Ched Evans and Oldham Athletic agree terms

[andy1966]

Sky reporting that they have agreed personal terms and he could start against Doncaster this weekend

[Lekos]

How many Ched Evans threads do you need to start?

[andy1966]

Just two

[Lekos]

Righto.  I guess this one was far too off topic to have been included in the "Ched Evans" thread.

[andy1966]

Yes you are correct , it's a breaking headline , it deserves it's own post

[goat]

shit club sign shit player shocker, not that breathtaking

daily sport did go with
"ched raped my meat pie" for some reason

[Stephen Paul]

He will be hounded on away days

[goat]

soon blow over stevie

[bluebrendan]

Leaving aside the ethical aspect it's a bit optimistic of Oldham to think he can re-start his career at the same level that he left it nearly three years ago, that's a hell of a long absence without a competitive match, no matter how hard he's been training. When Lee Hughes joined Oldham after his jail sentence he'd dropped nearly two divisions.

[goat]

first touch of a rapist

[bluebrendan]

first touch of a rapist

I did wonder who would be first with that comment but I should have guessed. 

[goat]

we can split the winnings

[andy1966]

They must be loaded if they can run a club without sponsors , can't see new ones queuing up to sponsor them ?

Just a thought , what if one or more players refuse to play alongside him , due to media / wife or girlfriend pressure ?

[andy1966]

The deal is now off as directors and staff members received death threats
One director was told

"We know where your daughter works and if you sign the rapist Evans
We will rape your daughter"
The mentality of some people ?

[goat]

apparently they didnt get any threats

the guardian is all over the place with this

[citoeast]

Not as all over the place as Rapist Ched.

Issues an apology of sorts!

No sooner than that feeble self-serving apology is released the press are reporting Ched in the same statement as saying:

"the more radical elements of our society" had the "desired influence on some sponsors".

Ok Ched you just do not get it and that is your real problem and what led you to being convicted of rape in the first place. You have misplaced arrogance, an absence of decent morals or behaviour and take no responsibility.

Let me spell it out for you, your statement is ironic and tragic, you are a convicted predatory rapist that society needs protected against and you are condemning the behaviour of 'radical elements of society'. Any sane sponsor does not want to link their product or company with such a vile unrepentant rapist as you, nothing to do with radical elements of our society pressing them, all to do with you and the seriousness of your heinous crime of rape.

It was inevitable that sponsors would pull out and if you had signed it was also inevitable that many fans and family would abandon the club. Oldham did not need much intelligence or leadership to work that out; sadly that is just what they lacked.  Oldham once again displayed, like Sheffield Utd did, that football is totally out of touch with any sense of reality or ordinary working people. Nothing to do with 'radical elements' the only radical and extremist is you, a convicted rapist, and you are paying the price now for your rape of an incapacitated woman of 19 who was not in a position to give you consent.

BTW explain to your partner that failure to be allowed to smear the girls reputation in court is not an unfair trial or denial of proper evidence, it is due process.

[andy1966]

A poster on one site said that,  The sponsors are loving all the publicity DOH !
Yeh they really love withdrawing their sponsorship !

If he doesn't get a club soon , cant see his girlfriend hanging around much longer

[goat]

her dad is a milionaire, she doesnt need him anyway

[citoeast]

Gordon Taylor, Steve Bruce, defenders of Ched the Rapist and the football tribe. Football need not worry about having enemies when it has leading lights like these two.

Steve, little point of order, the Judge, Jury (12 ordinary people good and true) listened carefully and intently to ALL the evidence and arguments in court, unlike you. They decided under due process Ched was a rapist. The appeal concluded likewise. This might not suit you and the football tribe and may well undermine the morals, behavioural code and culture of the football tribe, well that is tough but it is footballs culture that needs changed not the law of the land. You need to accept the due process of the law and stop trying to rewrite the trial verdict, because in your view 'Ched is one of the lads and sure she is to blame' or some other feeble excuse you and football have for his behaviour because he is a member of the 'can do no wrong' football tribe. His behaviour even without the rape conviction was disgusting and morally corrupt.

Gordon comparing the circumstances of a convicted rapist to the Hillsborough tragedy is a display of how far removed from reality football is. Hang your head in shame and have the decency to resign your lucrative post; show the money culture of football does not always win over morality and decency (of course, we all know it does and will continue to in this case - enjoy your reign and lucrative gain). 

[goat]

must be some law about mob rule too

both sides are a bit shit

[Swiss]

What's the point of having a reformation system if you can't rejoin society?

[reddishblue]

Nicked off twitter.

[citoeast]

must be some law about mob rule too

both sides are a bit shit

There are and those people posting or making threats against anyone are no better than Ched and like him need to be caught, charged and prosecuted.

[citoeast]

What's the point of having a reformation system if you can't rejoin society?

Sadly we do not have a proper reform system. That aside, Ched is still serving his term of sentence and has strict restrictions on him, after the sentence is served he will go on the sex offenders register and continue to be monitored as such. He has lost certain freedoms and rights forever because of HIS actions. The point of a reformation system is to reform the criminal behaviour of offenders, something that requires acceptance that their behaviour was wrong in the first place, not to just let offenders carry on regardless when their sentence ends placing law abiding members of society at risk of them re-offending. The innocent have rights as well, the right to be protected from criminal predators, rapists, like Ched Evans.

He is so clearly remorseful of his criminal behaviour he finds no problem having his conviction of rape continually published day after day in newspapers; of course in his mind he is innocent and he needs protected from society. It is society that needs to reform, not him.

[Neil Mcnab]

Done his time. Its legal for him to play, he should. The rest is bullsh*t. He does not pose any more danger than any other footballer. Less, I would think.

[Victoria]

Chemically castrate him (or use a blunt knife) and let him play soccer!

[citoeast]

Done his time. Its legal for him to play, he should. The rest is bullsh*t. He does not pose any more danger than any other footballer. Less, I would think.

So in your mind Neil a convicted rapist poses less threat than those who have never committed such a heinous act?

Really Neil, are you sure you are not just down playing this rape. Maybe because Ched is after all a 'footballer', a 'member of the footballing fraternity' who was never intent on raping someone, not a predator, just out with mates seeking to lay a 'bird'. It is not as if he beat her up and abused her and it is not his fault she was incapacitated and cannot remember giving consent. After all it is not as if he forcibly attacked the victim,  it not as such that he is a real RAPIST that society needs protected from.

Well I think you are entirely wrong in your thinking Neil and what you have said is seriously ill-conceived. Being legal to do does not make something morally right or acceptable to do. Having served a custodial sentence does not mean you are no longer a danger to society and pleading innocence after you have been convicted does not make you innocent.

As for the Oldham director who set out the reasons for Oldham trying to sign him for the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30762958

This is the longest 'I am totally thick and out of touch with reality' plea I have seen in many years.

Mr. Owen for your information your so called 'due diligence' assessment was clearly crap, as now proven, and you do not even mention having made consideration of moral reasons (he would be banned from engaging in most other professional activities by the professional body on moral grounds, but 'hey ho' not football, if we can do it and we can make money great).

Yes Ched Evans has a right to serve the remainder of his sentence out of prison, he also has a right to work and rehabilitate himself back into society (and I would defend that right vigorously) but he does not have and should not have in my opinion a specific right to play professional football. It is unacceptable whether or not legal that a convicted rapist (unrepentant) who just stroll in to such a role model job; young people would look up to his behaviour and feel this was how to behave as an adult. It is a matter for the profession of football to guard against such unfit persons being allowed to work, and it is long past time football got some morals and ethics and got its act together in this regard and acted to stop this ever happening again.

[Neil Mcnab]

The "moral" argument is based on christian morals, whether you believe or not. Someone much more in tune with that wrote that Christ lived with the outcasts, he hated the sin, but forgave the sinner. If those are the values you are talking about, you are taking your own interpretation.
Footballers and those in the music industry might be held in awe by some, but role models?
I know that we are way too lenient in sentencing in this country, but five years for rape? That on its own should have people scratching their heads.

[Zabba]

The "moral" argument is based on christian morals, whether you believe or not. Someone much more in tune with that wrote that Christ lived with the outcasts, he hated the sin, but forgave the sinner. If those are the values you are talking about, you are taking your own interpretation.
Footballers and those in the music industry might be held in awe by some, but role models?
I know that we are way too lenient in sentencing in this country, but five years for rape? That on its own should have people scratching their heads.

I for one consider 5 years way too lenient for such a crime. The impact on victims is a life sentence with no parole.

I agree that sentencing in this country in general is way too lenient.

[reddishblue]

What's your opinion on the death penalty?

[Ludo]

The "moral" argument is based on christian morals,

I don't believe for one minute that morals, in this case or any other, are based on merely Christian beliefs. Do Jews not have morals, Sikhs, Buddhists do they not have morals too. Morals are based on what's right.

In my job I have to be licenced and given a police security check every three years simply because I may on occasion have to deal with minors. Had I a conviction (even a lesser one than this) I'd have my licence taken away and could not, nor should not, be employed in the same field again. And take it from me my jobs nowhere near as high profile has Ched Evans'.

[citoeast]

I know loads of Christians and other believers in other religions that have dodgy morals and are happy to kill in the name of their religion, but as Ludo said morals are based upon doing what is right.

[gavin]

You don't seem to believe much in forgiveness though citoeast. Give the lad another chance I say.

[Swiss]

What's the point of having a reformation system if you can't rejoin society?

Sadly we do not have a proper reform system. That aside, Ched is still serving his term of sentence and has strict restrictions on him, after the sentence is served he will go on the sex offenders register and continue to be monitored as such. He has lost certain freedoms and rights forever because of HIS actions. The point of a reformation system is to reform the criminal behaviour of offenders, something that requires acceptance that their behaviour was wrong in the first place, not to just let offenders carry on regardless when their sentence ends placing law abiding members of society at risk of them re-offending. The innocent have rights as well, the right to be protected from criminal predators, rapists, like Ched Evans.

He is so clearly remorseful of his criminal behaviour he finds no problem having his conviction of rape continually published day after day in newspapers; of course in his mind he is innocent and he needs protected from society. It is society that needs to reform, not him.

I didn't realise you could rape people through a TV set!
Whilst I agree that there should be restrictions, basing those restrictions on the amount of money earned is discrimination.
In fact, he's less of a danger if he's in the public eye!

All this is going to do is end up with the lad topping himself!