According to him, the English club did not treat the young footballer fairly by cutting ties despite finding him not guilty.
ADVERTISEMENT
Former TV3 General Manager renounces support for Man United over Greenwood saga
Former General Manager of Media General and TV3, Francis Doku, has suspended his support for Manchester United after the club decided to dump Mason Greenwood.
Former TV3 General Manager renounces support for Man United over Greenwood saga
Recommended articles
In a statement addressed to the club, Doku said their decision was wicked and that he could not continue to support the club.
Former MD for Media General, Francis Doku
Pulse Ghana
“I believe the decision is preposterous and very wicked towards the young man. It is obvious Manchester United wanted to reintegrate him into the team but succumbed to the dangerously rising cancel culture to deny Greenwood due diligence,” parts of his statement said.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I cannot continue to support a club that thinks about its image and succumbs to such pressure to jeopardise the professional career and future of a young man who has been with the club since he was seven and regrets his action.”
On Monday, Manchester United announced that striker Greenwood would leave the club following the conclusion of its internal investigations.
The 21-year-old has been suspended since January 2022 when he was charged with rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, following allegations by his girlfriend.
The charges were eventually dropped earlier this year after a withdrawal of key witnesses, with the player even returning to individual training.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last week, The Athletic reported that the club was planning on bringing back the young forward, which led to backlash from a section of the fans.
Mason Greenwood released by Manchester United
Pulse Ghana
In a statement released on Monday, Manchester United said they have come to an agreement with Greenwood to mutually part ways, citing “the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.”
Meanwhile, read Francis Doku’s statement on suspending his support for the club below:
I Francis Doku, a native of sudoku in the Greater Accra Region in Ghana, do hereby renounce my support for the English football club, Manchester United.
ADVERTISEMENT
Regrettable as this decision may be, it was taken on the principle that the club acted cowardly in the Mason Greenwood rape allegation matter. The club noted that Greenwood was not guilty of what he was accused of yet went on to hang him out to dry.
In a letter issued to the supporters of the club on August 21, 2023, Chief Executive Richard Arnold noted, amongst other things, that the club started investigating the matter from February 2023 when all charges were dropped against Greenwood, after over one year of investigations and hearings in court, and that "the evidence we did collate led us to conclude that Mason did not commit the acts he was charged with."
This notwithstanding, Mr. Arnold went on to state that the club had "decided that Mason will seek to rebuild his career away from Manchester United." In order words, the club is letting him go despite the alleged victim asking the police to drop charges, the courts dropping all charges against him and the club's investigations (limited as Arnold claimed they were) finding him guiltless of the acts he was charged with.
I believe the decision is preposterous and very wicked towards the young man. It is obvious Manchester United wanted to reintegrate him into the team but succumbed to the dangerously rising cancel culture to deny Greenwood due diligence. I cannot continue to support a club that thinks about its image and succumbs to such pressure to jeopardise the professional career and future of a young man who has been with the club since he was seven and regrets his action.
I may be living far away in Africa and not privileged with the presence and circumstance of the issues in England where Manchester United is based, but I am a fan nonetheless and I have been since 1985 or so. Manchester United has grown to become a global club, and I am sure more supporters around the world, like me, would have wished the club would ignore the few noisy virtue signaling brigade in England to give the young man a second chance.
ADVERTISEMENT
It is in view of this that I have decided to stay away from supporting my boyhood club. Maybe in the future, should I deem it that Manchester United has exorcised itself of this horrible decision, I may come back, but for now, it's au revoir!
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh
Recommended articles
Ricky Roy: Black Stars fitness coach dead
British-Ghanaian Olympian Alice Dearing launches swimming academy in Ghana
Ace sports commentator Joe Lartey Sr. passes away at 96
Brazil legend Marta to retire from international football Olympics
Ghana's 4X100 relay team to battle at Penn Relays for Olympic qualification
Zinabu Issah snatch gold in discus throw at 2024 Paralympics in Morocco
Video: Watch how the Black Starlets beat Serbia 5-1 in the UEFA U-16 tournament
Kurt Okraku’s administration is the best ever in Ghana’s history – Mohammed Polo
