Arsenal fan criticised for offensive tweet about Sikhs after Man United bomb alert

Nooruddean Choudry

Sunday was an incredibly tense day at Old Trafford.

A matchday that started with Manchester United fans hoping that their result against Bournemouth at home and Manchester City’s game with Swansea City at Liberty Stadium would somehow allow them Champions League football next season, ended up watching no football at all.

That’s because a suspect package – that turned out to be a very realistic hoax – was discovered at Old Trafford and the ground was quickly evacuated, before the fixture itself was cancelled. Although disappointed, everyone seemed to appreciate the precautions that were implemented.

But what many didn’t appreciate was a joke on Twitter from an Arsenal supporter, who shared his attempt at wit just minutes after the news of an evacuation was announced. With everyone still nervous and uncertain as whether the bomb alert was in fact legitimate, he tweeted thus:

‘Bomb threat at Old Trafford, I know where my investigation would start’

The tweet was accompanied by an image of a group of Manchester United fans of South Asian ethnicity, all wearing turbans that signify the Sikh faith. The suggestion – by Twitter user @arsenal_craig – seemed to be that their appearance marked them out as potential terrorists.

The group happen to be a well-known fixture at Old Trafford, with their seats close-by the managers’ dugouts meaning they are often seen on TV during televised games. Many fans didn’t take very kindly to the tweet and replied with anger and disappointment at the post.

with a bunch of Sikhs? Ignorant moron.

— NKIK (@Nickmarshall6) May 15, 2016

I'm an #Arsenal fan but everyone knows they're loyal #ManUtd fans and have been attending for years. Not funny and ignorant.

— Ryan Colaço (Ryan C™) (@Ryan_Colaco) May 15, 2016