Manchester United made convicted paedophile Geoff Konopka 'guest of honour' as they were unaware of offences against girls

Manchester United were unaware that the former coach of its women's team Geoff Konopka was a convicted paedophile when he was invited back to the club as a special guest last year.

Konopka was in charge of Manchester United Ladies from 1983 to 2001, but was sentenced to four years in prison in 2011 after being convicted of indecent assault and gross indecency against girls under 16 and 14, The Times reported. Manchester United Ladies were run on a volunteer basis and Konopka was unpaid for the role, with the club having no official involvement in the team.

Konopka was also put on the sex offenders' register for a decade but last year he was invited back to a game at Old Trafford as a guest and has been celebrated by the club for his role in women's football and helping to grow the game.

United celebrated his career and featured him in the Old Trafford museum, while an article on their website in July of this year, under the heading 'Konopka's Reds', praised the club's early involvement in women's football, with United playing at Wembley under the coach in 1994 and 1996.

The 79-year-old was quoted in the story, which also featured in a matchday programme last year, and there was a list of the trophies won under him, including Konopka's own Manager of the Year award, while there was also mention that "in recent years [he] has enjoyed seeing the current United Women side in action", as well as supplying memorabilia to the Old Trafford museum.

In March 2022, Konopka was invited to United's Women's Super League game against Everton at Old Trafford, which was the first occasion the women's team had played at the stadium in front of fans. More than 20,000 supporters were in attendance, including a large proportion of families