Manchester United Did Not Announce the Provision of Prayer Rooms for Its Muslim Fans
The Claim
The management of Manchester United FC's Old Trafford stadium has agreed to provide Muslim fans with specially-equipped prayer rooms during matches.
News posted on
Emerging story
There has been news circulating on social media that Manchester United's stadium management will provide quiet rooms for Muslim fans to pray during the call-to-prayer. Many people thanked the club for the kind gesture, which they thought was beautiful.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found that it was false. The official websites of the English club Manchester United did not publish any news of allocating quiet spaces for prayer for Muslim fans. Neither did the club share it on any of its official pages on social media.
By reviewing the section devoted to explaining the services provided by Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium on the official website, Misbar did not find the service of providing rooms dedicated to Muslims or any religion in the list of available services.
Photo Description: Screenshot of services offered by Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium.
Following the 2015-2016 football season, The Guardian reported that it had sent a brief survey to all Premier League clubs to determine whether their stadiums contained prayer halls for Muslims or fans of other faiths or if such halls were planned in the future. However, Manchester United stuck to its official position not to comment on the polls and Chelsea, Leicester City, and Stoke City.
Photo Description: Extract of the article from the British newspaper The Guardian.
The claim comes against the backdrop of Manchester United's announcement today, Thursday, December 23, that it will involve the advisory club for its fans in the Old Trafford stadium development plan. Manchester United's chief operating officer, Colette Roche, said his meeting at the club's fan forum produced exciting ideas, and he did not give any timetable for completion of the project, as it was still in its early stages,
Photo Description: Screenshot of Manchester United, announcing modernizing the stadium Old Trafford.
Photo Description: Screenshot of Manchester United, announcing to include fans in modernizing the stadium Old Trafford.
Manchester United's Old Trafford is one of the most well-known and oldest football stadiums in the United Kingdom, with a seating capacity of 73,000, making it one of the largest in the country.
