General Chat

so sense has prevailed - he's been ditched

good xx :-D :-D :-D

He didn't even have a contract so how hee expected to go back to the Blades I don't know.....

As a non-footie fan, I thought he was training with Sheffield, the team had offered him his old place back.
Because of this, Jessica Ennis-Hill asked for Sheffield United to remove a stand named in her honour if the club re-signed convicted rapist Ched Evans. For this request, she received a number of abusive and threatening texts, and a 'charming' comment from the 'lovely' Katie Hopkins.
Dave Berry and Paul Heaton, patrons of the club withdrew their patronage following this.
A petition was set up against Ched Evans - which received over 150,000 signatures.

Some then say he's being 'picked on' - what about the poor woman he raped? He was convicted. End of. Him declaring himself innocent has nothing to do with it. He was in a high profile position, admired by young boys, paid more in a month than many earn in a year.
If someone on a tenth of his income, in a position of being a role model to young children did what he'd done - they'd be sacked.

THEN they decided not to re-sign him!!

Just shows their (football club's) lack of involvement with real life, and self-view of omnipotence that it took them more than a nano-second to sack him.

I

I signed the petition on line and I am glad that the club has seen sense. Anyway his girlfriends father believes he did not do it and has said that he will give him a job if it does not work out with Sheffield

Oh, I'm glad his girlfriend's father will give him a job.
I'd hate to see him claiming JSA with his cache of money!!!

me too Maggie - his girlfriend and her family are deluded

Can't they understand RAPE is RAPE and now he is on the sex register that should tell them everything they need to need to know

Shame it was only the loss of sponsorship (money) and celebrity endorsement (kudos) that moved the club not good taste :-(

Agree, Mayfield.

Sheffield have put out a statement saying they are angry the had to let him go I say no more

Unbelievable.

Football still firmly lodged in the 1950s, then. I always suspected as much.

What will it take for these clubs to reliese that are not living in the dark ages any more and when a woman says NO what ever state she's in it means NO

And if he wins his appeal which is being fast tracked ?
Then what ?

Rollo if he wins his appeal, I would imagine that there is going to be a lot of expensive lawsuits about. His appeal is against his name not to play for the Blades and is being fast tracked because his legal reps have been allowed access to her phone records, something what was denied them in court before.

For those who are unaware of it Ched Evans was training at the Sheffield ground because the top nobs of football (not Sheffield managers/owners) insisted that they allowed him to train.

If he wins the appeal he still had sex with a girl unable to consent because she was drunk. He was convicted on his own evidence.

Not anyone I'd employ.

Or defend.

The basis of the fast track is that there is claim of evidence that the girl was being untruthful in saying that she had no recollection of the events of that evening.

If (and only if) the appeals officer decides that this evidence is sufficiently strong then he/she will be bound to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. It would not mean that Evans was innocent just that the case needed certain aspects to be re examined. The Court of Appeal is not renowned for speedy decision making.

As Evans is pursuing his claim for an 2nd appeal ( he has already lost one ) he is unlikely to admit remorse while it is active - it wojld kill his case stone dead. He has in fact regretted what went on. Fox and chickens come to mind...

From a legal point of view it would make quite a difference if the girl can be shown ( to the satisfaction of a judge ) that she was in fact aware of what went on.

The Court of Appeal ( which has no jury) has various options - it can quash the conviction or order a retrial for instance.

The CPS is not concerned with the quality of people's behavior just the law as it stands, public interest and the chances of a successful prosecution. It does not have an unlimited budget. A lot of people find this difficult to accept but there it is.

In the case that Evans won his appeal then the club would probably value his services more highly than other current considerations.

The PFA is concerned that if Evans does not keep up a high level of training then he will be unable to get back into football. High quality English players are as scarce as hens teeth. The club's thinking has been that in re signing him on contract they would have a valuable asset - it is not a club in sound financial health.

What is likely to happen is that the club will make some sort of arrangement for Evans to train with a less high profile set up where he may even play. The club would be hoping to re-sign him after a successful appeal.

Even in the event of a successful appeal I doubt it would make any difference to those who signed the petition. The club though will be far more attuned to the ticket buying fans.

I am not at all sure that Evans would be due substantial compensation in the event of a successful appeal. Any contract of employment will be ended by a prison term so the club is not in breach of contract. Following a successful appeal it would not be bound to re employ him or pay compensation. There is little reason to argue that the prosecution was improperly brought. He could ( if the new evidence is upheld at appeal ) launch a civil prosecution of the girl but she has no money.

Evans is lucky that his prospective father in law will give him a job.

the only reason he regrets his action is that he was caught

He'll be fine whatever way the appeal goes, then. So that's all right.

A shame his victim has had to change her identity again. And his supporters continue to make her life hell. It would be the right thing to do to ask them to stop. But he's not familiar with doing the right thing.

I hope he disappears into the obscurity he so richly deserves and that supporters of any club ensure he never kicks a ball for money again. Whatever the outcome of the appeal.

Anyone who has read what he said in evidence can see what sort of creature he is.

AnnCardiff, Spot on comment!