Rochdale’s stadium was open again as normal on Thursday morning after it had been evacuated following the discovery of a “suspicious package”.
The club announced shortly before 5pm on Wednesday that the Crown Oil Arena had been shut “due to a police incident” but that all staff had been “safely evacuated”.
Greater Manchester Police later confirmed they had been called to “a report of a suspect package” which was being assessed, with some nearby residents evacuated as a precaution.
Further to yesterday's police incident, we can confirm that the #CrownOilArena will be open as normal from 9am this morning.#RAFCpic.twitter.com/htj6L8QDqN— Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) October 3, 2019
A bomb disposal lorry was then pictured arriving at the ground, with the images appearing on the website of the Manchester Evening News.
It was reported bomb disposal officers carried out a controlled explosion, with the device found not to be viable and evacuated residents were able to return later in the evening. GMP have been contacted by the PA news agency for an update.
On Thursday, the Sky Bet League One club released a short statement to report no more issues had arisen.
“Further to yesterday’s police incident, we can confirm that the Crown Oil Arena will be open as normal from 9am on Thursday morning,” the statement read.
Rochdale are set to play away at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.
