Why Mason Greenwood’s return to Manchester United would silence victims of sexual violence.
Why Mason Greenwood’s return to Manchester United would silence victims of sexual violence.
As the club considers a phased reintroduction of the player, I ask fans what the forward's return would mean for them.
Warning: This article contains references to graphic sexual language and domestic abuse.
The future of Mason Greenwood’s career at Manchester United has been hanging over the club since his arrest in January last year, as a lifelong supporter of United and survivor of domestic abuse, new reports that the club are now considering his return have left many fans including myself deeply concerned.
The decision last month by the Crown Prosecution Service to discontinue their case against Greenwood, 21, for attempted rape, assault and “repeatedly engaging” in coercive and controlling behaviour has lead the club to conduct it’s own investigation of the player. A month on and club sources insist no decision has been taken yet, however reports in The Athletic say the club are actively weighing up an option of a ‘phased programme to reintroduce a footballer’.
It’s an option that will not only divide the fanbase, it’s left many now questioning their future support of the club.
The major problem the club have remains that audio of Greenwood and those bloodied and bruised photo’s of his alleged abuse, damning evidence that was published on social media by the alleged victim. Make no mistake, this media will live online in perpetuity. Any mention of his name, that media will be shared. He scores a goal? Shared. He misses? Shared. He does anything? Shared. The club cannot escape it and arguably they shouldn’t be allowed to.
No human-being, let alone fan of the club, can wilfully forget hearing and seeing that evidence, whatever your opinion. Many fans speaking out online simply refuse to forget. For supporters like myself who are victims of abuse, namely coercive control, the signs of abuse in some of the audio are familiar and inescapable:
“Move your fucking legs up!”, Greenwood can be heard shouting.
The woman replies that she doesn’t want to have sex.
Greenwood responds “I don’t give a fuck what you want, you little shit! Shut up.”
Moments later the woman replies, “Why do I have to do this though?”
Greenwood responds, “Because I asked you politely and you wouldn’t do it. I asked you politely and you wouldn’t do it. So what else do you want me to do?”
The recording remains horrific and disturbing. Then there’s the photo’s. Shared online by the complainant in an attempt to verify her experiences, they display blood pouring from her mouth and bruises on her arm.
The woman who cannot be named, as she is entitled to anonymity for life under UK law, captioned the posts of those photos:
“To everyone who wants to know what Mason Greenwood actually does to me.”
Yet here we are, debating if all of this even constitutes gross misconduct and whether it should be a sackable offence for a future star footballer for the club. No, not for you and I, but for a Premier League and England international football player, gifted not just with talent but a different set of rules of behaviour to the rest of us.
Upon deciding to drop the case the CPS explained there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction” after key witnesses withdrew their cooperation from the investigation. Victims of abuse have a right to decide if they want to pursue their alleged abuser in court. It is a highly sensitive and emotional decision that is theirs and theirs alone to make.
For as many supporters who are against Greenwood’s return there are legions of fans who support seeing him in United shirt again, many of whom that believe the alleged victim made the allegations up in the first place. The CPS decision to drop the case has only emboldened these supporters online behaviour, now deciding she was ‘after his money’ and that she is a ‘skillful manipulator’. Social media commentary is now rife with victim-blaming comments and suggestions that had the alleged abuse been real ‘the woman could have reported sooner’.
It is here that lies the potential devastating consequences for the club should they decide to let the Greenwood continue his contract, which is set to run until 2025. Their decision would become an unequivocal message sent out to the club’s 659 million supporters worldwide: that if you are a gifted player there are few, if any, consequences for your behaviour. It would be a message to young girls watching the game that speaking out against rich and powerful men makes you a liar and a gold digger. It would be a message to young boys that if you are gifted enough in your talent, then your behaviour can be overlooked. That audio and those photo’s would become acceptable.
In reality there are many reasons victims of abuse drop charges against their perpetrators that lead to prosecutions falling apart. One such reason is the delay for cases to be heard. Rape victims on average have to wait over two and a half years from reporting the offence to their case being completed, according to Ministry of Justice data. Such delays have left some victims feeling suicidal. For others, delays increase the chances of victims returning to their abusers. Another reason are the brutal cross-examinations. In January a court transcript obtained by The Independent revealed the ‘brutal but typical’ examination of a rape victim by defense barrister.
In February last year His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) published a damning report highlighting that rape victims are continually and systematically being failed by the criminal justice system. Delays were found to have taken a ‘heavy toll on their mental health’. Cross -examinations were found to be more traumatic than the rape in some cases and ‘led some to wish that they had never reported the incidents’.
Going to trial is a huge emotional undertaking for victims of abuse. Reporting to police will already be one of the biggest and bravest first step many victims will take in their lives. For those fans who support Greenwood, the experiences of victims of abuse are simply overlooked and remain unchallenged so long as the club remains silent on his behaviour.
For passionate fans like Paul, 40, who has supported the club for 33 years, he believes the evidence is hard to ignore.
“People have got a right to make a view on that evidence”, he tells me. “Whether guilty or not, with action comes consequence.” A season ticket holder for 10 years, Paul regularly attends games.
Natalie, not her real name, has been a football fan her whole life and started supporting United in recent years, she now enjoys going to the games. She is all too aware of the affects of ignoring male violence, a survivor of abuse herself, she is passionate for the need of greater awareness of domestic abuse and the need to speak out, however she tells me the situation has left her feeling silenced.
The idea that the club are considering a phased return of Greenwood has left Natalie and other fans who are survivor’s of abuse like Gemma, not her real name, feeling very hesitant to speak out because there’s no conviction, something which is triggering in itself as victims of abuse often feel silenced. Both Gemma and Natalie have spoken to me in confidence however do not wish to be quoted out of fear of legal repercussions from the player.
Fans like Gemma and Natalie feel any future association between the club and the evidence that they’ve seen would mean they could never go to a match or see a game on the television again.
Paul echoes these sentiments on attending future games should the forward return, “I wouldn’t go anymore.”
A part of the club’s option to consider the phased return of Greenwood is the inclusion of a form of counselling or therapy, ahead of a possible broader rehabilitation programme. The importance of rehabilitation is key to all United fans I’ve spoken to wherever the forwards goes. The club will have a duty of care and responsibility to the player who has been at the club since the age of six.
Paul says, “The club should look after him and help him get the help he needs. He might better off out of the limelight.”
What therapy and rehabilitation looks like to United is key to understanding if he and the club recognise the actions of the player. More importantly that the inclusion of support would not just be a performative display to appease the fans.
Engaging in such a rehabilitation programme would be a clear acknowledgement and admission by player and club of a failure in his behaviour. To what extent the club recognises his actions however is complicated but needs addressing in the support Greenwood is provided. If the club believe the evidence, a perpetrator programme is critical path forward, however this must come from the player first, survivor fans tell me.
Any engagement with a perpetrator programme needs to originate within the person’s genuine desire to change. The club must not undo the work football has done to strive to be a more inclusive environment, especially for women.
A number of sources close to me across the domestic abuse sector say the club have thus far not reached out for any guidance on the option of his return. Whatever Manchester United’s response is to Greenwood’s future at the club, it is clear their response must be informed by a national women’s domestic abuse charity and perpetrator organisation. Failure to do this as a part of any decision to reintegrate Greenwood would not only be a PR disaster for the club, but a sure-fire sign they lack the seriousness to tackle his behaviour.
Another part of the club’s approach to the option of the player’s return is to include exposing him to a television interview in which he is challenged on the events that have taken him to this point.
For parents of young supporters of the club, seeing the player back in that famous number 11 United shirt is more complicated and heartbreaking. Debbie, 50, is the mother of her 11-year-old son who is a huge fan of the club.
“I think it is disgusting that they think him returning to the team is acceptable in any way. The charges may have been dropped but we all heard/saw what happened, an old style Barbara Walter-esque interview isn't going to change what happened and how reprehensible it is.”
Would she discourage her son to not follow the club if Greenwood is kept on then? “I don't expect him to change allegiances but he knows I won't support them with my wallet, in other words I won't buy him a new jersey for birthday or Christmas, or take him to a game.”
It’s not just about supporting the club for parents like Debbie, his return would be a source of disappointment and a loss of trust, not only in United but the positive role models footballers can be for her children.
“I have tried to highlight all of the amazing work that athletes can do with their platforms. For example, Marcus Rashford and his fight to feed school kids during the lockdowns, the Common Goal initiative to donate 1% of their salary to charity, even footballers who highlight educational achievement like Romelu Lukaku or Bukayo Saka. Even the perseverance of someone like Alphonso Davies from being born in a refugee camp to immigrating to Canada to playing at the highest levels in Germany and the world stage. I show my boys how much more there is than it just being great at a game. I want to show them positive role models.”
“I hate that my 11-year-old, who is still in primary school, has to be exposed to this,” Debbie laments.
Rebecca, 48, has a 13-year-old daughter who supports the club. “She is a diehard Manchester United fan, watches every game, has shirts... It turns my stomach to think she could be watching him play again, reaping the financial rewards.”
Robin, 67, has been a Utd fan since the early sixties and feels the club have two choices:
“They either cast him out and his way of life and his attitudes continue, or they invest time and money in his rehabilitation. I believe the latter would be better for all concerned and if his rehabilitation is successful, then why shouldn’t he play again? Everyone deserves a second chance, a chance to right their wrongs and correct the errors of their past lives.”
Lastly, James, 40, argues that, “the club has a duty to their female staff, our women’s team, the young academy players and wider society.”
Greenwood’s return to the team would for him not only sever his connection with the club but bring an end to a multi-generational legacy in his family supporting United:
“I honestly don’t think I could support a team with Greenwood in it. Man United is our family team. Our daughters support the same team as their parents, grandparents and great grandparents. I can’t imagine hearing my young daughters celebrating and chanting Greenwood’s name if he scored for the team.”
“He should never play top flight football again, certainly not for the world’s biggest club.”
That audio and those photo’s inevitably lead to questions beyond the player himself and to what more the club knew about his behaviour off the pitch that the club are currently investigating. Premier League clubs have a duty of care to ensure players are staying grounded and act responsibly. These changes to the modern game were brought in from recommendations in a 2017 report called "Duty of Care in Sport", authored by Baroness Grey-Thompson which promoted education, mental welfare and safeguarding.
Player-care officers readily offer clubs an ability to track and monitor player’s welfare however are not trained in mental health and safeguarding. Employed across the clubs, player-care officers are responsible for many day-to-day tasks required of the player to help them focus on the game. Essentially they are a personal assistant or a concierge service for player, from finding player’s houses to setting up bank accounts and managing their utility and mortgage bills. In October, Tottenham Hotspur put out an advert for a player-care officer offering a job description for such a role, reported to be for Harry Kane.
Lindsey, not her real name, is a player-care officer with extensive experience in the role, she tells me there is a gap in the duty of care football clubs to safeguard player’s behaviour and mental health.
“The welfare and mental health side for a first team player isn’t really down to the player care officer. It’s not in the remit. As someone they trust you certainly end up being involved in their welfare and mental health, but you aren’t trained for it. It’s not the job. You just deal with it to help support the player. But the day to day job is PA.”
Lindsey says that some clubs do have psychologists but many don’t, a fact that should be concerning in an industry that brings in over £2.3 billion a year in broadcasting revenue alone. Lindsey says a new role needs to be created to ensure there is that safeguarding in place for players and that the role must have specific training to equip them to better support players in their behaviour.
The behaviour of Greenwood highlights the need for football clubs to not only have a duty care for safeguarding the players they employ, but to those who regularly interact with them. If club officials at United were not aware of any signs of alleged abuse, contrary to the evidence, then it stands there should be a need for a trained awareness in a new role, to help educate players and that if signs of abuse are spotted that they are reported. This in turn should be mirrored in education programmes within club’s academy’s across the country. Education in healthy relationships embedded in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 should be as paramount as the clubs providing monetary advice to upcoming talent through youth systems.
Players growing up cocooned away in their luxury lives with personal assistants cannot and should not be afforded special treatment for acts of abusive behaviour. Manchester United’s option to rehabilitate Mason Greenwood will likely frame him as a young man who has made a mistake, something that would be unacceptable to many fans like myself. Whatever faults there are in how men’s football manages players, these players are adult men responsible for their own actions just the same as any other person in society.
The feminist campaign group Level Up have long been calling for a change in football’s response to the culture of male-perpetrated violence amidst a number of players being charged with sexual violence. Working alongside The End Violence Against Women Coalition and The Three Hijabis, Level Up successfully campaigned last year for Premier League players to receive mandatory training on sexual consent.
This is a positive step forward in men’s football enacted by women who are directly affected by player harm, a fact that should bring great shame to the Premier League in their failure hold itself accountable for it’s own failings.
Women’s domestic abuse charity, Solace Women’s Aid, are resolute in their desire for the club to send the right message in their decision:
“Manchester United need to think very carefully about the message they will be giving women and abusers if they bring Mason Greenwood back into their team. We do believe that people can change, if they have a genuine desire to and the right support. To date we have seen no evidence of any remorse or contrition from Greenwood.
If Manchester United reinstate him with a few tokenistic gestures then this would be a grave mistake. They could instead take this opportunity to show that they are vehemently opposed to male violence against women and show their millions of fans and the world that that they want to lead on creating a better future for both men and women. One where abuse and assault is not tolerated’.
In much the same way we are faced with another moment for football to stand up to male-perpetrated violence. This isn’t about casting away a player who needs support and rehabilitation, this is the recognition of that audio and those photo’s and whether a man associated to this evidence has a place on the world stage; to be an icon cheered, celebrated and adorned across the backs of adults and children who wear the United shirt with pride.
Can Manchester United afford to fail fans ready give up their lifelong support of the club? Can they afford to fail campaigns like Her Game Too which encourage women and girl’s to play and watch football? What about supporters who are victim’s of abuse like myself, Natalie, Gemma and countless others? Are we set to be gaslighted and told this is just a young man who has made a mistake, that those words from that audio won’t echo in our heads when we see or hear his name in the United shirt again?
For me and many other fans Mason Greenwood’s return would spell the end of our support. For football, it would be another failure to stand up for victim’s of sexual violence.
Manchester United were approached for comment.
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