Mysterious Spy Plane Spotted Flying over Manchester United Training

By: Bob | January 25th, 2007

The English Premiership is starting to resemble a plot from a John La Carre novel. We’ve seen restaurants where managers and players eat bugged, traces of killer polonium from a Russian spy case found at a stadium and now there is a report that a mysterious spy plane equipped with video recording devices was seen flying over Manchester United’s training grounds.

The Mirror has all the salacious details in what has to be some of the finest reporting you’ll ever read in a British tabloid.

MYSTERY last night surrounded the whereabouts of aerial footage taken of Manchester United stars in top-secret training sessions.
It remained unclear who authorised the filming in a specially converted Cessna light aircraft and whether the material is destined for this country or abroad.

The covert clips of players such as Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo working on tactics, formation, free kicks and penalties during the astonishing spying mission could be invaluable to rival clubs.

Videos and stills of the training were driven from a Derbyshire airfield to Heston Services on the M4 – a mile from Heathrow airport – and handed to a mystery client in a Chrysler Grand Voyager with blacked-out windows.

He shook hands with the delivery man – one of two on board the Cessna 172 Skyhawk commissioned by a photographic agency – then left after a 30-second encounter.

I’m especially fond of the part about the material being destined for this country or abroad and that the footage would be invaluable to rival clubs. Considering the fact that Premiership games can now be seen in 202 countries and Manchester United matches are among the most frequently broadcast the need for secret training tapes that show the secret formations and tactics is almost self evident. Where else could you possibly learn about Manchester United?

Who could possibly be behind such a nefarious action? I’m thinking it must either be those high flying Cardiff City fans or the CIA.