Ryan Giggs was originally scheduled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but plans changed after the Manchester United legend went to court on suspicion of domestic violence.
Ryan Giggs’ domestic violence accusations have led to him being removed from the Premier League Hall of Fame (Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
The Premier League has scrapped plans to make Ryan Giggs one of its first Hall of Fame inductees as he is on trial for domestic violence.
Alan Shearer was the first member of the club and the original plan was to have him join the club alongside the 52-year-old Manchester United legend. Until his retirement, Giggs held the record for goals in every Premier League season and won more games than any other player in history.
According to a report in the Telegraph, Giggs was due to be inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame, but it was postponed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and by the time it resumed, the Welshman had been charged with domestic violence and was subsequently removed from the list, along with Thierry Henry, who replaced the first two Hall of Famers.
Mr Giggs was acquitted of coercive or controlling behavior charges in July 2023 after his ex-girlfriend refused to give evidence at his retrial. He has always denied the charges and said he felt “very relieved” at the time.
Chris Doe KC, representing Giggs, told Manchester Crown Court: “The position is that he has always been innocent of these charges and that so many lies have been told about him.”
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It has been two-and-a-half years since Giggs’s accuser recanted her evidence, and pressure is mounting to bring Giggs back into the conversation. Some people have pointed out that people with criminal records are still inducted into the Hall of Fame, but not inducting Giggs is a double standard.
Eric Cantona was previously convicted of assault and Tony Adams was jailed for drunk driving. John Terry, who was suspended for four games by the Football Association for racial abuse, and Rio Ferdinand, who was suspended for eight months for failing a drug test, are both Hall of Famers.
Mr Giggs has so far appeared unconcerned by his omission. “It’s not something I really think about,” he told the Daily Mail. “It’s been talked about a few times and then I think about it. You don’t start playing football to get into the Hall of Fame.”
Alan Shearer becomes the first Hall of Fame inductee (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
Inductees will be selected by a combination of public vote, a list of finalists determined by a committee, and finalists determined by existing inductees. Eden Hazard and Gary Neville have also recently joined the squad.
Mirror Football contacted the Premier League for comment, but they did not specifically discuss Giggs, but said: “The Premier League Hall of Fame shortlist is selected at the discretion of the Premier League in consultation with members of the Premier League Awards Committee.
“Each year, the final Hall of Fame players are determined by the existing Hall of Fame members. The final list is reviewed annually, taking into account various factors, including voting data from past finalists, era, player position, and performance. New players who meet the selection criteria become eligible upon retirement from professional football.”
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