Manchester United were unaware ‘guest of honour’ at Old Trafford was convicted paedophile

Konopka was sentenced to four years in prison in 2011

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Manchester United have issued a statement after it has emerged a convicted paedophile, Geoff Konopka (79), was invited to the club as a guest of honour last year.

Konopka was sentenced to four years in prison in 2011 after being convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency against young girls aged 16 and 14, reports have claimed.

Before his conviction, Konopka had been in charge of the Manchester United women’s side from 1983 until 2001.

In a statement, the former club said they were unaware of Konopka’s convictions when he attended the event in Old Trafford.

“The club has taken appropriate action after receiving this information and will have no further connection with the individual,” Manchester United said in a statement.

“Manchester United has recently received information around these convictions,” they said.

“And as a matter of urgency has been in contact with the relevant legal and football authorities to substantiate the facts.

“The club has taken appropriate action after receiving this information and will have no further connection with the individual.

“Manchester United expresses its heartfelt sympathy to the victims and all those affected by these abhorrent crimes.”

Konopka was apparently invited by the club to visit as a ‘special guest of honour’ for a game between United and Everton’s Women’s teams in 2022.

The match is understood to have broken attendance records with more than 20,000 fans turning up to lend their support – many of whom were young girls watching with their families.

Several former United Ladies players alerted the club of Konopka’s convictions and sent emails to the club’s safeguarding co-ordinator after he was featured in a promotional article on United’s website, reportedly.

The women documented their ‘shock’ and ‘disgust’ as Konopka was apparently ‘paraded hand-in-hand with Manchester United’.

United commemorated Konopka’s career and featured him in the Old Trafford museum even though he had an ‘active suspension’ on the Football Association’s i.d systems, which banned him from coaching or working with any club whatsoever.

The club has now revealed it ‘will have no further connection’ with Konopka. They removed all references to the individual on their club channels.

Konopka had acknowledged that he served prison time for the offences, which he claimed were ‘historical’ and occurred 30 years before he was sentenced, reportedly.