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.

Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine. I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so.'

Yeah Ched, like your cousin who was fined by the courts for tweeting the victims name, and your own GF for the abuse she hurled at the victim. Nothing to do with you at all.

This is the statement he made on his website earlier this evening. Interestingly enough it now appears to have been taken down.

Statement from Ched Regarding Oldham Athletic

It is with great sadness that today I have withdrawn from talks with Oldham Athletic. I would like to thank the Club, and those who have supported me in my lawful quest to find work. I apologise to the clubs supporters, sponsors and all those effected by the last 72 hours.
Sadly the ‘mob rule’ tactics employed by the more radical elements of our society and the constant media reporting has had the desired influence on some sponsors and the club would face significant financial pressure if I joined them. The most significant issue for me was that owing to the threat of funding opportunities being withdrawn which may jeopardise the building of Oldhams new stand it would mean that workers would lose their jobs and others would be put at risk - that would simply not be fair.

Upon legal advice, I chose not to discuss the events in question. My silence has been misinterpreted as arrogance and I would like to state that this could not be further from the truth.
I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and whilst I continue to maintain my innocence, I wish to make it clear that I wholeheartedly apologise for the effect that that night in Rhyl has had on many people, especially the woman concerned.

Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine. I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so.
Ched Evans

Blistory Are you sure that his website is not one of those which racks up every visitor as a supporter? That thought has kept me away from it.

Thanks for posting the statement - I think we can all see what happens when someone wants to "apologise" without really apologising, can't we?

Not sure you can blame him for the action of the cousin who tweeted the name. The GF is another issue, and she passes my understanding because on any footing he cheated on her. What does she see in him?

Well he isn't being signed and I hope that's the end of it. I can't say I felt very sorry for him though. And as for his girlfriend. Even if she believes he isn't guilty of rape how can she accept his behaviour that night. I don't give the relationship very long.

Oh, I dunno Viv

Some women will overlook all manner of shite to stay with a footballer. Colleen, Toni I'm looking at you.

I agree that post prison people deserve a chance

But NOT him . Anyone who treats their victim with such a lack of remorse and respect and enables their fans to ruin that girls life over and over .... He deserves it .

God, can you imagine anyfucker I'd do anything NOT to be with a bloody footballer

indeed

I am sure there are some nice kind footballers.
Just maybe a lower percentage than other professions

It's a shame as generically foot ball can be a positive force for some men and boys ( and women!) . Such a shame that have a culture that allows so many to taint it

StarsofTrackandField, you can't dismiss the role model issue by just saying the it's up to parents to protect their children. It's naive to assume all parents are fantastic parents who can or will do it, and it's equally naive to assume that all teenagers automatically follow their parents' advice.

Take that to its logical conclusion, and it would be absolutely fine for Rolf Harris to be offered a big TV series on his release. After all, we can all tell our children that it's absolutely fine to support him but that maybe what he did previously isn't a good example to follow, can't we?

Funniest Ched related thing I've read all week

Ched Evans to get Oldham FC drunk and sign for them anyway

Ched Evans
Despite claims to the contrary, convicted rapist Ched Evans will today sign for Oldham FC today after plying the club with enough alcohol that he can sign a contract with them anyway.

Evans, who has been the target of a campaign from Oldham supporters keen to see the club pass on the opportunity to sign him, said that at no point did the club make it clear they didn’t want him to sign the contract.

Evans told reporters, “Oldham were willingly in the room with me, and yes, they had a few drinks, definitely – but at no point did they explicitly say ‘no – I don’t want to sign that contract with you’.”

“I’m not denying the contract was signed, just that I in any way forced them to sign it.”

“They signed it of their own free will – them now saying they didn’t want to now is a bit late, don’t you think?”

Evans to sign for Oldham anyway

A spokesperson for the League One club said were unhappy that the contract had been signed without their consent.

They told reporters, “In the cold light of day, we did not want to sign a contract with Ched Evans, but it seems that’s what happened anyway.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have been in the room with him, or have had those extra drinks he offered us, but I don’t think that gives him the right to just go ahead and sign a contract with us, does it?”

“The problem is that now you all think we invited this on ourselves, rather than focussing on the one with the pen in his hand.”

THe Last Leg are going to be covering this On Channel 4 now.

Greater Manchester Police's chief constable Sir Peter Fahy said his force would investigate threats to Oldham's staff and their families.
But GMP later clarified that no threats were currently being investigated as they had yet to receive any complaints.

Hmmm. Odd that as you'd think they would want action taken.

Maggie I did not think anyone could be funny about this whole horrible business but whoever you are quoting has managed it.

Older you can't force people to complain to the police if they don't want to. The fact that they don't does not prove that it did not happen. Curiously the same point applies to rape where many victims never complain but that does not mean that they were not raped.

Is awful that Oldham have signed him up. I feel sorry for the other Oldham players who will have to play along side him. I hope fans and sponsors all boycott this club

Suggest I don't understand your post.

Barry Owen Oldham director has resigned fro the a Club's trust. He mentions a threat made to rape the relative of a named member of staff.

As it was important and clear enough to be included in his resignation comments, it surely must be in police hands by now? Has there been a further statement from GMP confirming this is so?

I quite agree Andrew. The difference is that rarely does a rape victim go public and use it as a political point whilst refusing to make an official complaint. You use the phrase 'rarely complain' yourself. This was a very publically announced complaint.

It reminds me of John Leslie's situation . The difficulty that John Leslie experienced was that without an official complaint he was left without a court case to clear his name.

However I do respect the fact that as a complaint of a threat of rape it should be believed until unproven. Unfortunately the involvement in this particular case is particularly sensitive.

I must be invisible

Suggestme For reasons good, bad, or mixed OA are not signing RCE after all. Let's be glad of the outcome. Better than the opposite.

Older I don't understand yours of 23.12.41.

Barry Owen is saying he's been thinking of resigning for some time and it has nothing to do with the Evans saga.

Andrewofgg, of course no-one has to report threats to police. But you would think that if they thought these threats were genuine they would do so to protect the people concerned. So it's reasonable to wonder how serious the threats really were.

Of course no one has to report twitter threats to the police. But if you publicly announce that they were taken seriously enough by you to cause you to cancel a high profile transfer, failing to do so does look odd.
Almost as if it was an excuse used to try and reclaim some moral high ground.

I find the comparison between a powerful man making a statement to the worlds media that rape threats have been made and then not passing then to the police, and a woman not reporting her rape for fear of being disbelieve or, say, having a website set up calling her a liar , pretty grim.

So Steve Bruce has come out and admitted that he supported OFC in taking on Convicted Rapist Ched Evans.

Steve Bruce is entitled to his view on this.

He did not say why he thought the previous two refusals to grant leave to appeal were wrong, nor on what grounds an appeal might be granted, let alone won (and it's the absence of that bit that makes the position unpersuasive).

Any Hull supporters reading this have my sympathy. (Well, they would generally, but this time it's because of the poor performance by the manager).

Item in today;s Grauniad by the Chelsea Ladies footie team, she tries taking a middle of the road view largely, but stating also that 'its now gone too far and CE should be forgiven and be allowed to return to football'. Quite bemused at the 'forgiven' bit tbh.