Greenwood

[G-Man]

It's all over English websites, so I don't suppose we need to be coy about the allegations against Mason Greenwood.

My first thought was whether that this might be a career-ender. In the current climate, it might well be, and if so, damn well rightly so. If these allegations are true, fuck him.

But -- second thought -- my first thought should be with the alleged victim. She is incredibly brave.

Third thought: he seems such a nice young man. And that is an obvious lesson that is so difficult to learn. Nice-seeming young men can be abusers and rapists just as much as shadowy guys with hairy backs. Why was I surprised to learn that Greenwood is an alleged abuser, whereas I might have been less surprised if it was an agricultural defender or some racist fuck who played for a club I don't like?

Fourth thought. This will be a strange thing: if Greenwood should score for United, will I cheer? Will I boycott games with Greenwood the way I boycott Polanski films? I'm cheering Ronaldo goals, and there is the allegation against him... Other fans have been in that situation, with convicted rapists turning out for their team. How does one navigate this?

[G-Man]

Not going to link to the Daily Heil, but they're showing early form. Sub-head: "One [posted image] showed the WAG with a huge gash on her top lip and blood streaming down."

That poor woman will not have an easy time of it... As I said, she's incredibly brave.

[Snake Plissken]

Mod hat: Happy to have the general discussion, but ask that everyone is careful with their words.

[dddd]

"The WAG." Jesus. That's the misogyny they claim to be decrying. Individual abusers will come and go but misogynistic institutions like the Mail and their colleagues endure.

[Simon G]

I've seen the images and heard the audio. It's sickening.

She's a very brave woman and I hope she gets the support she needs for coming out in such a way.

[Foot of Astaire's]

Heard it this morning and really wished I hadn't. Awful and sadly, the reality for many women the world over. If it's accurate I'd hope the perpetrator lost his job and couldn't find an employer willing to take him on in the future.

[Patrick Thistle]

It takes a lot to get a player actually removed from the professional game. As seen with other cases, even a prison sentence wouldn't deter every club from offering a player some sort of second chance.

Statistically it's likely every club will have at least one spouse abuser on their staff, just like statistically there is at least one house in your street or apartment in your block that's the scene of domestic violence on a regular basis. It needs to be discussed more.

[EIM]

Sack him. Sell Ronaldo. Fold the club. Dissolve the league. Burn the whole immoral mess to the ground. It's all just a tool to sell NFTs and promote gambling anyway. Waste of fucking time and money.

I was considering binning off my ST anyway. This might just do it.

[G-Man]

But we all know how it'll play out. Greenwood (or his lawyers) will:

• claim that the couple liked a bit of adventurous romance and it maybe went a little bit too far this time but it was all meant in good spirits (in other words: she's overreacting and herself to blame);
• apologise for the inconvenience, especially to all his fans for him he's a role-model;
• emphasise that he uncompromisingly stands against all gender-based violence;
• point out that nothing has really been proven but this is a time of reflection for him and the nation;
• announce that he'll take some time out to attend to this essentially private matter, the privacy of which should be respected;
• issue the boilerplate mantra: "Don't let one little, itsy-weeny-tiny mistake ruin a young man's life...

Meanwhile the tabloids will find out just what a slut the slutty complainant is, and Greenwood will be back in April like nothing has ever happened.

Playbook stuff.

[EIM]

The club will have known about the allegations for quite some time and still selected him, which makes their statement even more nauseating.

[Foot of Astaire's]

It takes a lot to get a player actually removed from the professional game. As seen with other cases, even a prison sentence wouldn't deter every club from offering a player some sort of second chance.

Statistically it's likely every club will have at least one spouse abuser on their staff, just like statistically there is at least one house in your street or apartment in your block that's the scene of domestic violence on a regular basis. It needs to be discussed more.

Agreed. If there's anything good to come from this it will be that it keeps it in the spotlight and confirms it's endemic throughout society, irrespective of income and lifestyles.

That the victim appears to have bravely filmed and recorded it, certainly suggests there's been (many) previous occasions.

[Antepli Ejderha]

We know he's cheated on her previously, him and Phil Foden got kicked out of the England camp against Iceland because of it.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The club will have known about the allegations for quite some time and still selected him, which makes their statement even more nauseating.

Why do you think this? I've no reason to doubt this btw.

[multipleman78]

He won't be playing top level football again, I would doubt. The social media backlash from fans against him will be too much for any club to stomach. Someone might try and employ him but they will back down.

Ched Evans tried to find a club a few times when he was found guilty and served a sentence but each time was met with angry fans saying, "we don't want him here."

If Greenwood, like Evans, is found not guilty in the end, he might sneak back in but I don't see it being successful. The audio and pictures are too damning to be accepted at any professional club.

[Sporting]

Do Preston fans want Evans?

[Third rate Leszno]

There was a rumour about this circulating earlier last year on the twitters, wasn't there? One of those links to an apparently unremarkable (sadly) story about police investigating an assault on a woman by a 19 year old man with the strong insinuation that it was a particular footballer at a premier league club.

[jameswba]

Do Preston fans want Evans?

I'd have no idea about that, but I think he's perhaps a more depressing precedent than Multipleman suggests. He's currently first-choice in attack, scores a few goals and has a contract till next summer.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Robinho is still playing.

The currently suspended PL player will get contact offers if he doesn't go to prison.

[Antepli Ejderha]

According to Twitter he's now been arrested. Greenwood I mean.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Bloody hell. What Simon G said.

[Janik]

I'd have no idea about that, but I think he's perhaps a more depressing precedent than Multipleman suggests. He's currently first-choice in attack, scores a few goals and has a contract till next summer.

You have slightly missed multipleman's point there. Evans has only been able to get clubs again after his appeal succeeded. Before that he was personae non grata.

If Greenwood, like Evans, is found not guilty in the end, he might sneak back in but I don't see it being successful. The audio and pictures are too damning to be accepted at any professional club.

If he isn't going to get a route back then it will be because the audio and pictures were too damning and too public rather than directly linked to the seriousness. The name that springs to mind here is Danny Simpson. He was perhaps seconds from murdering his partner when the police responding to a 999 call where what sounded like violence was happening in the background broke down the door, and threw him off her when he was sitting astride her with his hands around her throat strangling her and she was making "choking noises". But because she withdrew her statement, refused to give evidence of what had happened prior to the police bursting through the door (indeed wouldn't support the prosecution) all Simpson was tried and convicted of was assault. Basically that five seconds the police saw was all the court could go on.
Simpson has played over 100 matches for Premiership and Championship level clubs since his conviction.

[jameswba]

You have slightly missed multipleman's point there. Evans has only been able to get clubs again after his appeal succeeded. Before that he was personae non grata.

I was replying to this part, which I thought implied Evans hasn't been successful even since his appeal : 'If Greenwood, like Evans, is found not guilty in the end, he might sneak back in but I don't see it being successful.'

[Simon G]

This statement from her father is a bit, how do I word it, concerning:

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/harriet-..._campaign=feed

[Satchmo Distel]

Is it possible they bought Ronaldo partly because they knew this might come out so needed to phase Greenwood out of the side?

[Antepli Ejderha]

This statement from her father is a bit, how do I word it, concerning:

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/harriet-..._campaign=feed

Extremely concerning. Be a fucking father to your daughter.