By John Marshall:
AFC Bournemouth fans have taken the first steps to seeking compensation from Manchester United after their final-day Premier League match was abandoned.
The game was called off amid security concerns after the discovery of a training device used by a private security firm for a training exercise at Old Trafford was discovered in one of the toilets.
The device was mistaken for a real bomb with the stadium then evacuated, forcing the match to be cancelled as bomb disposal experts triggered a controlled explosion to remove it.
The game has been rescheduled for Tuesday and United have promised to refund tickets and allow free entry, but some Bournemouth are still seeking compensation for travel costs.
United are refusing to cover travel expenses to and from the game for the rearranged kick-off, while Bournemouth will provide a free coach to the game on Tuesday, though fans who cannot attend are still out of pocket.
Bournemouth fans’ organisation, the Cherries Trust, say the whole situation is unacceptable.
“It’s not good enough,” Cherries Trust spokesman Alex Deutsch told the Daily Mail.
“We were livid when we found out it was their mistake. Absolutely livid. People were understanding at first because it was a security measure.
“But this was completely mishandled. It’s not just the money – it’s the time, the whole day, the 500-mile round trip, the nine hours in a car, the fear put into the fans.”
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