Ched Evans

[-BARON-23-]

Sheff United discussing bringing rapist Evans back to the club when he is released from jail.

140,000 have signed a petition against the idea i believe.

Me, i say don't let him back in the game. He had the high life of a footballer and raped a drunk girl. Why should he then be able to play football again at a decent standard in front of the club's adoring fans (some kids). It shouldn't be allowed at all.

Yes we have seen people come back from assault but rape is a whole different ball game. It will knock me sick if he plays again.

Also, DJ is now playing for free at Maidenhead after false allegations, if Evans walks back into Sheff United where is the fairness in that?

[theadore]

He has served his time and therefore can get a job - ultimately its up to the club whether they hire him or not which is why it is 'fair'. Plenty of people commit rape or other serious offences and slip back into well paid professions without this outcry... and frankly I think the shockingly low conviction rate for rape is a much more worthy cause than twisting the knife in one very public case.

From a personal point of view it doesn't sit right... if it was my club I'd write to them to express my dissatisfaction, implore them not to offer merchandise based on said player - I might stop going to games.

[Rover the Top]

140,000? So, that's going to include a large number of people who aren't Sheffield United fans trying to influence what that club does...

It's a tricky one, and not helped by the fact I'm totally disillusioned with our legal system anyway. As was the case with Lee Hughes, he's served the punishment handed to him and should now be allowed to resume his life like any other rehabilitated convict. That means he should be able to seek employment and use the skills he has. However, it is galling to think that he could walk back into a privileged lifestyle, and be someone youngsters aspire to be. I would not be happy with him playing for Rovers.

Ultimately though, it's up to the clubs themselves to make the decision. Hughes didn't play in the PL again, but there were enough lower division chairmen willing to overlook his past to have a better footballer in their side.

[-BARON-23-]

Job of a footballer is different though. These people act as role models. It's more than just a sport as so much globalisation and commercialisation comes from it. You hire a rapist and what sort of image does that spread? The day he got convicted he lost the right to be a professional footballer and an image for the game.

By all means the man has to live so let him go and do the normal mans job on a normal mans wage.

[-BARON-23-]

140,000? So, that's going to include a large number of people who aren't Sheffield United fans trying to influence what that club does...

It's a tricky one, and not helped by the fact I'm totally disillusioned with our legal system anyway. As was the case with Lee Hughes, he's served the punishment handed to him and should now be allowed to resume his life like any other rehabilitated convict. That means he should be able to seek employment and use the skills he has. However, it is galling to think that he could walk back into a privileged lifestyle, and be someone youngsters aspire to be. I would strongly object to him playing for Rovers.

Ultimately though, it's up to the clubs themselves to make the decision. Hughes didn't play in the PL again, but there were enough lower division chairmen willing to overlook his past to have a better footballer in their side.

Yeah a lot of people in general don't want to see him playing again.

I don't really know the case of Lee Hughes, did he assault someone?

[Rover the Top]

I don't really know the case of Lee Hughes, did he assault someone?

Killed someone by dangerous driving, and fled the scene.

[-BARON-23-]

Shouldn't have ever been allowed back then. You can have the high life but the second you commit something as vile as rape or fleeing a scene then you don't ever deserve to be back in the spotlight doing what most of us could only wish to do.

[mrblackbat]

In that case, Baron, why release them from prison at all? You clearly believe that there's no rehabilliation possible. Should ex-cons simply not be allowed to function in society? Perhaps we should just put a bullet in their head as soon as someone is found guilty.

This case in particular has a lot of peculiarities, and it's hardly surprising that it's going to appeal; what would you think if the appeal is successful and he's exonerated, as it's certainly possible when looking at the facts that are publically available? The defendant acted massively irresponsibly and voluntarily went to a stranger's hotel room with the intention of sleeping with one of the people, left and voluntarily went back after having pizza: that clearly weighed when it came to sentencing, despite the ruling being that Evans took advantage of someone incapable of being able to make a decision. That Clayton McDonald was acquitted shows that the jury believed she voluntarily went to that hotel room.

I, however, do think that Evans committed a crime by taking advantage of her and due to the nature of that crime he will now be on the sex offenders register which definitely will have an impact upon his ability to perform some of the peripheral parts of his career as a footballer, and move prove it to be untenable for him to continue. But, he's also served his sentence, been released early on probation. If they thought he was a danger to society, he'd still be in prison. So, why shouldn't he be allowed to take up any job that an employer is willing to give him?

If anything, it just highlights issues with the legal systems in our societies; some people like Martin Foran get 18 years along with several life changing injuries as a result of his treatment within prison despite being not guilty, others such as Hughes and Evans appear to get away with it (can't remember; did Goodwillie ever get convicted for his alleged offence?), some people are involved in alleged hate crimes and yet continue to represent their national team (Jonathan Woodgate was convicted of affray, whilst his friend at the time got six years for the same incident; allegedly it was racially motiviated; and then there's the John Terry and Luis Suarez incidents).

Having recently done jury service, and seen how readily people want to convict, I'd be very cautious about passing judgment on anybody without being able to see all the facts into the case myself.

[-BARON-23-]

I said he should filter back into every day life as a convicted rapist does not deserve the high life of a footballer. I don't think i've been as harsh as you make out here. He just shouldn't be in the public eye and his reputation will tarnish which ever football club he ends up at.

Personally i believe the life of a footballer is something that is more than just a job nowadays. With the money involved, the amount of publicity football gets then they should not be allowed to represent the game. That goes for anyone who tarnishes the reputation of the game in a way a sex offender would.

I don't believe Mike Tyson should have been able to go on and do what he did after also being convicted for sex offending.

It's disgusting at the end of the day and what right does he have to be seen by millions doing a job i could only wish of doing. Let him work at McDonalds like i am right now

[Gibbon]

I'd imagine the sort of abuse he'll get week in week out as a convicted rapist in the public eye will make it something less than the honour you're making it out to be. The easiest route for him would be a low profile job.

I'm not sure why you're taking issue with it. Money does not equal happiness.

[-BARON-23-]

I'm taking issue because a rapist shouldn't be allowed to play the sport in front of millions and shouldn't be allowed to do a job some of us only dream of doing. Forget money, he shouldn't be in the public eye at all.

[Dan]

But that can't be up to anyone other than a potential employer to decide, otherwise where do you draw the line? Would you let him drop down to lower league level out of the spotlight? If so, what happens if he's promoted?
Do you ban him from all football despite it being a non-football related offence? If so, what about other footballers committing crimes?

I'm not defending him at all, but it's not easy to draw a line when a punishment has already been served.

I suppose what you'd like to see would be something similar to the nursing register where offenders can be struck off and not allowed to practise any more?

[-BARON-23-]

No he shouldn't be allowed back at all in my eyes. He can go play for free somewhere for a kick around on a field

Yeah that would be better. Like there's being given a 10 match ban for biting and then there's actually going to jail and serving hard time for a disgusting act. Something should be done anyway!

[Rover the Top]

So, ABH = 10 match ban, sex with drunk girl who says she can't remember it = lifetime ban. Where does drink-driving whilst disqualified fit in to this?

[-BARON-23-]

You make it sound like it was just a quicky! He got convicted for 5 years and actually went down.

Drink driving, if they go to jail and serve proper time then fuck them off, they shouldn't be playing. If you're convicted and sent down then that should be it as a professional role model.