To ask you all to sign petition regarding Oldham and Ched Evans

[floatyflo]

Actually I don't believe I am being unreasonable. But wanted to bring it to attention.

MN seems to be a quiet on this today but I think the fight should still go on. I can't link to it as I am so not tech savvy enough but it is on change.org. (Same person whk set up the Sheffield Weds one so of you sogned that one it is pretty easy to locate).Already has over 9000 signatures so please please please continue to sign and share!

Latest on Sky news is that Oldham are working on a deal to sign him. Think that is why the process is taking so long to get the deal thrashed out and the press statement done. Expect a decision tomorrow.

I hope you're right Andrewofgg even if commercial interests rather than mortality stop the signing I'd be happier with that than seeing him back playing professional football. It's another infuriating aspect of the case that the RCE defenders' website is peddling this crap about the victim being motivated by financial gain, she's never sold her story and never sued. This is often an accusation levelled by rapists at rape victims who speak out, they're lying out of malice, greed or are mentally ill.

ILovePud You are so right. But mortality for morality is an interesting typo!

What is it that the CCRC is going to send to the CofA by way of grounds of appeal?

If they send anything it has to be new evidence. From the fact the CCRC is looking at the case I can only assume that Evans' legal team has put forward new evidence that is not currently in the public domain.

I don't think it can be around the victim's state of intoxication. The appeal court has already said that they think the judge was wrong that this was the basis of the jury's decision. In effect, the appeal court has said that the jury did not think the victim was too drunk to consent. So further evidence on that point is unlikely to overturn the verdict in my view. But it has to be new evidence of some kind.

He was convicted by his own statement The police considered it rape and we have to accept that. He should be able to work but not return to premiership football with all the privileges that affords. It sends the wrong message on so many levels. He also was party to a campaign which has left the victim absolutely torn apart in so many areas of her life. Rape is not like theft or not paying your council tax it is socially unacceptable and to allow the perpetrator back into a culture where women are deemed 'up for it' merely by the fact that the men kick a ball about for 20k plus a week is just not right. He missed a trick by not laying his soul bare and apologising on some tawdry tv show as the British public love a fallen sleb and even more a sorry one But he couldn't even do that preferring instead to behave like a spoilt brat on a mission to destroy the woman who exposed him and the sort of person he is.

prh74bridge We do not know that the CCRC is going to put anything before the Court of Appeal - it remains to be seen.

Dearie me that typo did sound a bit threatening , Freudian slip?

I think that football's governing body should lay down guidelines as to whether or not convicted people should be allowed to play. I really do not approve of all those petitions and threats going on for this length of time. It's like persecution. He hasn't gone back to his old job. So in effect people are saying no he can't have a job in football. He did an evil thing. But people have done worse.

mary, although not in the form of guidelines, I think the FA and various football clubs have made it pretty clear what their stance is on people with convictions. Or at least people with rape convictions that they continue to contest and for which they show no remorse or even acknowledgement of wrong.

If you want to talk about persecution, consider what the woman he raped is going through. I CBA rehashing all the material on this subject that's already been covered on this thread, but two things to consider are that she has had to change her identity five times (and counting, I'm sure) and that she was unable to spend Christmas with family because of the risk to her anonymity.

Viviennemary You say people have done worse but we are talking about professional footballers and unless you can show me one with a conviction for murder I beg to differ.

persecution is a pretty stupid and offensive word to use in the context of this case and what his victim has been through. If you don't approve of petitions don't sign them, it's a democracy and people who don't agree are free to protest and free to boycott sponsors.

prh47, nothing has been before the Court of Appeal?

Evans has been refused leave to appeal, surely.

One cannot be a professional footballer.its not a protected title,there no registration or statutory regulation. I think you're using professional footballer to mean salaried!paid!full time job

One can no more be a professional footballer than a professional photographer

We do not know that the CCRC is going to put anything before the Court of Appeal - it remains to be seen.

I know. The section in bold in my post was a quote from a previous post directed at me by iamtheeggman. I was responding to that question.

Viviennemary, I am really surprised to see that from you.

Evans has been refused leave to appeal, surely

He was initially refused leave to appeal by a single judge. He then tried again and was refused leave by the full Court of Appeal - three judges including the Lord Chief Justice. I was referring to the latter decision - [2012] EWCA Crim 2559.

I've not a good feeling about this. If they're not going to sign him, why's it taking so long just to say no?

One footballer played again after a vicious racist attack. Another plays in spite of killing somebody by dangerous driving. I think there has to be proper guidelines for the future.

The sad thing is a lot of the people in positions of power within football have made themselves perfectly clear.

The only thing stopping them from employing him is other people/sponsors saying do so and we don't want to be associated with you and will take our money else where.

It is not that they don't want to employ him. It is that they wanted the status/money more.

The latest team are in a position where a few sponsors have said they will pull out but others have made it clear they will keep handing over the £££. All they have to do is weigh up whether a cheap goal scorer who may increase their league position and attract other revenue is worth more than the loss of a few sponsors and fans.

I have no idea if his appeal will go through and/or if his conviction will be overturned.

At the moment the thought of a youngster thinking this guy is great, wanting to be just like him and wanting to walk around with his name across his back when he is a convicted rapist horrifies me!