Manchester United’s game against Bournemouth was canceled after a suspicious package was found at the Old Trafford stadium, the club said Sunday, but police later said the package was actually a training device left behind during an earlier security exercise.

Police investigated the “suspect package” found in the northwest quadrant of the ground, Manchester United announced on Twitter. Greater Manchester police later described the item as an “incredibly realistic-looking explosive device,” the Associated Press reported. The device had been left behind by mistake after an exercise involving explosives-hunting dogs, said John O’Hare, assistant chief constable from Greater Manchester Police, according to the AP.

The investigation had initially delayed kick-off of the final league game of the season, and authorities later advised the team to abandon the match.

The Premiere League apologized to fans in a statement, saying it was the “last resort” to cancel the game.

“When it comes to matters of security, it is obviously right that Manchester United and the Premiere League place the safety of supporters and employees foremost,” it said. “The Premiere League will seek to rearrange the fixture as soon as practically possible as will advise fans accordingly. It is always the last resort to abandon one of our fixtures and while we apologize for the inconvenience caused to fans, we are sure, in the circumstances, they will appreciate the need to do so.”

Police said bomb disposal experts had carried out a controlled explosion at the Old Trafford stadium, according to the AP.

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.