It Is Like You Didn't Exist
A sports club will always be in the spot light on how they conduct their business on and off the field. We have seen how Manchester United have distanced themselves from Greenwood and rightly so. If it shows they protected the player which it seems likely they have in previous cases then the spotlight will fall firmly on the club. I am not saying sponsors will walk away but who knows what will come out over the coming months with a trial expected to take place. If they have indeed covered things up then they are far less marketable and being associated with them in any form will be a major concern for sponsors.
The Manchester United marketing team had to move very quickly removing the player from their online shop and store.
Nike have already cancelled their contract with the player along with EA Sports removing him from their FIFA 22 active game and future squads. Some may suggest this is premature as the player hasn't been tried and convicted yet, but the reality is any association with this individual is bad for business.
How bad you may wonder is take for example a club resigning a player yesterday who was with them in 2007/8. He was accused of rape but the case was dropped due to lack of evidence back in 2011. He paid the victim $100 000 after it was taken to civil court being ordered to pay damages.
This was 10 years ago and after he signed on the dotted line yesterday the club sponsor pulled their sponsorship immediately. The reality is with these crimes against women they are seen as zero tolerance.
The fallout of being associated with such a crime by supporting those is seen as siding with the culprit and not the victim. Whatever happens with the Greenwood case moving forward he is now tarnished forever and it will be like he doesn't exist. This is the right and only signal that clubs can send out to their fan base and to their own players.
I know we talk about the cancel culture with social media which is fickle and pathetic most of the time this however is for real. Manchester United fans are returning the number 11 player shirts asking for refunds. The club will have no choice but to accept this as I don't see how they can't say no. Club sponsor Team Viewer and Cadbury are also having to make sure any adverts are removed linking Greenwood to themselves.
Zero Tolerance. I try to be objective when it comes to accusations, but in this particular case the evidence appears overwhelming.
I believe in redemption but justice first has to be done for his crime
I think sports teams have to be realistic as redemption for these types of crimes can never be seen that way. Any club signing someone with a history runs a massive risk of losing their marketability and why his career is already over. Certain players in the past like Ashley Cole were protected for wife battery and this needs to end.
It is really sad because the whole story looks true. He is a good player, definitely one of my best young star alongside foden and Bukayo saka.
I don't think he would come out well on this one. I think these sponsors have weighed it carefully. He definitely not the first person to be on some kind of scandal, the problem is, this appears to be huge and difficult to cover.
It just a very sad story for a promising player, I wonder what will become of him now.
He is done as a player now and depending how much money he has saved up as he will need every cent for his court case. He is not the first to throw away something special and he won't be the last either.
You’re spot on , on this .
So nasty!. Sometimes we think that players are just those "heroes" on the screen that only move from one side to the other but the truth is that a player must be a person first. It is unfortunate to see how there are players that on the field are geniuses but when they are out if are like .... What can I tell you ...
Sad his career crashed as soon as it started, just so pathetic.
To add weight to the idea that this problem has been known about for a while, at least within football, is Greenwood’s omission from the England squad in recent games.
Back in November, Gareth Southgate left him out of the squad because he was “on a different pathway”. Seemed a bit of cryptic reason at the time but suggests they knew this charge/story was coming soon
Wow so far reaching things like this could be. The deeper problem is the riotous lives most players live, multiple sexual partners and all that immorality. These ones that make headlines(eg Mendy of City) are the extras,the ones that obviously break the rules in the law book, if not most players really need help in their social lives.
My concern is that the law runs it's course on him, but most especially I hope he turns a new leaf. It's up to clubs to decide if they can cope with the baggage of his past,if he gets out of this and changes for good.
It's akin to a hate speech if one says his career is over. No human is the custodian of time and events,you are not even perfectly sure you would be alive tomorrow, so at best humand can only deduce.
Violence of any kind is severely condemned, I think that Manchester United did what should be done by suspending the player previously and removing the player from his online store.
The NRL in Australia, that's our rugby league competition has a no fault stand down policy
It is aimed at serious charges and perhaps the EPL need to have something similar
Dude, I play FIFA and saw his price actually go sky high after the news broke. This world is sick sometimes. I really hope there's a better way to avoid allowing this mentality to spread as more money is put in football salaries.
There will be more to come in this story. he's an absolute scumbag.
I agree and why I think United may be in some trouble for hiding the truth for so long. They put others at risk which is plainly wrong and irresponsible for the sake of the team. I do see problems for the club and who knows if sponsors pull out or what the fall out will be.