A former United captain, Gary Neville has expressed his belief that independent panels should be responsible for investigating serious allegations involving footballers, following his criticism of Manchester United’s handling of the Mason Greenwood case.
Manchester United recently announced that they will part ways with Greenwood by mutual agreement. The forward had been suspended since January 2022 due to allegations involving a young woman, with related images and videos circulating online.
While charges against the 21-year-old England international, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February, United conducted an internal investigation.
Neville, a former United captain, is of the opinion that although the club eventually reached the right decision, their handling of the situation was severely lacking. He called for such serious cases to be taken out of a club’s jurisdiction and entrusted to independent panels in the future.
He said on Sky Sports: “They’ve finally got there. It was clear from day one, for me and anybody who saw the evidence that was initially released, that he wouldn’t play for Manchester United again.
“I would say that the process in getting there has been pretty horrible. When you have significant and difficult situations like this, it requires and authoritative leadership, that comes the very top and Manchester United don’t have that.
“On an issue like domestic abuse and violence against women, there needs to be independence. It shouldn’t be that Manchester United are the judge and jury on such a significant issue, not just for themselves but also for the game.
“People talk about the reputation (hit) to Manchester United but it’s the Premier League here as well.
“My view is on issues of this importance and severity (is) they should be dealt with independently by a panel because it’s been clear that Manchester United have not had the skill and the ability to deal with this situation properly. It’s been well above their grade of experience and ability.”
Reports emerged last week that the club’s chief executive, Richard Arnold, had informed the executive leadership of United in early August about their intention to reintegrate Mason Greenwood into the team.
This information, along with additional details, intensified scrutiny on the club’s decision. In response, Arnold released a public letter to United supporters following the conclusion of their internal investigation.
ormer England midfielder Karen Carney said on Sky Sports: “I empathise with anyone that’s been through or has been triggered by the conversations that we’ve been having.
“Personally I feel really uneasy with the situation. I think Manchester United, as an institution and a football club and what it stands for, have handled this really, really poorly.”