Man United Women buy replacement boots in Norway after luggage goes missing before Champions League qualifier
Club officials purchased 15 pairs of boots and 20 sets of shin guards in Bergen less than three hours before kick-off while investigating a missing bag of players' boots
Manchester United's women's team were forced to buy replacement boots and shin guards in Bergen on the day of their Champions League qualifying match after a bag containing some players' footwear went missing during the trip to Norway.
Club officials discovered the absence of the equipment on the day of the game, having trained at Carrington before flying by charter to Bergen. With kick-off scheduled for 16:30 local time, United staff visited the Torshov Sport shop and purchased 15 pairs of boots and 20 sets of shin guards to ensure affected players could take the field.
Shop owner Andre Gullord said the store was fortunate to have enough stock in the right sizes. "We are a big store but they were very lucky we had enough boots in stock that were the right size," he told BBC Sport. Gullord said the club paid between £200 and £230 for each pair of boots and about £30 for each set of shin guards, and estimated the unplanned purchase cost just under £4,000.
A club spokesperson said: "A bag containing some of our players' boots went missing during the journey to Bergen. We are investigating how this happened. In the meantime, we secured new boots of the right make and sizes for all the affected players." United had taken a charter flight to Norway to ease travel ahead of a Women's Super League fixture against London City Lionesses on Sunday.
Midfielder Lisa Naalsund, who is from Bergen, said some shoes "disappeared" and that she had asked her mother to bring boots to the stadium. "There were a few shoes that disappeared," Naalsund told local broadcaster TV2. "We haven't quite figured out where they are yet. It was right before we went to the stadium so there was a bit of chaos." She did not identify which players were affected.
Marc Skinner's side lost the first leg 1-0 to SK Brann as they attempt to secure a place in the main draw of the Women's Champions League for the first time in the club's history. United finished third in the Women's Super League last season.
Gullord added with a touch of humour that the shop had previously seen players turn up when they had left boots behind, but never "the entire team." He also joked that the store could have supplied boots without studs to "help the local team." The club did not indicate whether the missing bag had been left at Carrington, misplaced during the flight, or lost elsewhere in transit; the investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
United now face the task of overturning the first-leg deficit in the return fixture as they pursue qualification for the tournament proper. The club will also prepare for their upcoming domestic fixture, with squad logistics expected to be reviewed following the disruption in Norway.
