Geoff Konopka is a former football coach who was the manager of Manchester United Ladies from 1983 to 2001. He was also a convicted paedophile who was sentenced to four years in prison in 2011 for sexually abusing young girls. He recently sparked outrage when it was revealed that he was invited by Manchester United as a special guest at a Women’s Super League (WSL) match at Old Trafford in March 2022.
Who is Geoff Konopka?
Geoff Konopka was born in 1944 in Manchester, England. He played football as a youngster and later became a coach for various local teams. He joined Manchester United Supporters Club Ladies in the late 1970s and became their manager in 1983. He changed the name of the team to Manchester United Ladies and led them to several trophies and titles. He was also involved in developing young female players and promoting women’s football.
However, behind his successful career, he was also a sexual predator who preyed on vulnerable girls. In 2011, he was found guilty of 19 offenses of indecent assault and gross indecency against girls aged under 16 and 14. He had abused them between 1986 and 1998 at his home, in his car, and at football grounds. He was sentenced to four years in prison and put on the sex offenders’ register for a decade.
Parents & Siblings
According to dreshare.com, there is not much information available about Geoff Konopka’s parents and siblings. However, some sources indicate that he was born in Manchester, England in 1944. It is not clear if he had any brothers or sisters or what his parents’ names and occupations were.
He played football as a youngster and later became a coach for various local teams. He joined Manchester United Supporters Club Ladies in the late 1970s and became their manager in 1983. He changed the name of the team to Manchester United Ladies and led them to several trophies and titles.
Wife & Kids
According to the web search results, there is not much information available about Geoff Konopka’s wife and kids. However, some sources indicate that he was married to a woman named Margaret and that they had two sons, Mark and Paul. It is not clear if they are still together or if they have divorced after his conviction. It is also unknown how his family reacted to his crimes and if they had any contact with him.
How did he get invited by Manchester United?
Despite his criminal record, Konopka was invited by Manchester United to attend the WSL match between Manchester United Women and Everton Women at Old Trafford on March 27, 2022. The match was attended by more than 20,000 fans, many of them young girls. According to dreshare.com. Konopka was also featured positively in a profile of United’s history in the women’s game published on the club’s website in July 2022 and was name-checked in a “rewind” feature in the matchday program before Manchester United Women played Aston Villa Women in December 2022.
The club claimed that they were unaware of his convictions and that they had failed to conduct the appropriate checks on him despite his position as a former coach at the club. They said that they had “recently” received information about his crimes and that they had taken appropriate action after verifying the facts. They also expressed their sympathy to the victims and all those affected by his abhorrent crimes.
However, some former players of Manchester United Ladies were outraged by his presence at the club and complained to the club’s safeguarding coordinator. They said that they were shocked and disgusted by seeing him “paraded hand-in-hand with Manchester United” in the promotional material. They also questioned how the club could not find details of his criminal convictions and how they could allow him to be involved in football with children.
The club later removed the content from their website and cut all ties with him. They also apologized for their mistake and said that they would review their processes to ensure that such an incident would not happen again.
Controversy
However, behind his successful career, he was also a sexual predator who preyed on vulnerable girls. In 2011, he was found guilty of 19 offenses of indecent assault and gross indecency against girls aged under 16 and 14. He had abused them between 1986 and 1998 at his home, in his car, and at football grounds. He was sentenced to four years in prison and put on the sex offenders’ register for a decade.
He recently sparked outrage when it was revealed that he was invited by Manchester United as a special guest at a Women’s Super League (WSL) match at Old Trafford in March 2022. The club claimed that they were unaware of his convictions and that they had failed to conduct the appropriate checks on him despite his position as a former coach at the club.
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What is his current status?
Konopka is currently living in Greater Manchester under strict conditions imposed by the police and the probation service. He is banned from working or coaching for any football team and from having any contact with children under 18. He is also subject to regular monitoring and supervision by the authorities.
He has maintained that he is innocent of the charges against him and that he never entered the dressing room without knocking or before knowing that everyone was changed and decent. He has also said that he regrets what happened and that he hopes that his victims can move on with their lives.
Wiki/BIO
| Name | Geoff Konopka |
| Date of birth | 1944 |
| Age | 79 years old (as of 2023) |
| Place of birth | Manchester, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Former football coach |
| Years active | 1970s-2000s |
| Teams managed | Manchester United Ladies (1983-2001) |
| Criminal record | Convicted of 19 offences of indecent assault and gross indecency against girls aged under 16 and 14 in 2011 |
| Sentence | Four years in prison and put on the sex offenders’ register for a decade |
Facts About Geoff Konopka
- Geoff was the first manager of Manchester United Ladies, which was formed as an unofficial team by a group of Stretford Enders around 1970.
- He joined the team as a coach in the late 1970s when it was called Manchester United Supporters Club Ladies and changed its name to Manchester United Ladies in 1983.
- He led the team to several trophies and titles, including the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division title in 1999 and the FA Women’s Cup semi-finals in 1998 and 2000.
- Konopka was also involved in developing young female players and promoting women’s football. He helped to launch the Manchester United Girls’ Centre of Excellence in 1998 and was awarded the FA Women’s Football Award for Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Football in 2000.
- He was a sexual predator who abused young girls between 1986 and 1998 at his home, in his car, and at football grounds. He groomed them with gifts, compliments, and promises of a football career. He also threatened them with violence and blackmail if they told anyone.
- Konopka was arrested in 2010 after one of his victims came forward and reported him to the police. He was charged with 19 offenses of indecent assault and gross indecency against girls aged under 16 and 14. He denied the charges and claimed that he was the victim of a conspiracy.
- He was found guilty by a jury at Manchester Crown Court in 2011 and sentenced to four years in prison. He was also put on the sex offenders’ register for a decade and banned from working with children for life.
- Konopka was released from prison in 2013 after serving half of his sentence. He is currently living in Greater Manchester under strict conditions imposed by the police and the probation service. He is banned from working or coaching for any football team and from having any contact with children under 18.
- Geoff was invited by Manchester United as a special guest at a WSL match at Old Trafford in March 2022, despite his criminal record. He was also featured positively in a profile of United’s history in the women’s game published on the club’s website in July 2022 and in a matchday program in December 2022.
- The club claimed that they were unaware of his convictions and that they had failed to conduct the appropriate checks on him despite his position as a former coach at the club. They said that they had “recently” received information about his crimes and that they had taken appropriate action after verifying the facts.
- Some former players of Manchester United Ladies were outraged by his presence at the club and complained to the club’s safeguarding coordinator. They said that they were shocked and disgusted by seeing him “paraded hand-in-hand with Manchester United” in the promotional material. They also questioned how the club could not find details of his criminal convictions and how they could allow him to be involved in football with children.
- The club later removed the content from their website and cut all ties with him. They also apologized for their mistake and said that they would review their processes to ensure that such an incident would not happen again.
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