Kick-off for the final game at Upton Park was delayed by 45 minutes after West Ham hooligans smashed Manchester United’s team bus. Speaking to ITV, the Red Devils’ captain Wayne Rooney said that his team’s bus had been “smashed up” by unruly fans outside of the stadium in East London.
In a statement, West Ham’s co-chairman David Sullivan said:
I’m gravely disappointed. It’s more for our supporters. They have trains and buses. We have a wonderful, wonderful show after the match.
Many fans will not be able to stay for that. Man Utd should have got here at 4pm. They made the same mistake at Spurs. I’d make them kick off at 7.45pm. The police have been kind to them.
Meanwhile, in a separate BBC interview, Sullivan criticized Manchester United for arriving at the stadium so late. He also denied that there had been an attack on the bus saying, “If you check the coach there won’t be any damage to it.” The Guardian reports that in total nine windows on the bus’s driver’s side had been broken by the hooligans. The newspaper also quotes David Sullivan in the same article noting that the co-chairman had said that he would miss Upton Park’s “family atmosphere” most of all.
Manchester United coach Louis Van Gaal told Sky Sports:
What do I have to tell? The images tell everything. I have seen also the police were taping. It is also a lot of emotions for people but for us it is the second time in London we have to start later. It is better than last time because we have received our preparation time.
It is not the first time I have seen that. It is not so nice. The way we have been received is not the proper way of course. That makes all the influence on the players and that is a pity.
The damaged coach. (Getty)
The May 10 game between the two United teams marks the final game at West Ham’s Upton Park stadium. At the beginning of the 2016/17 season the team will move to London’s Olympic stadium. While Manchester United need to win the game to keep the pressure up on Manchester City in the race for fourth place in the English Premier League.