Rochdale's stadium was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon after the discovery of a "suspicious package".
The club announced shortly before 5pm that the Crown Oil Arena had been shut "due to a police incident" but that all staff had been "safely evacuated", a statement echoed by their rugby league co-tenants Rochdale Hornets.
A spokesman from Greater Manchester Police then said: "We have been called to a report of a suspect package and we are currently in the process of assessing it.
"As a precaution some residents nearby have been evacuated."
A bomb disposal lorry was then pictured arriving at the ground, with the images appearing on the website of the Manchester Evening News.
