Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
Five stars is the highest hygiene rating awarded to almost all Premier League clubs. The Red Devils also lose points off the pitch.
Things are not going well for Manchester United in sporting terms, and now the Manchester club also has an animal problem. The Old Trafford stadium is in fact afflicted by the plague of mice, with consequences on the rating of the catering.
As reported by the Daily Mail newspaper, food inspectors discovered traces of mice in the corporate suites on the ground floor and in a food kiosk in a hall of the legendary stadium. As a result, they lowered the stadium catering's hygiene rating to two stars. Most Premier League clubs reach the maximum five-star level.
There are many reasons for the plague of mice. The stadium, originally built in 1910, is located between a canal and a railway line, an area with features that are particularly attractive to rodents.
Furthermore, every home game is watched by 74,000 people, leaving a lot of waste behind. The problem often increases in winter as mice seek warmer, more sheltered places.
Several checks a week
“Manchester United uses a rigorous disinfestation system throughout the Old Trafford stadium – the club declared in the pages of the British newspaper – there are several checks a week”.
A City Council spokesperson said the authorities were working closely with the club to make the necessary improvements.
It is not the first time that stadium catering has been negatively evaluated. After undercooked chicken was served at a private corporate event, the hygiene rating had already been lowered to one star.
At the time of the last inspection, the rating had already risen back to four stars. Then the mice were discovered.
