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Mason Greenwood has been mooted for a return to professional football this season, with Manchester United set to announce their decision over his future imminently.
As reported by The Peoples Person, Greenwood has been training on his own in a bid to sharpen up ahead of a potential return to action.
But his return to Man United would not be welcomed by all – far from it – and a group of regular match-going fans have made their feelings clear, with protests planned for the team’s curtain-raiser against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday..
“Female Fans Demand No Greenwood Return – End Violence Against Women,” their banner reads, and, speaking to The Athletic, they were adamant that Mason Greenwood has no place at Old Trafford moving forward.
“It’s time for the club to stand up and make the right decision,” one of the organisers said. “It’s time to say, ‘We have high standards at United about how we expect players to conduct themselves and, if you do not meet those standards, you need to be moved out.’
“This is a tipping point for the club. Are they going to side with commercialism and trophies and money? Or are they going to take the side of match-going fans and the club being a social and community institution that we can be proud of, and proud to have as part of our identity?”
A group has been launched on Twitter, the ‘Female Fans Against Greenwood’s Return,’ and their recent statement criticises the “extreme arrogance, entitlement, and exceptionalism” of Mason Greenwood, while blasting any potential narrative of a “repentant father” or a “young genius who made a mistake.”
The statement challenges the club to make the right decision, questioning whether United is “just a vehicle for commercial success, trophies, sponsorships, and revenue,” or a place of “belonging and community.”
Our statement in full. pic.twitter.com/4oBjirfAEa
— Female Fans Against Greenwood’s Return (@FFAGR2023) August 11, 2023
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 and charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Charges were withdrawn a year and a month later due to “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction,” according to a spokesperson for the Crown’s Prosecution Service.
That does mean that Greenwood is a free man, but after the shocking video released in the lead-up to his arrest, public opinion is another matter.
Man United are considering a reintegration procedure that would involve a television interview challenging him on the events leading to his arrest, as well as rehabilitation and counselling. A loan move is also on the cards.
But winning over fans would take real remorse and genuine change. Incidents such as the one reported by The Peoples Person earlier in the week, in which a member of his entourage threatened to destroy a fan’s camera, do little to suggest regret.
A decision is imminent, with the club having maintained that the matter would be resolved before the start of the Premier League season. The club must tread carefully, and pay heed to the concerns of its fans.