"Clever experiment but sadly predictable" - Fans react as Gary Neville announces he swapped accounts with Jill Scott as a social experiment
Gary Neville has announced that he and Jill Scott took part in a social experiment to see if men and women were treated differently online.
The Manchester United icon posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account about the revelation. He stated:
"I have a confession! Last season (Heineken) asked me and (Jill Scott) to swap Twitter accounts as part of a social experiment to see if men and women are treated differently online. What happened was unfortunately predictable! An important reminder that gender bias should have no place in our game."
The tweet was accompanied by a video titled 'The Social Swap'. Neville and Scott swapped accounts and posted various opinions on UEFA Champions League matches.
One response Gary Neville received when posting as Scott was:
"You should probably concentrate on the girls' league."
Another response was equally as sexist:
"Seems like your brains gone missing. Best leave the football to the boys then luv."
Meanwhile, one of Scott's responses had her colleague jokingly claim that she makes a better Gary Neville than himself:
"The most objective opinion I have seen from you."
The inclusion of women in football has made strides over the years, with the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup garnering huge support. 5.6 million Spaniards watched their nation beat England 1-0 in the final which is the largest audience to ever watch a women's match in Spain. Meanwhile, 14.4 million UK viewers watched on BBC and ITV, per US outlet Deadline.
The FA Women's Super League has also grown in prominence as attendance numbers for the first half of last season rose by 267%, per Forbes. Women are having more input in the sport as many female pundits are now selected to cover the men's game, with the likes of Scott recently covering England's 3-1 friendly win against Scotland.
However, Gary Neville and Scott's social experiment brought to light that there are still issues of gender bias. Fans found the experiment to be eye-opening but the disappointing results were unsurprising, with one stating:
"Very clever experiment and very disappointing, but sadly predictable, results."
Here's how fans on X reacted to the social experiment:
Gary Neville hit out at Manchester United over their prolonged decision to part with Mason Greenwood
Manchester United conducted an internal investigation regarding Mason Greenwood after the English forward was acquitted of sexual assault-related charges.
Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 on charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control. Those charges were dropped earlier this year when key witnesses withdrew from the case.
This led to the Red Devils overseeing their own investigation into the matter although fans had already made their minds up. Damning video and photo evidence of the allegations had reached the public domain.
Manchester United appeared set to reinstate Greenwood before receiving huge backlash on social media. This reportedly led to them performing a U-turn and announcing that the 21-year-old would leave the club.
Gary Neville slammed his former club for their long-winded investigation and the handling of the situation due to its domestic violence implications. He told Sky Sports:
"It was clear from day one, to me and to everyone who saw what was released, that he would never play for Manchester United. They got there, but I would say the process to get there was pretty horrific."
Greenwood has since joined La Liga side Getafe on a season-long loan, with the club subjected to mass criticism for their promotion of the forward's arrival on X. He has been advertised as a major star following his move from Old Trafford.