Man United chief holds talks with women's team over Greenwood

EXCLUSIVE: Man United hold talks with their women’s team over their handling of Mason Greenwood after players considered speaking out if they were planning to keep him

• Manchester United confirmed on Monday that Greenwood would leave the club 
• It followed a six month investigation into the striker after charges were dropped 
• The episode created tension between the women’s team and club hierarchy  

Manchester United football director John Murtough held summit talks with the women’s team on Tuesday to explain the club’s position on Mason Greenwood.

United confirmed on Monday that Greenwood is to leave Old Trafford after the club concluded its review into the striker.

The 21-year-old was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of a number of offences including attempted rape but the Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped the charges in February of this year after key witnesses withdrew and new material came to light.

The episode has created tensions between the women’s players and the club’s hierarchy.

Members of Marc Skinner’s squad have been criticised on social media amid a narrative that they didn’t want Greenwood to stay given the evidence that has come to light in the public domain.

Manchester United confirmed on Monday that Mason Greenwood would leave the club

Manchester United’s football director John Murtough held talks with the women’s team over the Greenwood situation after players from the side previously considered speaking out

Murtough briefed the squad 24 hours after their announcement to sever ties with Greenwood 

Members of Marc Skinner’s (centre) squad had been criticised amid a narrative that they didn’t want Greenwood to stay at the club

Mail Sport understands that in the event of United sticking by Greenwood, a clutch of the women’s squad were giving serious consideration to publicly criticising the club.

But yesterday, Murtough briefed the squad just 24 hours after their announcement to sever ties with Greenwood.

During the summit talks, which were pre-arranged, Murtough outlined the processes of the internal investigation and the reasons behind their final decision.

The meeting is believed to have ended positively with the players – who were given prior warning of the club’s decision before it was made public – accepting Murtough’s explanation.

United’s World Cup players Mary Earps, Ella Toone and Katie Zelem didn’t attend the meeting following their heartbreaking final defeat against Spain on Sunday.

Supporters of the club made their feelings clear ahead of their Premier League opener against Wolves on August 14. 

The supporters gathered near the Holy Trinity statue outside the ground, displaying a banner which read: ‘Female fans demand no Greenwood return – end violence against women.’

Another fan was seen raising a sign which said: ‘Don’t leave the decision up to the women’s team you spineless motherless f****.’

A group of Man United supporters protested before the club’s first home game of the season, outlining their opposition to reintegrating striker Mason Greenwood into the first team

One disgruntled Manchester United fan held up a sign telling the club to ‘not leave the decision up to the women’s team’ labelling the hierarchy as ‘spineless motherless f****’

This came after Mail Sport previously reported that the club consulted the women’s team over Greenwood, along with club sponsors and fan groups.  

Famous United fan Rachel Riley previously said she would stop supporting the club if they had decided to keep Greenwood. 

Following the announcement that the England forward would depart the club, the Countdown co-host stated that she felt United chief executive Richard Arnold should be considering his position over his handling of the case. 

Riley, speaking to The News Agents, said United had ‘absolutely mismanaged’ the Greenwood situation and said she had ‘never been more ashamed of the club.’

She accused the club of ‘green-lighting abuse on social media’ and said their support for Greenwood had ‘turned an alleged abuser into a victim.’

Asked whether Arnold should consider his position, Riley said: ‘Yes, yes I do. I’m someone who has seen it first hand through supporting my friend with domestic abuse.

‘Four years ago, I wouldn’t have known anything about this. I wouldn’t have even been in a position to comment at all. But I’ve seen first hand how little is known, even amongst professionals who are supposed to be dealing with this – I include the police, I include social services.

Countdown co-host Rachel Riley threatened to stop supporting the club if Greenwood stayed

Riley stated that United CEO Richard Arnold (pictured) should be considering his position

‘If they don’t know the intricacies, I don’t know how a CEO at Manchester United who has multi-million pounds at stake is in any position to make a judgement on what has happened especially having not consulted domestic abuse charities.

‘Not only that, having not consulted them, putting them on a list, calling them hostile to the idea that he would come back.

‘I think it’s been absolutely mismanaged. I have been a Man United supporter since before I was born. My dad has been going since 1960.

‘I’ve had my babies’ Man United stuff ready when they were in the womb and I’ve never been more ashamed of the club. I think it’s just a disgrace.

‘They had another opportunity to make it right, make a good statement and they have just green-lighted the abuse that’s been going on on social media to claim innocence, to turn the alleged abuser into the alleged victim, which is classic, DAVRO [‘Deny, attack and reverse victim and offender’] technique.

Greenwood won’t play for United again after both parties mutually agreed he would leave

‘I am so disappointed.’

Asked again about whether Arnold should be considering his position, Riley added: ‘Yes I do. I say this with such a heavy heart. As a fan, I grew up, these players are heroes. Manchester United players, for little kids, they’re your heroes.

‘For me, I did Manchester United as my subject on Mastermind, I have been lucky enough to go and work at the club, to do charity events, to meet the players, to meet the managers to go to the directors’ box for matches. It’s like my ultimate dream.

‘I would love more than anything in the world to give that to my daughters. But I can’t not speak out.

‘I mean, what I risk as a fan, or someone who gets all these privileges, compared to what a domestic abuse victim survivor risks by coming forward, even though she or he may not be believed, it is nothing.

‘But I just don’t agree with what’s happened at all.’

In an open letter to supporters after Greenwood’s exit, Arnold said: ‘While we were unable to access certain evidence for reasons we respect, the evidence we did collate led us to conclude that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with.’

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