There is nothing about the Mason Greenwood situation that sits comfortably with me.

Last year, on the basis of images and audio files posted online, the Manchester United and England striker was accused of a range of appalling crimes, including coercive behaviour, assault and attempted rape. And I think we can all agree that anyone found guilty of those crimes deserves the very harshest punishment the law can dish out.

But here’s the thing – Greenwood wasn’t found guilty.

In fact, a combination of key witnesses pulling out of the case and new material coming to light meant the police called off their investigation and all the charges were dropped. When the police closed the case, the club launched its own investigation which concluded last week.

“Based on the evidence available to us, we have concluded that the material posted online did not provide a full picture and that Mason did not commit the offences in respect of which he was originally charged.”

Greenwood himself has admitted to making mistakes but has also denied doing the things he was accused of.

Being a bit of a twat does not justify ostracising someone from society. If it did, society would be a rather empty place

Yet despite all that, the player has still been vilified by the mainstream media, hounded by celebrity fans and relentlessly attacked on social platforms. And the passion of that vilification and ferocity of the attacks prompted United to decide he needs to continue his career elsewhere. But let’s be honest here, that isn’t likely to happen, is it?

Manchester United concluded that, despite Greenwood’s undeniable talent, the backlash of putting him back on the pitch would be too great. And that will apply at every club he tries to sign for. Someone will express an interest in signing him, their fans and sponsors will threaten to walk away, and the deal will fall through.

Despite being innocent in the eyes of the law, despite denying the crimes he was accused of, he is effectively unemployable. Clubs will simply not be able to sign him without being accused of supporting a wife-beating rapist. The greater public has made up their mind about the case – thanks to the wonderful power of the internet – and they aren’t going to let hard, legal facts get in the way of their predetermined judgement.

I am going to be honest; from what I have read about Greenwood he doesn’t really come across as a nice guy. And, apparently, he wasn’t exactly what you would call popular in the dressing room. But being a bit of a twat does not justify ostracising someone from society. If it did, society would be a rather empty place.

At the end of the day, there may only be one solution to this that allows everyone to move forward in one direction or the other – full, unadulterated disclosure.

Despite prosecutors deciding there wasn’t a case to answer, the wider public decided there was, and have found Greenwood guilty. Yet there must be something quite significant in terms of evidence for both the police and the football club to decide he didn’t do what was claimed.

Telling the full story might be a hugely uncomfortable process for everyone involved, but if Greenwood is genuinely innocent, he will need to prove it to the masses and not just the authorities. That’s the only way I can see him ever being allowed to resume his life as a top-level professional footballer. Or not, as the case may be.

Falling at the final hurdle

For a while it looked very much like England’s women were about to do what England’s men hadn’t been able to do for almost 60 years. And before you say something along the lines of “well, that could be any number of things”, I am, of course, referring to lifting the World Cup.

Sadly, it was not to be, as the Lionesses fell agonisingly short, losing the final 1-0 to Spain. In my opinion, most of England’s ladies just didn’t turn up for the match and, on the day, Spain were the better team. Superior organisation and sharper tactics made them deserved winners.

Still, this whole World Cup has given the women’s game another massive boost and increased the popularity of a sport which has really taken off in recent years. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it is still a way behind the men’s game as an overall product. But it is improving at a rate nobody could have envisioned just a short time ago and the Lionesses are playing a key role in driving the sport forward.

Having said all that, England’s women did score one own goal – by making a private exit from the airport on their arrival back in London. A group of fans – some of whom had slept there the night before – had gathered at Heathrow to welcome the team on their return from Australia. But instead of coming out for a meet and greet, they snuck out of a VIP backdoor.

Up until that point I think the ladies had been magnificent and perfect ambassadors for this blooming sport. But that felt a little disrespectful after the way the country had got behind them. Apparently, the surreptitious exit was the Football Association’s idea; which would explain it. You can always count on that particular organisation to misgauge public opinion...

Grealish wins again

With every passing month my respect for Jack Grealish grows.

It’s not quite a full-blown man-crush (although in the right light he is a pretty chap) but I am a huge admirer of the way he is approaching his ‘star’ status.

Too many players become aloof and unapproachable when they hit the heights of fame. Jack, however, is keeping his feet firmly on the ground and maintaining his warm and caring approach.

His latest display of getting things right came after the European Super Cup final last week. As players from both sides lined up to shake hands with the dignitaries and get their medals, almost all of them ignored a young, visually impaired girl who was part of the entourage.

Not Jack. He stopped to bend down and have good old chat with the girl, holding up the procession of players and prompting some busybodies to try and get him to move things along.

Grealish might not be everyone’s cup of tea as a player, but I tell you what: he is one of the few around who not only cares about ‘little’ people but isn’t afraid to show the rest how they should be behaving.

A top player and a fantastic human being.

E-mail: James@Quizando.com

Twitter: @Maltablade