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Continued from front page... It was a scoreline that maybe could have seen more goals, but one that Gillingham will be delighted with. Danny Lloyd-McGoldrick scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after a handball by a Crewe defender. On-loan striker Charlie Kelman had a golden chance for 2-0 just minutes later, whilst substitute attacker Vadaine Oliver had an equally strong chance in the second half, seeing his shot parry off the bar and roll agonizingly along the goalline. There were standout performances from goalkeeper Aaron Chapman, who kept a clean sheet after being introduced back into the team by Harris, as well as midfielder Olly Lee who played with a high energy in midfield and was key to a lot of Gillingham’s forward attacking play. For a first game, Gils fans should be absolutely delighted with the way they played under their new manager. It was an unorthodox setup from Harris which signals major changes in tactics and game approach at the club following his appointment. Harris lined up a three at the back formation, opting for a 3-4-1-2 shape and scrapping the usual 4-3-3. The formation requires a high amount of energy and pressing in both attack and defense, especially
Photo by KentOnline/API with the use of ‘wingbacks’, that push high up the pitch to support attacks as well as helping solidify
the defense. While there are definitely things to work on with the shape following this game for the
future, it showed promise when executed for large parts of the game. Despite the win, it still feels like Gillingham still have a while to go if they have hopes of holding their position in the league. They certainly had to hold on to ensure the result in this game, with Crewe definitely growing into the game in the second half and risking an equaliser. The Gills defense performed well, especially in the late stages of the game where Crewe had their best chances. Whilst the game was tight, Gillingham certainly showed Harris their intentions for the rest of the season. Safety from relegation is not too far away, and at time of writing Gills sit second from bottom, 8 points away from safety. Furthermore they made a promising signing during the January transfer window, bringing in former Millwall midfielder Ben Thompson, who will no doubt bolster Harris’ options in the squad. There is still lots of work to be done, with Harris post game admitting that things will indeed take time. Regardless, Gillingham fans will see this as a huge result in their season, and hopefully Harris is able to extend this run of good results, which will give them the push they need to remain in the division.
My disappointment with Mason Greenwood By Samuel Leah Newspaper Sport Editor Trigger warning: mentions of domestic violence, assault, blood/gore mention, sexual abuse, rape.
I
logged on to Twitter on an otherwise normal Sunday morning and my page was completely flooded with tweets about Manchester United player, Mason Greenwood. Curiously, I clicked on the trend and had a slow scroll through. The first thing I saw at the very top of the page was an article that said the club was investigating 'rumors that had spread on social media'. Uh oh. Then I see the words 'physical abuse' flash up and my stomach starts to turn. Then I see an audio recording which is allegedly Greenwood forcing his girlfriend to have sex with him. And then below that, is a photo of a girl with blood running from her lip, a thick line that goes all the way down her neck. Videos on her instagram which show in detail ‘what it’s like to be Mason Greenwood’s girlfriend’. I scroll further and further down, and see several articles detailing information about Greenwood’s counts of abuse and violence towards his girlfriend, including threats to kill her. Then I put my head in my hands, and think to myself: 'why’. At this point, I'm angry and upset. As a football fan, this is undoubtedly the last thing you want to see, but out of everyone, Mason Greenwood is the last player I would have expected this behaviour from. A promising 20 year old English forward, who otherwise avoided controversy in the game, focusing on his development at Old Trafford, and a person who was well on his way to solidifying his place in United’s attack. He was a player I actually admired quite a lot and I was excited to see his growth at Manchester United, especially come the summer when the club will welcome new management and a fresh start for trophy hopes. But the optimistic and promising footballing side of Greenwood has faded and tarnished for me now. Now he is simply an abuser who shouldn’t step foot on a football field for a very long time. And besides, at the end of the day we shouldn't even be worrying about the sporting side, if Greenwood will ever play Photo by Sky News
for the club again, or who United will 'bring in as a replacement'. Those points don't matter. Greenwood needs to be disciplined. On the other hand, I greatly applaud the bravery of Harriet Robson, Greenwood’s girlfriend and victim, to record and take account of the damage that has been done and I hope this acts as motivation and inspiration for other women to speak out and bring justice to their abusers. I completely believe the evidence that Harriet has put forward, moreso because there was actually more evidence of abuse from Greenwood back in November 2020, when he was taken into custody for similar reasons. These reports were not pursued, and many fans simply forgot about the situation. These recent reports, however, cannot be ignored. Harriet’s life will forever be changed by this, but this is absolutely a step in the right direction. Robson’s father released a statement not long after the initial story was published, but to me the phrasing of his words was disappointing, and essentially goes against his daughter and the entire reason she chose to release the images. In an interview he stated that his daughter's phone ‘was hacked’ and that ‘she never wanted it released..she was devastated’. I don’t believe this for a second. To see him take his stance just adds to the anger I feel. To see the images and information revealed by your daughter, knowing that Greenwood has had a previous history of this behaviour, and then stressing that Greenwood is ‘part of the family’ and that the two are ‘very much in love’ is honestly disgusting. It becomes crystal clear to me that Mr Robson cares more about being associated with a famous footballer and the income and fame that comes with it, than the safety and security of his own daughter. To repeat: the situation has upset me, it's made me angry, it's made me ashamed for not only the player but also the behaviour that he believes is okay. Most of all it makes me afraid. I'm sick and tired of, not just footballers, but anyone, using their positions of power or wealth to take advantage of people. Mason Greenwood is 20 years old. He's the same age as me. Something about that just gives you chills; the fact you simply don’t know what some people are hiding deep in their private lives.
A few days after the story first broke we got news from Manchester that a ‘20 year old’ (assumed to be Greenwood) had been arrested on charges of rape and assault, while his victim recieved the support and hospitality she needed from the authorities. He was then released on bail days later, pending further investigations. While Greenwood did not face any harsher action, he has still faced the consequences elsewhere. Nike, who are partnered with Manchester United and Greenwood, released a statement announcing they would cut all ties with the player, and found the whole situation ‘disturbing’. The video game FIFA has already removed all instances of Greenwood from their ‘Ultimate Team’ gamemode.. Manchester United have also pledged to offer free exchanges to fans who have bought shirts with Greenwood’s name on the back, whilst also removing all of the player’s merchandise from their store.. Several of the club’s football players as well as a few England international players have unfollowed Greenwood on social media, implying their desire to distance themselves from the player as much as possible. It is also certain that the player will not feature for Manchester United for a long while; the club
releasing a statement that Greenwood ‘will not feature in training sessions or matches until further notice’, reiterating their stance against violence of any kind. He’s also been barred from the national team until the situation reaches a conclusion. United boss Ralf Rangnick was quizzed on the controversy at the first possible opportunity, and the German ensured that the club carried out their business as normal despite the drama surrounding Greenwood’s arrest, stating that they can still compete even without the inclusion of Greenwood. If a harsher sentence is given in the coming weeks then it will absolutely be a blow to English football, but it will be unquestionably a fair decision. Greenwood has well and truly thrown his career and his livelihood away, at such a young age, and has no doubt upset thousands of fans and followers throughout the whole country. Legendary football manager Jose Mourinho puts it best when he says, “Don’t idolize footballers, some of them are pure trash”.