Fan frenzy halts United training in China
Manchester United were forced to call a brief halt to training at the Guangzhou Olympic Stadium today as a fan frenzy got slightly out of hand.With some security personnel abandoning their duties in an effort to secure the autograph of United stars as they made their way onto the pitch, fans, who required a ticket to gain admittance to the 80,000-capacity arena, flooded out of the stands and onto the perimeter running track.
Although no-one ventured onto the pitch, some United officials were jostled and when it became clear order could not be restored immediately, the Red Devils left the playing arena.
After announcing Sir Alex Ferguson and his team would not return until all supporters were back in their seats, the fans duly complied with the request, allowing United to complete the session as planned.
"We are grateful to the stadium officials for the efforts they made in returning the fans to their seats," said United spokesman Phil Townsend.
"It would have been very disappointing for all concerned if the team had not been able to complete their training session."