United stars to face Fergie wrath after 'wild' Christmas party

Ferguson, who was not present, had reluctantly approved the day-long celebrations but ordered his team to be on their best behaviour.

Despite United's next match not being until Sunday against Everton the United manager will be fuming that the squad spent 13 hours drinking and gambling, and headlines of women invited to the event complaining of being treated 'like pieces of meat.'

United's 19-year-old defender Jonny Evans was questioned today over the alleged rape of a woman at the club's party before being bailed until February 23 pending further inquiries.

The players had reportedly paid £100,000 for Monday's party and invited around 100 girls back to the £395-a-night Manchester hotel.

The event is said to have been organised by Ferdinand who is reported to have held a whip round to which 25 players gave £4,000 each. Wives and girlfriends were not invited.

United's next match is at Old Trafford against Everton on Sunday.

Evans was arrested yesterday following the party at the Great John Street Hotel in Manchester.

Evans spent last night in custody and was today due to be quizzed by officers over the alleged attack.

The alleged victim, who gave police a brief statement following her claim, was also due to be interviewed fully today.

The 26-year-old dialled 999 from a hotel where players including Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand took part in a late-night drinking session.

Evans is a young squad member who plays at international level for Northern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of rape after presenting himself for questioning.

He remains in custody and is said to strongly deny any wrongdoing.

A total of 35 players, including many multi-million pound stars, began the day with lunch at the Manchester235 casino complex where they were entertained by drag queens and dancers.

After three hours, stars such as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Owen Hargreaves, accompanied by junior squad members, headed to Coronation Street star Liz Dawn's pub The Old Grapes for more drinking.

Later a group including Rooney and Ferdinand drove to a lapdancing club but left without going inside after seeing photographers outside.

For the night they had booked out the 30-suite Great St John Street Hotel - a converted Victorian school featured in top hotel guides - where they continued partying into the early hours.

One female guest described the party as "a horrendous cattle market"

She said: "I like the United players but they were out of control. They were treating girls like pieces of meat.

"We got special invites but if we ever get asked again there's no way we would go again."

Another said: "A lot of the players were really letting their hair down. Waitresses were handing out pink champagne to whoever wanted it.

"The players seemed to be drinking beer, vodka and whisky. Lots of drink was flowing and there were a lot of the girls there simply trying to bag a footballer for the night. It was all very sleazy."

Evans's arrest is the latest in a series of sex assault claims against Premiership footballers. Most of the cases have ended without a prosecution.

The rape allegation, which came hours after Fabio Capello was unveiled as the new England manager, is another blow to the tarnished reputation of football.

Two years ago Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo was arrested over claims that he raped a woman at a London hotel. The Portuguese star, who was not at Monday's party, was not charged.

Arsenal's Dutch striker Robin van Persie was held for two days accused of raping a beauty queen in Rotterdam in 2005, although the case was later thrown out.

The year before that, Leicester City's Paul Dickov, Keith Gillespie and Frank Sinclair were accused of assaulting three women during a training trip to the La Manga complex in Spain.

All charges were dropped. And in 2003, Titus Bramble, then of Newcastle United, and Chelsea's Carlton Cole were arrested over an alleged gang rape on a 17-year-old former convent schoolgirl at a London hotel, but no charges were brought.