An electrical fire broke out at ManU's stadium, resulting in smoke "being seen over Old Trafford." The fire was reported in the "lift motor room" in the Sir Bobby Charlton stand at about 7am local time.
Firefighters were at the scene for about 90 minutes. ManU said that there was "minimal damage and no injuries" (
BBC, 1/30).
After "nearly three years in exile" because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk has completed a deal to move into the 40,000-capacity Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv for its games in '17. The stadium was a venue for Euro 2012 and was "formerly home to club side Metalist Kharkiv before its financial collapse last year." Shakhtar has played on occasion since then in Kharkiv, which is 150 miles from Donetsk. The team said that the response from fans "persuaded it to sign a longer deal" (London DAILY MAIL, 1/30).
W-League side Canberra United is disappointed it has been "forced away from their home fortress," but it is calling on Canberrans to get behind the club in its bid to claim its third championship "regardless." The Central Coast Mariners "have jumped on board that bid, cancelling their training session" at Canberra Stadium to ensure Canberra United gets a run before its "big game." Both Canberra United and the Mariners will play a W-League-A-League doubleheader on Sunday. Canberra United told Football Federation Australia its preference was to "play the game at McKellar Park on Saturday," but Fox Sports pushed for the doubleheader to reduce the costs of covering both games (THE AGE, 1/30).
