Whatever your opinions about whether Evans should be allowed to play football again, it is clear that
He won't be able to play again in the UK unless he gets the conviction overturned, He won't be able to play abroad until he has fully served his sentence
For Oldham to ignore the media storm caused when the other clubs tried to sign him was pretty naive
Whatever your opinions about whether Evans should be allowed to play football again, it is clear that
He won't be able to play again in the UK unless he gets the conviction overturned, He won't be able to play abroad until he has fully served his sentence
For Oldham to ignore the media storm caused when the other clubs tried to sign him was pretty naive
He wont have fully served his sentence for another couple of years (I believe) by which time he will have been out of the game for around five years
I feel there is a road to redemption open to Ched Evans which does not necessarily require him to compromise his protestations of innocence and his right to try & clear his name. As has been stated so many times, he has to show more remorse for his actions for a start, and more publicly condemn some of the nasty comments employed by so-called sympethisers.
As for football, i think he should be prepared to try & start again at the bottom of the ladder (I'm talking way down the non-league pyramid)- get playing for free in a low profile league, at least for a few months. The club which takes him on should do so in the spirit of a willingness to help start his rehabilitation rather than "we need a new striker". Financially he can afford to do this, i'm quite certain. Then take it from there....
"I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned"
Whatever your opinions about whether Evans should be allowed to play football again, it is clear that
He won't be able to play again in the UK unless he gets the conviction overturned, He won't be able to play abroad until he has fully served his sentence
For Oldham to ignore the media storm caused when the other clubs tried to sign him was pretty naive
He wont have fully served his sentence for another couple of years (I believe) by which time he will have been out of the game for around five years
He'll still be young enough to get a club somewhere in Europe, with a 5 year 'career break' he should be able to play until a mature age
"I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned"
Statement from Evans
Almost sounds remorseful now... Or sorry that he can't just walk into a new club and wants to try and backtrack a bit now...
The PFA wishes to clarify its position regarding Ched Evans following recent media reports.
Our previous statements are set out below and our support for Ched remains the same.
We have had some discussions with Oldham Athletic regarding the interest they expressed in signing Ched, although we feel it is important to make clear that, contrary to what has been reported, we were not ‘driving’ any deal. As we understand it, the club and player were in discussions and contact was then made with the PFA as matters progressed given the particular circumstances of this situation and we were simply being asked to publicly reiterate our support for the club in signing him. Despite being ready to offer this from the outset, we were asked to delay whilst discussions between the club and player continued, and we were disappointed to see over the course of this week, comments being made which we feel mischaracterise our limited role in this matter.
The PFA's position remains the same, as we have expressed previously, that any club which decides to sign him would receive our support.
We fully recognise that this is a delicate and emotive case and entirely respect that there are opposing views. However, we always felt it was important that Ched made some further comment regarding his current situation and on that basis, he has asked that we include his comments below:
“I am grateful for the support of the PFA in helping me try to return to football and continue my career.
Upon legal advice, I was told not to discuss the events in question. This 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 referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least 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.”
I feel there is a road to redemption open to Ched Evans which does not necessarily require him to compromise his protestations of innocence and his right to try & clear his name. As has been stated so many times, he has to show more remorse for his actions for a start, and more publicly condemn some of the nasty comments employed by so-called sympethisers.
As for football, i think he should be prepared to try & start again at the bottom of the ladder (I'm talking way down the non-league pyramid)- get playing for free in a low profile league, at least for a few months. The club which takes him on should do so in the spirit of a willingness to help start his rehabilitation rather than "we need a new striker". Financially he can afford to do this, i'm quite certain. Then take it from there....
"I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned"
Statement from Evans
It's all starting to feel a bit too little too late now though.
This is the sort of thing he should have been saying in that dreadful video (seriously, who reviewed that and said "yep, that's it - we'll release that") that came out shortly after his release. Back then the only thing who was "wholeheartedly apologising" for was cheating on his girlfriend.
I wonder what's prompted this sudden surge of guilt and remorse ?
"I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned"
Statement from Evans
Why didn't he say this when he was first released?
It's a bit like being told by your mum when you were young to say sorry.
"I do remain limited at present by what I can say due to the ongoing referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned"
Statement from Evans
Why didn't he say this when he was first released?
It's a bit like being told by your mum when you were young to say sorry.
Exactly. All seems very 'Damn I can't just walk back into a club, lets say something 83 days after being released as a final effort'
Oldham have called the deal off because of threats made to Oldham club staff and their families. To make threats to the staff and their families is wrong and out of order. They were not the ones who decided to consider signing Ched Evans. It was the Oldham board and manager. And even making any threats towards them is out of order too.
It just proves there is such opposition to any club signing Ched Evans that they are going to lose sponsorship, fans and have a vicious threats made against them.
Those people who have made these threats should themselves face criminal action.
why didn't he just say that from the out-set? I do think he has been misguided to try and return to football before the outcome of the referral of his case to the CCRC. If found innocent, then he can return with his name cleared. If the conviction is upheld, then he would have exhausted all avenue's and would then need to show real contrition before attempting to return to football. Until then he should just have kept his head down.
Seems to be conflicting reports over the claim that someone threatened to rape a board members daughter.
Great Manchester Police have said they are unaware of any threats towards directors.
If I was cynical I would say that the Oldham directors are using that to try and save face having royally messed up, lost sponsors and goodwill and all for nothing.
Serves them right as the whole episode was completely predictable.
Oldham have called the deal off because of threats made to Oldham club staff and their families. To make threats to the staff and their families is wrong and out of order. They were not the ones who decided to consider signing Ched Evans. It was the Oldham board and manager. And even making any threats towards them is out of order too.
It just proves there is such opposition to any club signing Ched Evans that they are going to lose sponsorship, fans and have a vicious threats made against them.
Those people who have made these threats should themselves face criminal action.
Police were saying that they were unaware of any such threats.
IF they have been made then the people should be dealt with by the Police.
Seems to be conflicting reports over the claim that someone threatened to rape a board members daughter.
Great Manchester Police have said they are unaware of any threats towards directors.
If I was cynical I would say that the Oldham directors are using that to try and save face having royally messed up, lost sponsors and goodwill and all for nothing.
Serves them right as the whole episode was completely predictable.
I doubt that.
I don't, if these types of threats had been made and you took them seriously enough to call off signing a footballer based on their strength then surely you would also take them seriously enough to advise the police ? I certainly would.
So when people say "no one is stopping him from signing" they are.
I would much rather that people used their own moral compass to make their own decisions, rather than being coerced through mob rule, intimidation and threats.
Seems to be conflicting reports over the claim that someone threatened to rape a board members daughter.
Great Manchester Police have said they are unaware of any threats towards directors.
If I was cynical I would say that the Oldham directors are using that to try and save face having royally messed up, lost sponsors and goodwill and all for nothing.
Serves them right as the whole episode was completely predictable.
I doubt that.
I don't, if these types of threats had been made and you took them seriously enough to call off signing a footballer based on their strength then surely you would also take them seriously enough to advise the police ? I certainly would.
Agree, the threats are unacceptable. I'd bet that the police will be after them...
As for Evans' statement, i hadn't seen it. Better late than never, but only just I suspect. He's gone about this all the wrong way, through pig ignorance &/or bad advice. If he wants re-employment, he should have put himself in the mindset of someone going for a job interview with a massive public black mark against his name, and thought less about asserting his rights...
Seems to be conflicting reports over the claim that someone threatened to rape a board members daughter.
Great Manchester Police have said they are unaware of any threats towards directors.
If I was cynical I would say that the Oldham directors are using that to try and save face having royally messed up, lost sponsors and goodwill and all for nothing.
Serves them right as the whole episode was completely predictable.
I doubt that.
I don't, if these types of threats had been made and you took them seriously enough to call off signing a footballer based on their strength then surely you would also take them seriously enough to advise the police ? I certainly would.
I find it interesting in what is perceived to be the thin line between 'mob rule' and the 'general view of the public'
There has been huge emphasis that this case has been overly impacted by social media. ie. the aggregated views of the people have played a factor in the decision making.
A lot of people seem to have a problem with this.
Personally, whilst I accept it is not perfect and has obvious pitfalls, I think it is fantastic that the 'aggregated moral compass of the people' currently believes that a convicted rapist should not be allowed to play professional football in this country. Of course 99% of the people rightly believe in rehabilitation, but a sizable percentage of the people feel that having committed such a crime, rehabilitation should not include such a privileged, rewarded, role-model and community-impacting 'job'.
If this saga makes teenage-boys/ twenty-something's think with a bit more scrutiny and reassess what is acceptable and what isn't, how situations can potentially evolve or escalate, then a positive has come from this.
Is he being unfairly persecuted? Possibly. But that's tough luck to be honest.
The seediness of the incident, the lack of remorse, the grubby and frankly weird involvement of in-laws, the hassling of the victim, the privilege and family / community impact of his job, all these things have coincided to bring 'the people' to the opinion that this bloke is simply not deserving of his role.
Evans should be allowed to rebuild his life, (virtually) everyone should have that right. But he is going to have to go about it in a different way to the one he knew.
I don't think that is a huge hardship for a man in his mid-20s.
I find it interesting in what is perceived to be the thin line between 'mob rule' and the 'general view of the public'
There has been huge emphasis that this case has been overly impacted by social media. ie. the aggregated views of the people have played a factor in the decision making.
A lot of people seem to have a problem with this.
Personally, whilst I accept it is not perfect and has obvious pitfalls, I think it is fantastic that the 'aggregated moral compass of the people' currently believes that a convicted rapist should not be allowed to play professional football in this country. Of course 99% of the people rightly believe in rehabilitation, but a sizable percentage of the people feel that having committed such a crime, rehabilitation should not include such a privileged, rewarded, role-model and community-impacting 'job'.
If this saga makes teenage-boys/ twenty-something's think with a bit more scrutiny and reassess what is acceptable and what isn't, how situations can potentially evolve or escalate, then a positive has come from this.
Is he being unfairly persecuted? Possibly. But that's tough luck to be honest.
The seediness of the incident, the lack of remorse, the grubby and frankly weird involvement of in-laws, the hassling of the victim, the privilege and family / community impact of his job, all these things have coincided to bring 'the people' to the opinion that this bloke is simply not deserving of his role.
Evans should be allowed to rebuild his life, (virtually) everyone should have that right. But he is going to have to go about it in a different way to the one he knew.
I don't think that is a huge hardship for a man in his mid-20s.
To be fair, although it is a bit late, he has at least said something at last. People have been calling for an apology and a condemnation of those targeting the victim. He's now delivered both of these. Some may disagree on the level of sincerity in the statement, but he has at least made one now.
My personal position on this is that it just felt too soon for him to go back into football right now. I'm not sure how I'll feel once he's served his full time, but right now it's just too soon in my eyes. Regardless of the fact that he could legally return to football, it just didn't sit right with me. That's why I laughed spitefully when I saw that the Oldham deal had fallen through. It felt just.
Now that it seems he's got someone advising him sensibly on PR, I reckon he's got a chance in future. If he wants to get back into football, I think he needs to make a conscious effort to be a positive role model from here on. Obviously, not while his appeal is ongoing, but the minute that's over, he needs to sign up to womens charities and organisations for supporting rape victims, make public appearances, give his time for good causes freely and start to repair his image. He needs to show himself as reformed and as an example of how someone can turn themself around. If, as @redlanered said above, he plays for free at a non league club, he'll be able to keep himself fit and maybe find a way back into the game. He doesn't need the dosh, but I suspect he feels he needs the game.
I think he's got a long road ahead of him, but now he's at long long last made a positive statement, he's got a chance of an opportunity. He needs to work hard now to get that opportunity later. In a way I hope he manages it, it would be the only positive to come out of this sorry affair.
His latest statement is contrived, there's no way he's suddenly decided to 180. His team has read everyone's arguments all over the web to understand why people think he's such a prick, then tailor made a response.
To be fair, although it is a bit late, he has at least said something at last.
Personally, I feel anything emanating from him now is purely generated / influenced by PR advisors.
The time to judge on genuine reaction has passed.
His statement actually doesn't read like it's been drafted by a PR company - no credible advisor would suggest using the word 'effects' to describe the impact of a rape.
It's really been a remarkable slow motion car crash.
Comments
He won't be able to play again in the UK unless he gets the conviction overturned,
He won't be able to play abroad until he has fully served his sentence
For Oldham to ignore the media storm caused when the other clubs tried to sign him was pretty naive
As for football, i think he should be prepared to try & start again at the bottom of the ladder (I'm talking way down the non-league pyramid)- get playing for free in a low profile league, at least for a few months. The club which takes him on should do so in the spirit of a willingness to help start his rehabilitation rather than "we need a new striker". Financially he can afford to do this, i'm quite certain. Then take it from there....
Statement from Evans
The PFA wishes to clarify its position regarding Ched Evans following recent media reports.
Our previous statements are set out below and our support for Ched remains the same.
We have had some discussions with Oldham Athletic regarding the interest they expressed in signing Ched, although we feel it is important to make clear that, contrary to what has been reported, we were not ‘driving’ any deal. As we understand it, the club and player were in discussions and contact was then made with the PFA as matters progressed given the particular circumstances of this situation and we were simply being asked to publicly reiterate our support for the club in signing him. Despite being ready to offer this from the outset, we were asked to delay whilst discussions between the club and player continued, and we were disappointed to see over the course of this week, comments being made which we feel mischaracterise our limited role in this matter.
The PFA's position remains the same, as we have expressed previously, that any club which decides to sign him would receive our support.
We fully recognise that this is a delicate and emotive case and entirely respect that there are opposing views. However, we always felt it was important that Ched made some further comment regarding his current situation and on that basis, he has asked that we include his comments below:
“I am grateful for the support of the PFA in helping me try to return to football and continue my career.
Upon legal advice, I was told not to discuss the events in question. This 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 referral 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 effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least 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.”
This is the sort of thing he should have been saying in that dreadful video (seriously, who reviewed that and said "yep, that's it - we'll release that") that came out shortly after his release. Back then the only thing who was "wholeheartedly apologising" for was cheating on his girlfriend.
I wonder what's prompted this sudden surge of guilt and remorse ?
It's a bit like being told by your mum when you were young to say sorry.
Seems the PFA get it but Evans' father in law etc don't.
He could and should have said all that at the start but was either very badly advised or is too stupid/arrogant to understand his situation.
As said above it does appear too little to late. Should have been in his first video.
It just proves there is such opposition to any club signing Ched Evans that they are going to lose sponsorship, fans and have a vicious threats made against them.
Those people who have made these threats should themselves face criminal action.
IF they have been made then the people should be dealt with by the Police.
I would much rather that people used their own moral compass to make their own decisions, rather than being coerced through mob rule, intimidation and threats.
Pathetic and disgusting.
As for Evans' statement, i hadn't seen it. Better late than never, but only just I suspect. He's gone about this all the wrong way, through pig ignorance &/or bad advice. If he wants re-employment, he should have put himself in the mindset of someone going for a job interview with a massive public black mark against his name, and thought less about asserting his rights...
There has been huge emphasis that this case has been overly impacted by social media. ie. the aggregated views of the people have played a factor in the decision making.
A lot of people seem to have a problem with this.
Personally, whilst I accept it is not perfect and has obvious pitfalls, I think it is fantastic that the 'aggregated moral compass of the people' currently believes that a convicted rapist should not be allowed to play professional football in this country. Of course 99% of the people rightly believe in rehabilitation, but a sizable percentage of the people feel that having committed such a crime, rehabilitation should not include such a privileged, rewarded, role-model and community-impacting 'job'.
If this saga makes teenage-boys/ twenty-something's think with a bit more scrutiny and reassess what is acceptable and what isn't, how situations can potentially evolve or escalate, then a positive has come from this.
Is he being unfairly persecuted? Possibly. But that's tough luck to be honest.
The seediness of the incident, the lack of remorse, the grubby and frankly weird involvement of in-laws, the hassling of the victim, the privilege and family / community impact of his job, all these things have coincided to bring 'the people' to the opinion that this bloke is simply not deserving of his role.
Evans should be allowed to rebuild his life, (virtually) everyone should have that right. But he is going to have to go about it in a different way to the one he knew.
I don't think that is a huge hardship for a man in his mid-20s.
My personal position on this is that it just felt too soon for him to go back into football right now. I'm not sure how I'll feel once he's served his full time, but right now it's just too soon in my eyes. Regardless of the fact that he could legally return to football, it just didn't sit right with me. That's why I laughed spitefully when I saw that the Oldham deal had fallen through. It felt just.
Now that it seems he's got someone advising him sensibly on PR, I reckon he's got a chance in future.
If he wants to get back into football, I think he needs to make a conscious effort to be a positive role model from here on. Obviously, not while his appeal is ongoing, but the minute that's over, he needs to sign up to womens charities and organisations for supporting rape victims, make public appearances, give his time for good causes freely and start to repair his image. He needs to show himself as reformed and as an example of how someone can turn themself around. If, as @redlanered said above, he plays for free at a non league club, he'll be able to keep himself fit and maybe find a way back into the game. He doesn't need the dosh, but I suspect he feels he needs the game.
I think he's got a long road ahead of him, but now he's at long long last made a positive statement, he's got a chance of an opportunity. He needs to work hard now to get that opportunity later.
In a way I hope he manages it, it would be the only positive to come out of this sorry affair.
The time to judge on genuine reaction has passed.
It's really been a remarkable slow motion car crash.