Natalie Burrell is the founder of Manchester United’s Women’s Supporters’ Club. Here, she writes for The Athletic about how she felt seeingAntony play for her club again…
When it rains at Manchester United, it pours.
It is important to say from the outset that Antony has not been charged or arrested following allegations — all of which he strongly denies — of assault against several women.
Brazilian authorities and Greater Manchester Police are, though, looking into these claims.
But that was not enough to deter Erik ten Hag from calling on Antony from the bench against Galatasaray at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
I felt very apathetic when he came on and wasn’t surprised at the mixed reaction he got.
This feeling first began when I listened to Ten Hag’s press conference ahead of that Champions League match. He was asked about the message it sends by bringing back Antony after he spent some time in Brazil to “address the allegations”, as the club put it. His response was one you have come to expect in football.
“Antony will be in consideration,” he said. “Yesterday (Sunday) was his first time back in team training, then we make a decision.”
‘Nothing to see here. Nobody has been charged. Let’s move on’ — that is how I interpreted it, anyway.
But, no, we don’t need, or want, to forget about it.
Manchester United are not just a football club. They are a community, a vehicle of change, and culturally significant to a lot of people.
Antony prepares to come on against Galatasaray (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
We’ve just had the Mason Greenwood issue, and now it’s Antony. I know it’s a different situation as Antony has not been arrested. And to be fair to United, I don’t think they could have handled the Antony situation — up to the moment he was named in the squad for Tuesday night — much differently, while it is important not to try someone via social media.
But, as a woman, you may have gone through these sorts of things yourself, or have friends who have been through it.
Yet, the sweep-it-under-the-carpet approach adopted by football when it comes to accusations of violence against women is systemic. One in four women have suffered domestic violence in the UK, and globally this extends to one in three, so it hits to the core.
United said “as a club, we condemn acts of violence and abuse” and “acknowledge the impact these allegations have on survivors of abuse” — but what does that really mean?
The club also said they are working with the charity Women’s Aid, and that is what you want to see. But what exactly does this involve?
I want United to put on domestic violence and sexual assault workshops for their men’s team. If they are already doing that, great — but tell us that is what’s happening.
I want to see the players talking to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. People may think that is crass, but the club need to be standing alongside charities. They should be inviting Women’s Aid and other charities to games at Old Trafford because it will benefit our football club.
The players can learn what it can be like as a woman going to watch them and how it feels to be a victim of domestic violence.
So, when male footballers react to Memphis Depay’s post about Benjamin Mendy being found not guilty and start liking it, they need to know how that feels as a woman. Many victims don’t even get the chance to go to court.
GO DEEPER
Footballers are rushing to support Benjamin Mendy - it’s rare to see them so vocal
The reality, though, is that this is the Premier League — and all that matters is the bottom line.
You saw it when Pep Guardiola spoke in support of Mendy during his rape trial before the defender was found not guilty of all charges, and you see it with a player at another club in the Premier League. He cannot be named for legal reasons, but continues to play despite being investigated by the police after allegations of rape were made against him.
Decisions like these should be taken out of clubs’ hands, and there should be a common code of conduct for such situations.
There is always talk that clubs will do more training around domestic violence and sexual assault but it so often just feels like talk — that they just don’t care.
I know there are lots of good people who work at United, and many of them were prepared to walk out and protest over the Greenwood issue. Whether they are being heard, I don’t know, but I do know they are fighting.
(Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Maybe without the Glazers, it would change. But with these owners, it is all about the money. There are no morals. There isn’t anything — not even football success.
This is a different issue, I know, but there were a lot of Galatasaray fans with tickets for the home areas of the stadium last night. This happens at every club, but it stinks even more at United.
The Glazers don’t care about the community of Manchester.
All that matters is the colour of your money. That was shown by Galatasaray fans being able to celebrate in the home seats.
The fish rots from the head, and all the Glazers care about is money, so why would they care about violence against women?
(Top photo: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images )
