Final match at Upton Park delayed for 45 minutes amid 'chaotic' and 'unsafe' scenes outside the ground

Louis van Gaal said that his Manchester United players lacked the experience to cope with West Ham United supporters vandalising their coach on the way into Upton Park. Kick off for the final game at the Boleyn Ground was delayed by 45 minutes after United’s coach was held up by a large group of West Ham fans on Green Street, who pelted it with bottles, breaking five windows.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed afterwards that one police officer and one member of the public were injured in the disturbances.

Manchester United manager Van Gaal, whose side no longer have control of their push for fourth place, said he would not use the violence as an excuse. But he did say that his career prepared him for the unsettling events in a way that his younger players could not call upon.

“We live in this world, we know it can happen,” Van Gaal said. “It’s not the first time it has happened. I have a long experience in football, but there are players who don’t have that experience. It can have an influence, but we cannot look for excuses.”

Van Gaal was particularly frustrated that his players had gone 2-1 up in the second half before conceding two goals from set pieces in the final stages of the game. During the second half United goalkeeper was also pelted with missiles by West Ham fans sat in the Bobby Moore stand, while one lone pitch invader confronted De Gea before being led away by stewards. There was a stern FA condemnation for the behaviour after the match.

“We cannot cope with the circumstance before the match, that’s unusual,” Van Gaal said. “I’ve had that experience, but my players have not so it has an influence. When you’re 2-1 ahead with 20 minutes left you have to make the pitch very big, but we gave away a lot of fouls and gave them set-plays.”

Wayne Rooney confirmed before the game that the United coach had been “smashed up” by West Ham fans on their way in, a claim that West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan denied.

“The coach got smashed up but we'll just have to go and prepare and get on with our job,” Rooney said when United had finally safely arrived at the ground. “I'm sure West Ham will be disappointed with their fans.”

The kick-off was initially scheduled for 7.45pm but was put back until 8.30pm because the United players did not get safely inside the stadium until gone 7pm. United were not deemed to be at fault, because they arrived near the ground early enough to fulfil the kick-off, only to be held back by the massed crowds outside. Had they walked the final leg of the journey they would have been on time, but they could not for security reasons.

David Sullivan, however, did blame United for the delay and said they should have been held to the initial kick-off time.

“I think the police and the officials have been kind to United,” said Sullivan. “If it had been left to me they would have been forced to kick off at 7.45. But it is what it is and it’s now an 8.30 pm kick off which is hard on the fans because we have a show organised for afterwards and they have last buses and trains to catch. If you check the coach, there won’t be any damage to it. If we arrived late at Old Trafford they wouldn’t put the kick-off back.”

The Football Association said during the game that they condemned the “unsavoury incidents” and would investigate them.

“The FA strongly condemns the unsavoury incidents this evening involving both the Manchester United team coach outside West Ham United's Boleyn Ground and objects thrown from a section of the home support during the game,” the statement said. “We will work closely with both clubs and the Metropolitan Police to fully investigate these matters.”

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic said afterwards that there ought to have been more police to help United get safely to the ground, and that the delay to kick-off affected his players more than Van Gaal’s.

“I live in Canary Wharf, and in Canary Wharf if you poke your nose you have a couple of policeman around you,” Bilic joked. “Today, 50,000 people and no police, it is strange to me.”

“I think it [the delay] more harmed our preparation, we were the ones who didn’t know what time the game will start,” he continued. “We were preparing for 7.45pm kick-off, then the referee said it would be delayed. It wasn’t ideal. But I wouldn’t use that as an excuse for a defeat, it was nothing to do with it. Because United knew [it would be delayed], when they arrived. We came at 6.15pm and the game was 8.30pm. We were too long here, not normal time here.”