Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood return plan included list of ‘hostile’ figures

Manchester United’s plan to bring back Mason Greenwood was so advanced that the club even prepared documents outlining the type of images that should be taken of the player during training sessions and planned how manager Erik ten Hag should handle questions during an anticipated media storm.

According to sources with knowledge of United’s planning, who remain anonymous because they are not authorised to speak publicly, the club’s preparations for Greenwood’s return also included an assessment of the expected sentiment of external figures, listing individual football pundits, journalists and politicians and stating whether they would be for or against Greenwood’s reintegration. The planning divided these people into categories to the effect of “supportive”, “open-minded” or “hostile”. The club’s document listed a series of domestic abuse charities assumed to be “hostile”.

This is a follow up from a prior article that said Manchester United executives had decided to bring Mason Greenwood back. For the uninitiated, Mason Greenwood is/was a highly rated player who was accused of sexual abuse in January 2022. He hasn't played for the club since.

Greenwood, 21, has not played for United since he was arrested in January 2022 after a recording and images were released on social media of an alleged sexual attack. Charges against Greenwood for attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which he denied, were dropped in February of this year. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service said: “A combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”

There's more to this such as the fact that Greenwood violated his bail terms and contacted the victim who eventually refused to testify. The Athletic (and Adam Crafton) has done a phenomenal job in the past week exposing the club's horrific actions / decisions.