The Premier League quietly withdrew plans to make Ryan Giggs an inaugural member of its Hall of Fame after he faced trial for domestic abuse allegations, according to correspondence seen by The Telegraph. The former Manchester United winger was originally lined up alongside Alan Shearer to headline the 2020 launch before being secretly removed from promotional materials and the induction list.
Giggs, now 52, was scheduled to be among the first three inductees when the concept launched five years ago. League executives had selected the most decorated player in competition history to be inducted with goalscoring legends Shearer and Thierry Henry. However, celebratory plans were hastily redrawn behind closed doors after it became clear that legal proceedings against the Welshman were escalating.
The 2020 launch event was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. By the time the Hall of Fame officially launched in 2021, Giggs had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his former girlfriend Kate Greville and her sister Emma. Officials reportedly determined that including the United legend would create a public relations disaster that would overshadow the entire project. When the Hall of Fame was unveiled, only Shearer and Henry were inducted as founding members.
Giggs was charged with assault and controlling or coercive behaviour, leading to a high profile legal battle that effectively paused his career in football. The timeline of the case clashed directly with the Hall of Fame rollout. He stood trial in 2022 but the jury failed to reach verdicts on any charges after deliberating for nearly 23 hours. A retrial was scheduled for July 2023.
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However, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) formally withdrew all charges in July 2023 after Greville indicated unwillingness to give evidence again. Prosecutor Peter Wright told Manchester Crown Court that the ordeal had taken its toll on the family. He said there was no realistic prospect of conviction on the coercive behaviour charge and that it was no longer in the public interest to proceed on assault allegations.
Chris Daw, representing Giggs, said his client was deeply relieved that prosecution had finally ended after almost three years of fighting to clear his name. The lawyer added that Giggs had always been innocent of the charges and that very many lies had been told about him in court. Giggs denied losing control and headbutting Greville or elbowing her sister during a row at his home in Worsley, Greater Manchester on 1 November 2020.
Despite being legally cleared more than two years ago, Giggs remains conspicuously absent from the Hall of Fame in 2026. His continued exclusion has created what observers describe as a statistical anomaly that grows more glaring with each passing induction ceremony. The former winger holds the record for most Premier League titles won with 13 championships and the most assists in competition history with 162, a figure that remains comfortably clear of nearest challengers.
His appearance record of 632 matches is second only to Gareth Barry, yet he has not even appeared on a shortlist for public voting since the legal case concluded. While his Class of 92 teammates have been celebrated, the man who played in every single one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s title winning campaigns remains excluded. Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and David Beckham were inducted later in 2021.
The continued snub has drawn criticism from supporters who believe the league is unfairly punishing a man acquitted by the courts. His brother Rhodri Giggs took to social media to brand the Hall of Fame a sham, highlighting Ryan’s unparalleled trophy cabinet using the hashtag TheShamHallOfFame. Matt Le Tissier, the former Southampton midfielder, questioned the decision in October, writing on social media that Giggs should have been one of the first names included.
Critics point out that other Hall of Fame members have criminal records or disciplinary issues. Cantona was previously convicted of assaulting a supporter, while Tony Adams served time in prison for drink driving. John Terry received a four match ban from the Football Association (FA) for racism. Rio Ferdinand was banned for eight months for missing a drug test. The divergent treatment of Giggs compared to these players has fueled accusations of inconsistent standards.
Representatives for Giggs are understood to have held discussions with the Premier League ahead of recent Hall of Fame announcements. However, his name was again absent from inductees revealed in November. Ashley Cole became the latest player inducted, with 15 others competing for two additional spots this year including Sol Campbell, Michael Carrick, Andrew Cole and Jermain Defoe.
Giggs addressed his exclusion publicly for the first time during an April interview on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast. The former Wales manager said he doesn’t really think about the snub until someone mentions it. He explained that Hall of Fame recognition wasn’t something players strive for when starting their careers. Giggs said winning games and trophies was the most important thing for him during his playing days.
When Ferdinand informed him that Gary Neville had been inducted, Giggs joked that he was now upset and would look at the full list when he got home. The lighthearted response masked deeper questions about whether the Premier League has permanently blacklisted the Welsh international despite his formal acquittal. The league declined to comment on Giggs specifically when contacted by media outlets.
A Premier League spokesman said the Hall of Fame shortlist is selected at the discretion of the competition in consultation with members. The selection process combines public voting with a panel chosen shortlist before existing members make final determinations. Factors including previous shortlist voting data, eras, player positions and achievements are taken into consideration when reviewing the list annually.
Giggs made 963 appearances for Manchester United during a 23 year playing career that began in 1991. He won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, four FA Cups and three League Cups. The winger scored 114 goals for the club and earned 64 caps for Wales. He was voted the best player of the Premier League’s first 20 seasons in a 2012 fan poll organized by the league.
After retiring in 2014, Giggs served briefly as United’s interim manager before joining the coaching staff. He was appointed Wales manager in 2018 but stood down from the role in 2020 following his arrest. He officially resigned two years later after initially taking leave. The former winger returned to football in 2024 as director of football at Salford City, a League Two club he co owns with former United teammates.
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Giggs was seen in the dugout assisting Salford manager Karl Robinson during matches in November. The role marked his first public return to football operations since being cleared of criminal charges. Whether this gradual reemergence will eventually lead to Hall of Fame consideration remains uncertain given the Premier League’s silence on the matter.
The situation highlights broader tensions around how sports organizations handle cases involving allegations of domestic abuse, particularly when criminal proceedings fail to reach definitive conclusions. Welsh Women’s Aid expressed extreme disappointment when charges were withdrawn, noting that women are consistently let down by the legal system. The advocacy group stated that only 3.3 percent of domestic abuse suspects are charged according to CPS data.
Some football observers argue that Hall of Fame induction should be based solely on playing achievements rather than personal conduct. Others maintain that the honor represents more than statistics and that character considerations are legitimate factors when celebrating sporting legends. The debate mirrors similar controversies in other sports where athletes with troubled personal histories face questions about their eligibility for highest honors.
Pressure is growing on the nomination committee to reconsider Giggs now that sufficient time has passed since the case concluded. However, the Premier League appears in no rush to revisit the decision. With new inductees announced annually and the pool of eligible players from the competition’s history expanding, questions persist about whether the most decorated player in Premier League history will ever receive formal recognition from the organization he dominated for more than two decades.
