chilling thought. If the kick-off is heavily delayed, the match could overlap with Line of Duty. I’m clocking off at 8.59pm, even if it’s 4-4 with 20 minutes remaining.
Updated
“There’s a way to do things,” says Karine Flores, “and storming into Old Trafford and putting the game in jeopardy isn’t the right way!!”
What I really want to know is: where is Michael Oliver? What’s a referee supposed to do in a situation like this?
The Premier League have confirmed the kick-off will be delayed. They haven’t said when, or if, the match will begin.
“Surely if the match is postponed United will simply have to forfeit the game,” says Declan O’Brien. “It’s a complete failure on their behalf to ensure the safety of all those involved. If they do postpone it, it could come after fans are allowed into the stadiums again, thus gaining them an advantage, inconveniencing the opposition and greatly increasing the chances of further fan unrest.”
I hadn’t thought about that. It might end up in the courts, especially if Liverpool qualify for the Champions League ahead of, say, Chelsea.
“The media are currently being kept at a distance at the back of the Stretford End while searches continue inside Old Trafford for fans who entered the stadium. No word yet on when, or if, media will be allowed entry. Arrival to the ground was very straightforward and strict security-wise, which raises the question of how so many people were able to get inside the stadium from the opposite corner of Old Trafford.
“There was a small crowd of anti-Glazer protesters at the gates on John Gilbert Way. The gates were locked and opened only for those of us in cars with passes for the game, which were checked at three different security points before you were able to park up. A helicopter is hovering above Old Trafford and, right on cue, the heavens have opened.”
Updated
“As an American, I’m very impressed by this show of fan intensity, I simply can’t imagine Cowboys fans taking over the stadium before a game because they’re sick of Jerry Jones. I’m curious if it reads any differently there, more complicated because of the history of fan violence that Britain has worked so hard to reduce.”
I’d imagine there are thousands of desperately frustrated people who would like to signal their disapproval via social media.
TEAM NEWS!!!
This is a bit weird: they’ve announced the teams an hour before the scheduled kick-off.
Oh, you want to actually know what they are? Fair enough.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Rashford.
Subs: de Gea, Bailly, Telles, Williams, Tuanzebe, Mata, Matic, van de Beek, Cavani.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Phillips, Kabak, Robertson; Thiago, Fabinho, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Adrian, Tsimikas, R Williams, Wijnaldum, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jota, Jones, Shaqiri.
There are unconfirmed reports of utter bloody chaos. I’d say there’s no chance of this game going ahead.
Updated
“Given the level of entertainment from recent United/Liverpool games,” says David Wall, “would it be more of an anti-climax if the game went ahead or if it gets called off?”
Heh, very good. If it’s postponed, which looks increasingly inevitable, I wonder when they’ll play it. The only window, as far as I can see, is FA Cup final day.
Sky are reporting that the referee Michael Oliver has been turned away from the stadium. I think it’s fair to assume this game won’t be kicking off at 4.30pm.
Updated
Whether the game goes ahead or not - and the Premier League are confident it will - there are serious questions to be asked regarding security, with the club and Greater Manchester Police hardly appearing to be on top of a situation they should have pre-empted. It should also be noted that last week United’s Carrington training base was also breached by a group of individuals.
The Premier League remained hopeful that the match would start on time with police having secured the area of the pitch, as they continued to work on making the outside safe for the teams to arrive. But the press have now just been asked to leave.
The Premier League are still saying the game will go ahead at 4.30pm. They say there has been no breach of Covid regulations because nobody has been in the dressing-rooms.
Some people are on the pitch, etc
Sky Sports are saying that the teams will not leave their hotels until “they are happy that the stadium and its perimeter are secure”. There’s no chance this match is happening, is there.
Preamble
I suppose that’s one way to stop City winning the league today. Manchester United v Liverpool, which is scheduled to kick off at 4.30pm, is in doubt after a spectacular anti-Glazer protest at Old Trafford and in the city centre. The Man Utd players are still stuck in the Lowry Hotel, and hundreds of fans managed to get on the Old Trafford pitch. We’ll have more news as it happens. In the meantime, here’s Jamie Jackson’s news story.
Updated
