Manchester United fans who got inside the Munich Tunnel and forced open an access door were responsible for letting in more than a hundred fellow protesters during Sunday’s demonstration at Old Trafford, it has been revealed.
There have been concerns that the door was opened by a member of staff after protesters who got into the stadium and onto the pitch told Sportsmail that it was opened from within.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust also raised the issue in a statement on Sunday, saying: ‘Whilst the invasion of the stadium isn't something we expected – and it is rumoured a gate was opened for fans – even if that is not the case we believe the vast majority of Manchester United staff are sympathetic with the views of the fans.’
However, it has now emerged that a number of fans were able to climb over the steel gates guarding the Munich Tunnel.
Some confronted stewards in front of the directors’ entrance but others forced open a separate access door and then doubled back to let in more protesters gathered outside.
More than a hundred flooded into Old Trafford and accessed the pitch, either through the disabled section or by sliding down the tarpaulin sheets covering the empty seats.
They took the match balls and corner flags that had been set out for the Premier League game against Liverpool, threw a flare at the Sky Sports gantry – where pundits Roy Keane, Graeme Souness, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards were on air – and wrecked a TV camera by the side of the pitch.
Staff inside the ground were told to take refuge in offices with locked doors for their own safety until the pitch was cleared.
A second break-in occurred shortly afterwards when fans kicked in a glass entrance to the disabled lift access and got back on the pitch.
The game was eventually called off following the breach of security and clashes outside Old Trafford which left two policemen injured.
