A Sunderland supporter made an alarming discovery at Old Trafford on Saturday after finding a mouse in the away end — the latest embarrassment for Manchester United and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the club’s iconic stadium continues to make headlines for the wrong reasons.
Old Trafford, still the largest club ground in English football, has been under intense scrutiny for years due to its leaking roof and ageing infrastructure.
Yet, alongside structural decay, the club has faced a far more unsavoury problem: a persistent mouse infestation.
United’s hygiene issues first came to light last November when the stadium’s food hygiene rating was downgraded to just two stars.
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Despite months of promised remedial work and renewed assurances from club officials, subsequent inspections have shown little sign of improvement.
In May, environmental health officers discovered mouse droppings in seven different locations across the ground, including the Ambassador Lounge, Manchester Suite, Number 7 Suite and beneath a buffet bar — areas that are meant to host corporate guests and matchday VIPs.
Five months on, the problem appears to have resurfaced.
A Sunderland fan at Old Trafford found a rodent during Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United
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A Sunderland fan attending Saturday’s match was horrified to spot a rodent near her seat in the away section.
Sharing a photo of the trapped mouse inside a cup on social media, she wrote: “How dirty is Old Trafford?? Woman behind has just caught a mouse in the away end at Old Trafford… I’m running out of things I’ve not seen at the match now?”
The post quickly went viral, prompting another round of mockery and frustration from rival supporters and United’s own fanbase alike.
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Old Trafford has shown increasing signs of wear and tear in recent years
| PAIn response to earlier reports of rodent activity, a Manchester United spokesperson had insisted the club maintains “a robust pest-control system throughout Old Trafford”.
The statement continued: “Multiple weekly checks are made in all catering areas and stringent measures are taken to ensure levels of hygiene and cleanliness are high wherever food is stored, prepared and served.
“If incidences of this nature do occur at the stadium, immediate and appropriate action is taken.”
Despite those assurances, the recurrence of such issues has reignited concerns about the stadium’s decline and the Glazer family’s long-criticised stewardship.
The leaking roof remains a visible symbol of years of underinvestment, with footage last season showing torrential rain pouring through the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand onto supporters below following the home match against Arsenal.
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Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko scored for Manchester United in their 2-0 win over Sunderland
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Although United have drawn up detailed proposals to replace the roof on that stand and carry out further repairs elsewhere, the project’s complexity and cost have stalled progress.
Replacing the structure could take several years and would require cranes to be positioned over a railway line at the rear of the stand, significantly restricting matchday attendance during construction.
With estimates suggesting a complete rebuild of Old Trafford could cost around £2billion, Ratcliffe and his INEOS-led team face a daunting decision: commit to years of piecemeal renovation or start again entirely.
Plans for a new stadium have been shown off to the world but it's unclear what, ultimately, will happen.