Manchester United fan Rachel Riley reacts after the club announced Mason Greenwood will never play for them again, having threatened to stop supporting them if he did

Rachel Riley has broken her silence after Manchester United announced that Mason Greenwood would leave Old Trafford after the club concluded their internal review of the striker.

The 21-year-old, who was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of several offenses including attempted rape, will no longer play for the club and risks going on loan or having his contract settled.

The Crown Prosecution Service later dropped the charges in February this year after key witnesses stood down and new evidence came to light.

But Greenwood has not played for United, who have launched their own investigation, since his arrest. This seven-month investigation is now complete. United discovered that Greenwood had not committed the offenses he was accused of, but also concluded that it would be best for all if his future was away from Old Trafford.

And Riley – an outspoken United fan – had revealed last week how she would stop supporting the club if they brought Greenwood back to the first team when she tweeted: ‘I won’t be able to support United if Greenwood stays at the club.

United announced the news on Monday after an internal investigation into Greenwood’s future

Greenwood had attempted rape and assault charges against him dropped earlier this year

“As an example, when it comes to VAWG (violence against women and girls), less than 1% of rapes reported to the police result in a conviction. We have all seen and heard enough. Pretending that everything is fine would be a big part of the problem.

Following the announcement of Greenwood’s impending departure, which was published in a club statement by United, Riley shared a message from Women’s Aid – a charity that tries to end domestic violence against women and children — and added, “Excellent statement.”

The charity’s original statement read: “We know today’s news from Manchester United that Greenwood will be leaving the club will be a relief to many survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.” Football is loved by so many around the world, and players are often idolized by fans, so the way alleged cases of domestic violence are handled at clubs has a huge impact on public understanding of it. which is accepted and tolerated in society.

‘We have heard firsthand the impact this case and related documents shared on social media have had on survivors of abuse, and while next steps are being established following the outcome of the internal investigation by Manchester United, it will happen away from the center stage at Old Trafford.

“With many survivors never contacting the police to report abuse in the first place, and the majority of domestic and sexual abuse cases not resulting in a criminal conviction, it is essential that clubs – like all employers – have a broader approach than the criminal justice system, and that deals with the reality of the scale of the problem.

They continued: “This must involve tackling the attitudes that underpin domestic and sexual abuse, and working with players from an early age to make it clear that clubs stand against sexism and misogyny. .” This is a problem that goes far beyond football, with misogynistic content widely available on social media, so it is important to recognize how widespread harmful attitudes are and address them.

“We contacted Manchester United last week in light of the statement made on Wednesday and have since had conversations with the club. Our approach at Women’s Aid remains the same – we want to work together with football clubs and organizations to increase understanding and awareness of domestic violence, as part of our ongoing football campaign.

After the Greenwood decision was announced on Monday afternoon, a United spokesperson said: “All involved, including Mason, recognize the difficulties with him in resuming his career at Manchester United.” It was therefore mutually agreed that it would be more appropriate for him to do so away from Old Trafford, and we will now work with Mason to achieve that result.

Riley shared a tweet from Women’s Aid – a charity that tries to end domestic violence against women and children – after releasing a statement on the Greenwood decision

Riley revealed last week that she would no longer support the club if Greenwood were reinstated

Greenwood’s last outing for United came in a home win against West Ham in January 2022

“Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online does not provide the complete picture and that Mason did not commit the offenses for which he was originally charged. That said, as Mason publicly acknowledges today, he made mistakes for which he takes responsibility.

Meanwhile Greenwood added in his own statement saying: ‘I was brought up to know that violence or abuse in any relationship is wrong, I didn’t do the things I was accused of, and in February, I was cleared of all charges. I take my share of responsibility for the situations that led to the publication on social networks.

“Today’s decision is part of a collaborative process between Manchester United, my family and I. The best decision for all of us is for me to pursue my footballing career away from Old Trafford, where my presence will not be a distraction for the club. I thank the club for their support since I arrived at the age of seven. There will always be a part of me that will be united.’

Chief executive Richard Arnold led the investigation, which was assisted by chief operating officer Collette Roche, club legal adviser Patrick Stewart, their director of communications Ellie Norman and Red Devils director of football John Murtough.