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Manchester United bus 'smashed up' by West Ham fans prior to kick-off

Catherine Ivill - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tuesday's contest between West Ham and Manchester United - the final Premier League match to be played at the Boleyn Ground - was pushed back by 45 minutes after the Red Devils' team bus was pelted with projectiles en route to the stadium.

"The coach got smashed up but we'll just have to go and prepare and get on with our job. It's not for me to say, I'm sure you'll see. I'm sure West Ham will be disappointed with their fans," United captain Wayne Rooney said, according to the BBC.

Video of the incident shows West Ham supporters chucking bottles and damaging the bus as it attempts to maneuver its way through the jam-packed streets.

Warning: Video contains vulgar language

The aftermath of the debacle showcases the damage to the coach, which had some of its windows smashed by the flying bottles.

(Courtesy: Daily Mail)

Police eventually intervened to force the rowdy supporters back:

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan seemed to pin the blame on Manchester United for the scenes, claiming the club was at fault for not arriving earlier, knowing there could be delays given the extraordinary circumstances of this being the final match at the Boleyn Ground.

"It is depressing really, it will be a late night for our fans and some of them won't be able to stay. I don't understand why United couldn't get here at 4 pm. They could have got here early. They knew it would be busy. It's crazy," Sullivan told the BBC.

"There was congestion in the street and they couldn't get the coach in. There were people around the coach, but there was no attack on the coach.

"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."

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal had a simple retort, saying: "The images tell everything."

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