Channel 4 star Rachel Riley vows to stop supporting Man United if Mason Greenwood returns
Channel 4 star Rachel Riley has said she will stop supporting Manchester United should Mason Greenwood be brought back into the fold at the club.
Greenwood hasn't played or trained for United since January 2022, when he was arrested and subsequently charged with attempted rape, assault and coercive control.
All charges against the England international were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February, due to key witnesses withdrawing their involvement in the case and new material from the case coming to light.
Greenwood, who has recently become a father, has remained suspended with full pay by United amid a thorough internal investigation.
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It was thought that the investigation would be finalised before the start of the new season but proceedings have been delayed.
A recent statement from United said they "are in the final stages of making a decision" on Greenwood's future after concluding the "fact-finding phase" of the investigation.
But on Wednesday, The Athletic reported that United chief executive Richard Arnold had informed the club's executive leadership in the first week of August that the plan was to bring back Greenwood.
The Sun followed up with a report that an unnamed source had revealed that the club is 'likely' to reinstate Greenwood as they prepare to announce their final decision as early as Tuesday.
Plenty of United fans are opposed to that outcome and protests took place ahead of the 1-0 win over Wolves. And United fan Riley, who co-hosts Countdown, has admitted she will no longer be able to support her team if Greenwood is reintegrated.
"I won't be able to support United if Greenwood remains at the club," she told her 684,000 Twitter followers, reacting to the same stance shared by a fellow Red Devils fan.
"As an example, when it comes to VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls), less than 1 per cent of rapes reported to police lead to conviction.
"We've all seen and heard enough. Pretending this is ok would be a huge part of the problem.
"It would be devastating for my club to contribute to a culture that brushes this under the carpet and send a message to perpetrators everywhere that you can continue to act as you wish with no consequences.
"I really hope they do the right thing."
United's women team are said to have received "menacing" and "threatening" messages over the delay in the Greenwood decision and one agent considered enlisting cybersecurity support for their client.
Greenwood has been training alone, with footage surfacing online. His last appearance for United was against West Ham on January 22 last year.
It has been claimed United were considering allowing Greenwood to conduct a challenging TV interview to address the situation in the event of him returning.
In their statement released on Wednesday, United said: "Contrary to media speculation, that decision has not yet been made and is currently the subject of intensive internal deliberation. Responsibility ultimately rests with the Chief Executive Officer.
"Once made, the decision will be communicated and explained to the club's internal and external stakeholders."
When contacted by SPORTbible for further comment, Manchester United reiterated their original statement on Greenwood.
Topics: Manchester United, Mason Greenwood, Erik Ten Hag
Josh Lawless