I tried as much not to play the race card, especially in these scenarios, but the system looks like it leaves one with no other option. I remember how the jury in Ryan Giggs case of assault and abuse was hurriedly discharged after about 22 hours of deliberation in August 2022 as they couldn't come to an agreement on whether he was guilty, and even when asked if they could reach an agreement given more time, the jury said no. Again, their race may or may not have played a role in this, it just leaves more begging for answers.

How about Ched Evans who was found guilty? He spent 2 and a half years in prison whilst maintaining his innocence. Eventually to have all charges dismissed. A Welsh international at the time who struggled to reignite his career in the lower leagues.

The Mason Greenwood one is more difficult because the audio and video evidence was publicly available for all to hear and make their own judgement - and it’s extremely difficult to listen to. The UK justice system is already extremely traumatic for victims of rape and sexual abuse to navigate - the stats regarding prosecutions are extremely low and it’s a miracle that victims are brave enough to step forward. It would be an increasingly dangerous ground to start prosecuting women who believe they’re victims of a court, or even the prosecution service decide there’s not enough evidence.

I dread to think what will happen in Italy now after a judge ruled that a teenage girl wasn’t sexually assaulted by a 44 year old man because it lasted for less than 10 seconds. Time 10 seconds and imagine somebody you hate fondling you for that long. It’s outrageous.

I don’t know the minute details of either case - the Greenwood one is a typical example of victim abuse where the abused goes back to the abuser - I’ve seen this 1st hand where somebody close to me would be beaten regularly but was blinded by love until they eventually walked away. I experienced one episode of this 1st hand. Could the abuser have been prosecuted without the testimony of the abused? No chance. Victims who are still in love don’t want that. And many return to have children with their abusers.

It’s a far too complicated subject and I understand why these players will find it so difficult to return to the game - rightly or not - simply because of how awful our justice system had become. “Not guilty” or “not enough evidence for a conviction” doesn’t mean much in this country. If the players had any sense, they’d get women to sign a consent form - it’d hardly kill the moment as they’re going to get laid either way.