Mason Greenwood of Manchester United during the U18 Premier League match at The Cliff, Salford, England in 2017.

Content warning: This article contains mentions of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Cara Rogers

Mason Greenwood will no longer play for Manchester United, and should not play for any other Premier League team again. To bring him back would be a damning reflection on the football world and beyond.

In January 2022, Janet Potter, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) North West, confirmed: “The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised Greater Manchester police to charge Mason Greenwood, 21, with attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.” The alleged victim? His girlfriend.

In October of that year, Greenwood was arrested once more for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.

Ultimately, in February 2023, a representative for the CPS shared that “In this case, a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction. In these circumstances, we are under a duty to stop the case.”

Greenwood’s charges, like those of so many other alleged abusers, were dropped. But this decision should not mean that Greenwood is welcomed back into the world of football with open arms.

Allegations of abuse

The footballer’s alleged victim shared a recording on her social media profiles of a man seemingly threatening to sexually assault her.

In the recording, she can be heard saying “I don’t wanna have sex,” to which the man she alleges to be Greenwood responds “I don’t give a fuck what you want, you little shit.” After rejecting his advances, she asks “Why do you have to do this?” He responds: “Cause I asked you politely and you wouldn’t do it.”

https://twitter.com/DeadlineDayLive/status/1698295578503823787

The fan divide

Despite this firsthand testimony, recent reports suggested that Manchester United was considering bringing Greenwood back into the fold. The club’s leadership team were allegedly told that Greenwood was set to make his return to the club, having not played or trained with the squad since January 2022.

As rumours of an imminent return began to fly, football fans and beyond rightly erupted in outrage, with some even forming activist groups to oppose the rumoured decision.

Soon, whispers began to circulate about a potential U-turn. Following public backlash, many suspected the club would change its alleged plans.

“This is not a man that should be placed back onto a lofty football pedestal”

Sure enough, on August 21st, Richard Arnold, CEO of Manchester United, released an open letter, stating: “Last week, the media reported that we had decided to reintegrate Mason and that elements of a plan to do so had been leaked to them. Reintegration was one of the outcomes we considered and planned for.

“Although we have decided that Mason will seek to rebuild his career away from Manchester United, that does not signal the end of this matter. The club will continue to offer its support, both to the alleged victim and Mason to help them rebuild and move forward positively with their lives.”

With that, Greenwood’s career at Manchester United was halted, and rightly so. This is not a man that should be placed back onto a lofty football pedestal, rewarded with a return to his former glory.

An unwelcome return

And yet, we have to ask whether Arnold’s statement hints at a troubling future, particularly for those hoping to see Greenwood completely barred from Premier League football.

If Greenwood is to continue “building his career away from Manchester United,” do we need to prepare to see him on our screens again, merely in a different-coloured shirt? Removing Greenwood solely from United’s squad, only to displace him onto another team, does little other than generate positive PR for Manchester United, seemingly doing ‘the right thing’.

Footballers, given an almost God-like status, are role models to thousands. What does it say about us as a society if we allow Greenwood to reassume that position, at United or elsewhere? To be celebrated and lauded on-screen week in and week out for his sporting achievements?

With football already viewed as a male space, clubs should be doing their utmost to protect vulnerable female fans. To sanction Greenwood’s return would undermine the club’s ethos and affirm the sport as a safe haven for misogynists.

To go one step further, leaving Greenwood’s return as an open question and his moral standing a matter for fans to decide amongst themselves arguably gives the all-clear for a whole spectrum of misogynistic behaviours against women on United’s turf.

Is it really #HerGameToo?

And indeed, Greenwood’s potential return to any aspect of the game does nothing but cast a damning shadow over campaigns like #HerGameToo. Women and girls cannot be welcomed into the football space if those in positions of power within it do little to prevent the return of such a controversial figure.

Women can play football, yes, but only in an environment where Greenwood and others facing rampant allegations of abuse are welcomed back into the folds. Gender equality marketing campaigns are meaningless if clubs are not willing to respond to the concerns of female fans — that Greenwood’s future at Manchester United was ever even under consideration is shameful.

Unfortunately, many women are under no illusion that football is a safe space for them. For some women, stadiums are not havens in which to enjoy sport, but public places where they are susceptible to violence. For others, simply existing on the pitch means opening oneself up to torrents of misogynistic abuse.

We’ve seen time and time again how football is a man’s game. But somehow, on this occasion, I hope that my inclinations will be proved wrong.

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Featured image courtesy of Kane Brooker via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

Cara is a freelance lifestyle and culture writer based in Manchester. When she's not writing opinion pieces about pop culture or the latest social media trends, she's trying out new veggie recipes and listening to podcasts.

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