Mason Greenwood Charges Dropped

[IDFD]

Mason Greenwood attempted rape charges dropped

The Manchester United footballer was arrested amid allegations surrounding images and videos online.

www.bbc.co.uk

Where does this leave his football career?

 

[O-Dog]

Difficult one. Charges dropped doesn't mean exoneration and there's the lingering suspicion he behaved despicably. Personally, I wouldn't trust the lad.

Legally, he's done nothing wrong, so how can you discriminate against him?

It's a mess.

 

[Justin Cider]

Should bring the lad back into the fold and test the water ....

 

[boothstownred]

It’s a terrible situation. I was never comfortable with this going out on social media in the first place. It made this case almost impossible to judge. The evidence against was tainted and his defence was made impossible to be impartial. He will have a career in the game but probably not at united.

 

[IDFD]

For me I'd have him up top. We don't know what the new evidence that's come to light is but until he's found guilty in a court he should be free to play.

I imagine though he ends up abroad.

 

[Ben Townsend]

Wont play for us ever again, will end up abroad.

 

[jsp]

Very difficult situation as when you read the statement the case will remain under review should new evidence come to light but without that it will never go forward.

Where that leaves his Utd career I don't know in theory he's a free man and should continue his life as normal but can he really return? Probably means if the club want him to go they'd have to pay him to release him from his contract.

 

[Mr C]

It's a PR mess, especially to those of us who heard the recording.

I can't see a brand like United taking the risk. Shame, as he is exactly what we need.

Let's see our PR team earn their bacon, they've had long enough to think about it.

 

[jsp]

Well from what you hear as rumour it sounded like the victim in this case wasn't willing to be a co-operating witness which made a conviction almost impossible.

These charges are some of the hardest to prove in court the conviction rate is something like 2% of all investigations end in a guilty verdict so for it to go to court the CPS need a very strong case.

I just don't see how Utd can spin it but then look at the guy playing centre mid for Arsenal all the season by all accounts had his charges dropped due to the courts being time barred.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

 

[SuperRash]

While the charges have been dropped, we still have to keep an eye on what we say on here and not make any speculations or defame anybody.

 

[Cruella ne Ville]

Well from what you hear as rumour it sounded like the victim in this case wasn't willing to be a co-operating witness which made a conviction almost impossible.

These charges are some of the hardest to prove in court the conviction rate is something like 2% of all investigations end in a guilty verdict so for it to go to court the CPS need a very strong case.

I just don't see how Utd can spin it but then look at the guy playing centre mid for Arsenal all the season by all accounts had his charges dropped due to the courts being time barred.

As you say, charges being dropped are down to the chances of securing a conviction, which rest on the willingness of the victim to testify. The major difference between the Arsenal player, who has previous allegations against him, and Greenwood is the victim's video, which has made up the minds of most who saw it or are aware of it. Greenwood has already been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, which is going to bend the willingness of the club to retain him.

It's not right in the slightest, but Gooners are able to turn a blind eye because it's his word against hers/theirs. That's not possible with Greenwood, so I think the backlash would be enormous if a domestic club sign Greenwood.

 

[SuperRash]

I don’t think the process of the club is going to be a quick one. There are so many factors to consider. Will the lucrative sponsorship deals be at stake if we bring him back into the fold? Would a takeover deal potential be threatened if our value plummets? Would the manager/players accept him back into the fold?

Cannot see him ever playing for us again and like others have said, I can see him going abroad.

 

[jsp]

As you say, charges being dropped are down to the chances of securing a conviction, which rest on the willingness of the victim to testify. The major difference between the Arsenal player, who has previous allegations against him, and Greenwood is the victim's video, which has made up the minds of most who saw it or are aware of it. Greenwood has already been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, which is going to bend the willingness of the club to retain him.

It's not right in the slightest, but Gooners are able to turn a blind eye because it's his word against hers/theirs. That's not possible with Greenwood, so I think the backlash would be enormous if a domestic club sign Greenwood.

We've known for a long time football has no morals players can get away with all sorts off the field if they're talented they will be forgiven, a sad reality of the game.

Not like for like but Joelinton was caught drink driving the other day and he didn't face any punishment from the club.

 

[Mr C]

They've just had a chat on this on R5

One journalist was saying Uniteds press release yesterday kind of indicated they would be looking at ways of terminating his contract. Because it was so brief and offered no support. He went on to say it would be a huge decision for a club to make, for a club to write off 100m asset and let any rival pick it up. There are plenty of cases in America where players of sport are let back in to the fold. But he did think it would be the right thing for them to do.

With united top of the Womens league, what kind of message would this send. Some players in the first team squad have disowned him. And ETH has never had him in the squad so wont miss him

I don't see him playing for united again, and as much as we need a player like that, we should let him go.

 

[jsp]

Utd's statement had to be brief as they've said they're conducting their own review they can't say anything else as they risk being sued. Very similar to the Ronaldo situation a few weeks back the statement was always going to be very short as was the statement from Greenwood.

My guess is he'll remain on suspension until the end of this season and won't be asked to report for training, I don't think he could play anyway as he won't have been registered in the squads.

There's a lot of options open to the club depending on what the review process finds and it'll all need to be done in line with employment law and not criminal law.

I suspect like the Ronaldo situation it will end in mutual termination at the end of the season and then it's up to Greenwood to decide what he wants to do after that.

He may decide he doesn't want to return to professional football and he'll move abroad and start a new life or he might decide he wants to return to football. If he does my guess is he'll go and play in another country as the scrutiny in England would be massive and the abuse from fans would never stop.

 

[IDFD]

No way he walks away from the game. You're talking millions of pounds that sets you up for life. He'll definitely play football again.

 

[jsp]

He already has millions in the bank he could easily walk away.

As far as I'm aware he's been getting full pay while suspended and will remain on full pay.

 

[IDFD]

Say he can ball park earn £100k a year a minimum for 10 seasons. You're talking about him walking away from a £50m career. No one is doing that.

And if United turn their back on him someone will snap him up. As we've seen football clubs don't generally have morals. Once he scores a couple of goals for his new club the fans won't care what he's done off the pitch. Especially if he's abroad.

 

[jsp]

Like I said it's his choice to make and we don't know what motivates him. From his Utd contract alone he could have £10m in the bank depending on how careful he's been with his money, you can live a damn good life off that money if you just wanted to disappear.

It's going to be very hard for him to live a normal life in Manchester or anywhere else in the UK if he keeps playing here, the allegations he's faced will stick to him for life even if they can't be proven in court, that's just a reality of the real world. Footballers live in bubbles but even going out for dinner or shopping for him would be tough which is why I think if he carries on he'll go abroad.

If Utd let him go no doubt someone would give him another chance probably has to accept a big pay cut from what he earns now and drop down to some of the less glamorous European leagues or go off to the middle east but if he did well it wouldn't be long before bigger clubs started sniffing around him again.

 

[Mr C]

He wont play for united, the player in Scotland who someone signed, the womens team went on strike or something.

I can't see another big league pick him up. He could go to Saudi, maybe America or Oz.

I don't think he'll be earning big bucks from football again.

 

[EtHagArmy]

Aside from everything else I would say EtH would see it as an unwelcome distraction to the rebuild.
No way back into a United shirt

 

[IDFD]

He's been included in our Premier League squad list.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

Hasn’t he always been included in the Premier League squad?

 

[SuperRash]

Yeah he was always in it even at the start of the season, so him remaining in the squad for the second half means nothing really.

 

[Berba_God]

It’s an uneasy and difficult situation for all concerned.

 

[Mr C]

He gets in as an under 21 player

 

[Cruella ne Ville]

They've just had a chat on this on R5

One journalist was saying Uniteds press release yesterday kind of indicated they would be looking at ways of terminating his contract. Because it was so brief and offered no support. He went on to say it would be a huge decision for a club to make, for a club to write off 100m asset and let any rival pick it up. There are plenty of cases in America where players of sport are let back in to the fold. But he did think it would be the right thing for them to do.

With united top of the Womens league, what kind of message would this send. Some players in the first team squad have disowned him. And ETH has never had him in the squad so wont miss him

I don't see him playing for united again, and as much as we need a player like that, we should let him go.

In the past, there have been all sorts of scumbags, murderers, abusers etc., allowed back into US sport. Hell, even Deshaun Watson was allowed to play football last season after being accused of sexual assault by 24 separate women. Trevor Bauer, on the other hand, was suspended for 2 seasons (later reduced to 194 games) and subsequently sacked by the LA Dodgers for incidents not dissimilar to Greenwoods, including the fact that there were no charges.

I don't see United bringing him back and wanting the negative publicity that would come with it. I can't see ETH wanting to answer questions every week about a player he doesn't have any allegiance to.