Fans hide out in bathroom for chance to see Manchester United play Arsenal
What would you do to see your favorite team play a big rivalry game?
For USC and UCLA supporters, that meant staying out late for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and braving Rose Bowl traffic before and after the game. Fans of No. 3 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State are left to ponder to what ends financially they will go to be in the Horseshoe this Saturday for the biggest matchup in the rivalry’s recent history. Tickets are currently ranging from $250 to $5,000 on the secondary ticket market.
But what if you could find a way to sneak into the stadium without paying for a game ticket? That’s what a pair of futbol-mad English fanatics tried to do over the weekend.
Two fans took an official stadium tour of Manchester United’s historic Old Trafford on Friday — the day before United hosted rival Arsenal. Instead of leaving with the rest of their tour group, they sneaked away and hid, finding a home for the night in a bathroom.
The duo remained undetected until morning. They were found during a routine security sweep before the afternoon kickoff and ejected from the grounds.
“We realize people will go to any lengths to watch a game at Old Trafford,” United said, “but these people went too far.”
Manchester police chose not to arrest the fans and the United club did not press charges. United said both fans had been searched and had their belongings put through a metal detector before the tour, so it was “confident there was no risk to safety.” A Premier League match at Old Trafford was canceled last season after a device was discovered in a bathroom prior to a match that proved to be a fake bomb. It had been accidentally left behind after a training exercise for bomb-sniffing dogs earlier in the week.
The two fans missed being in attendance for an exciting 1-1 draw. Juan Mata bent a free kick just wide in the fifth minute, but gave United the lead with a 68th minute score on a brilliant pass from Ander Herrera. Arsenal substitute Olivier Giroud headed home a cross from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for an 89th minute equalizer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Twitter: @ShotgunSpr
