EPL side West Ham "will issue life bans to any fans found responsible for attacking" the ManU team coach before Tuesday's game at Upton Park, according to the BBC. A "window on the bus was smashed and the kick-off delayed by 45 minutes as a result of the trouble." A club statement said, "We are aware that there were some supporters outside the Boleyn Ground who didn't act in an appropriate way." The FA also condemned the "unsavoury incidents." It added, "We will work closely with both clubs and the Metropolitan Police to fully investigate these matters." Bottles were also thrown at ManU goalkeeper David de Gea during the match, "while another fan invaded the pitch to confront the Spaniard." West Ham Vice-Chair Karren Brady used Twitter "to condemn the attack" on ManU's bus. Brady added, "The events in the stadium last night were incredible and it would be a shame if the actions of a mindless few outside overshadowed them" (BBC, 5/11).
SULLIVAN BACKTRACKS: The BBC reported in a separate piece West Ham co-Chair David Sullivan has apologized to ManU after its team bus "was damaged." In an interview after the incident, Sullivan said that there had "been no attack on the coach." But he "backtracked in a message posted on the West Ham website on Wednesday." He said that he had been "unaware of the damage that had occurred" at the time and vowed to "track down" the culprits (BBC, 5/11). In London, Simon Rice reported West Ham fans "ripped seats and hoardings from the Boleyn Ground last night to take home as souvenirs." Images showed a few chairs "had been removed and others had been twisted and broken in failed attempts to steal them." Meanwhile images posted on social media "showed fans bundling a sign several metres long, directing visitors to the Boleyn to the Sir Trevor Booking stand, onto a train after the match" (INDEPENDENT, 5/11).
