to think the decision made by Oldham Athletic today is the proof that professional football in this country lacks any moral integrity whatsoever?

[LuluJakey1]

www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/ched-evans-to-oldham-athletic-family-will-pay-up-to-pave-the-way-for-deal-with-league-one-club-9961432.html

1. Morally, what they are doing is disgusting. They are completely disrespecting women sexually assaulted and raped by men in giving this man a job where he will be a role- model, hero-worshipped and idolised by thousands of people; young men and boys in particular. The message here is the crime of rape is easily dismissed by a short spell in prison and then you can go back and do whatever you like. In many jobs where a person has committed a sexual assault or rape, they are not ever allowed to work in a position again where they have contact with young or vulnerable people. Why is Ched Evans different?
2. His fiance must feel humiliated. He has not denied his behaviour at all- his denial is that it constituted rape. He has disrespected and humiliated her by tomming around with other women, doing deals with his friends to pick up vulnerable women, share them for sex and video each other doing that. Instead of having some self respect and dumping him, she has humiliated herself further by 'standing by her man' as he disrespects his victim even more by refusing to apologise . Now her own father is humiliating her even further by bankrolling the moron so a football club will take the risk of employing him. Eh? WTF?
3. It is beyond my comprehension that her father has no respect for his daughter and is rewarding the man who has treated her so badly, and also encouraging her in a relationsip with a man who sexually assaults or rapes women. It says a great deal about the kind of family she has grown up in - women are clearly treated like second class citizens and the possessions of men. I think she is stupid but feel very sorry for her.
4. Will he be accepted at other football grounds as a player? I expect so- none of them would have the guts to say he is unacceptable to them and take the consequences of standing up for what is right.
5. Will he be cheered at Oldham? I expect so- few fans will be prepared to make a stand against the club. The culture of football in England is such that moral standards are low in the professional game.

It will all end in tears- I have no doubt.

I do hope Oldham will come to understand how appalling their actions are.

I think today is the day I am fully convinced that professional football has no moral integrity whatsoever.

www.facebook.com/events/591509250950296/

Most of us have read that link, thanks.

No, he did not murder 5 women, he raped one woman.

That's rape, a serious crime of physical assault.

HTH.

Great posts, Blistory.

yanbu. It is sickening.

Just for the sake of accuracy it has been reported that Verlin has already ended their association with Oldham and ZenOffice will do too if the deal goes ahead.

I feel really sorry for Natasha Massey. What kind of twisted upbringing has she had that she believes the Rapist Ched Evans is worthy of her? Why does her father not value his daughter? Those relationships and the bank rolling are all kinds of fucked up.

I wouldn't waste any sympathy on Natasha Massey. She is not the victim here. She has not had to change her name umpteen times, and move around the country to avoid Ched Evans' moronic defenders, unlike the victim of the rape.

Recognising she must be all kinds of screwed up does not in any way detract from my sympathy for the victim. It is possible to support the victim absolutely while also acknowledging Natasha Massey is pretty fucked up to behave as she does and that's probably something to do with conditioning by her father - a man who chooses to bank roll a convicted rapist that he believes has cheated on his daughter.

You would have to be emotionally damaged to behave as NM has. Where is her self respect?

Any way, this is a tangent. The point is that Oldham is very, very wrong.

I think the father has said even without Natasha he would still have supported Evans. Shows he is a big woman hater and this was a personal vendetta for him.

People should boycott his shops.

I agree with the sentiment but it's beyond ridiculous to blame all professional football.

I don't agree. Not a single person involved in that sport has come out and made any kind of statement condemning this at all. No professional body associated with it has made any kind of a stand. The only reason some clubs won't sign him is that they can afford a better standard of player. The whole soccer industry is shameful. Every person who continues to allow themselves to be involved at any level is tacitly endorsing this moral free universe they inhabit.

Evidence that a good few Oldham Athletic fans are less than happy with the board

www.owtb.co.uk/index.php/topic/46535-what-can-the-fans-possibly-do-focus-on-saturday-v-doncaster-h/

I have seen three posts now referring to Evans raping a "semi conscious" or "unconscious" woman. I don't believe that we can reasonably assert this as it was not the evidence of either of the two men and the victim could not give any account of the attack. We have to be careful about how we make our case against this odious man as we may lose credibility if we (however inadvertently) misrepresent it. It is also important that people understand that you don't have to be passed out drunk to lack capacity to consent and if you have intercourse with someone who is very drunk, you take the risk of raping them.

TrueBlueYorkshire, in what way do you think reading the facts of the case would make us feel bettter towards the rapist Ched Evans?

I have read them, by the way - every word, and I concluded that he was a sociopathic predator who saw women as pieces of meat for him to stick his cock into whether they liked it or not. What did you see when you read them?

Apocalypse, a number of clubs publically stated they wouldn't take CE on even if approached - the BBC did a survey.

Regarding boycotting shops; this may put the jobs on the line of the innocent staff that work there no matter how distasteful the link of their employers to this vile sub human being

Or it may mean people buy their stuff in other shops and save those from closing.

1chance I genuinely don't want to be inflammatory - you make a good point. But is there an alternative course of action? If companies are not boycotted then there will be no reason to consider terminating sponsorship deals.

1chance, that is a choice their employers have made. Regrettably hitting said employers in the pocket is virtually the only way we are likely to get through to them.

Apocalypse, a number of clubs publically stated they wouldn't take CE on even if approached - the BBC did a survey.

Yeah, having read your comment, I googled the survey. Clearly I was incorrect, although I'm not really satisfied that many of the ten who commented were really saying that it's because he's a convicted rapist.

fourfoxache

I guess I'm just being a bit sensitive with my husband likely to be made redundant soon (he does not work for any of the companies involved here) but I would hate to think that anyone's job would be at risk because of who there employer's wished to sponsor. I am all for lobbying these companies though in careful manner. Having said that, this is such a high profile case and they will already be aware of public opinion and may well follow others as and when the (insert expletive of choice here) is signed

All this is nothing new, and the sad fact is a lot of football fans can 'forgive' their players if they do well on the pitch. Rooney has been England captain as has John Terry who both have behaved questionably in the past. Giggs is loved by Man Utd supporters, but if a man you knew behaved the way he has, you probably wouldn't want anything to do with him.

The rapists fiancée is not a victim here. She has chosen to stay with him of her own volition. If she had left him when she found out what had happened, then she would be deserving of sympathy. As it stands she is standing by him denying his crimes, so she is culpable to some extent.

One cannot tar all of the profession with one brush. There are many honourable clubs and footballers, who have no involvement with Oldham.

According to the BBC they aren't signing him now I believe!

Yup BBC saying deal is off! Good.

Apparently pressure from sponsors and threats to staff cited as reasons.

Brilliant news.

Oh fuck.... What negative sweeping statement does this say about football and its fans?
I'm lost now

Also does the threat by one protestor to rape a named relative of a Oldham athletic staff member now prove that people protesting the signing of ched Evans are completely lacking in moral integrity the same way that one football club being willing to sign him did about football as a whole?

OP

Oldham AFC, Ched Evans and his supporters are responsible for their morally repugnant actions, not football as a whole.

90 other professional teams wanted nothing to do with employing him (or realised that fans and sponsors would find it unacceptable to employ an unrepentant rapist still serving his sentence). On his football based merits alone, he would improve at least half of those clubs.

he will be a role- model, hero-worshipped and idolised by thousands of people; young men and boys in particular.

Do you really we are all so morally bankrupt and lacking in critical faculties that we would idolise Ched Evans. I am a passionate football fan, I am also a feminist. The vast majority of us are not knuckle scraping misogynists or rape apologists.