Ched Evans Poll

He is free to pursue his career but teams and their supporters are also clear to choose not to employ him. I think the whole thing is getting a lot of attention because it relates quite closely to a wider discussion happening at the moment about misogyny, porn featuring violence towards women etc. The fact that you have had people on this board saying she was 'asking for it' and 'fair game' is pretty clear evidence of some horrible attitudes towards women. I think those attitudes at least partly explain why many people don't want to see him stroll back into a well paid job where he is idolised, particularly when he has expressed no contrition at all. I also think Lee Hughes looking for a club when he was released got more attention than you remember.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

He is free to pursue his career but teams and their supporters are also clear to choose not to employ him. I think the whole thing is getting a lot of attention because it relates quite closely to a wider discussion happening at the moment about misogyny, porn featuring violence towards women etc. The fact that you have had people on this board saying she was 'asking for it' and 'fair game' is pretty clear evidence of some horrible attitudes towards women. I think those attitudes at least partly explain why many people don't want to see him stroll back into a well paid job where he is idolised, particularly when he has expressed no contrition at all. I also think Lee Hughes looking for a club when he was released got more attention than you remember.

You're right it may have done, it was almost 8 years ago now. I wonder if Evans came out and expressed remorse and apologised would it have garnered the same reaction from the public? I agree though that there are still some horrible attitudes towards women (as clearly shown by some of the more degenerate posters of this board) and these need to be addressed in society. But I don't believe actively preventing Evans from working in the field he excels in will achieve anything towards that, it just seems a tad vindictive to me from certain quarters.

Sarah Green, a spokeswoman for the campaign group End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: “Ched Evans is an unrepentant convicted rapist. Any club who sign him need to think hard about the message they are sending to their fans, to the local community and to all football supporters.” Would she have said this had he been an excellent binman and was hired by Biffa? Would she have said "this company needs to think about the message they are sending their customers and the local community"? Personally, I doubt it. Equally Town have signed two players in the past five years who were found guilty of ABH, are they saying "We think it's alright to punch people in the street and assault taxi drivers"? Of course not.

Quoted from Cumbrian Mariner

I have read somewhere that the reason he has not I apologised to his victim is because he is still appealing against his conviction.

He has been found guilty and served his sentence, is it right to still persecute an individual after he has served his sentence and stop him from returning to his profession? I am not sure where I sit on this one, I think it very unfair that he is unable to return to his profession after serving his punishment - but without knowing the full facts, I think I would find it difficult to come I to terms with it if my daughter were his victim.

Would there be this much fuss if he were a joiner before he went to prison and was back being a joiner now? I think not, I genuinely believe it is because he is a footballer that all this still follows him.

UTM

Served the time, a few months a couple of years, the victims have the rest of their lives and it effects not only how they treat other people but it also stops them from living a full life. Emotional scars may heal with time but those wounds open up every time they see or hear their tormentors name. This will happen if they make the news on a regular basis.

If he was a joiner, the general public wouldn't know him and he certainly wouldn't be in the news for mortise and tenon joints.

The law courts have the facts, they prosecuted him.  If he manages to clear his name then there will be nothing holding him back from returning to football.

Would be the worse nightmare if Bristol Rovers, Eastleigh or Halifax etc signed him, kiss our playoff chance out the window let alone automatic promotion.

On the other hand if...

Quoted from GTFCNiles

While I'll admit I don't know all the details to the case after looking on his website something just doesn't add up for me. I'm definitely in the he's served his time, let him get on with his life camp. I would have him in a town shirt tomorrow if it got us back into the football league.

I've followed the case very closely and i dont think things add up, but thats my opinion. I'd 100% let him come, even if both parties agreed a deal until the end of the season and if he helps us get promoted and doesn't get any offers from a bigger club resign him

Quoted from lukeo

I've followed the case very closely and i dont think things add up, but thats my opinion. I'd 100% let him come, even if both parties agreed a deal until the end of the season and if he helps us get promoted and doesn't get any offers from a bigger club resign him

There were three people in the room. Two said the woman consented, and one can't remember. There has to be reasonable doubt there surely?  

When you look at the circumstances of the case, there are a number of odd things that just don't add up. Like the woman deleting all the twitter posts she made while supposedly too drunk to know what was going on. The fact that she had a normal chat with the taxi driver on the way to the hotel, the fact that she is clearly walking normally on the CCTV footage as they enter the hotel.  

It will be interesting to see what happens on appeal.

I think the point regarding Ched Evans is that he doesn't acknowledge that he did it despite his conviction. If he truly believes this is the case, before resuming his career in football (a glamourous and extremely well paid one for someone of his abilty), he should pursue the correct appeals channels in order to attempt clearing his name first. When this has either failed or suceeded he can then return to work in his chosen career in the limelight. This would allow true rehabilitation to start. On that basis, it would be acceptable for a football club to sign him. Until he accepts he did it or seeks a seond ruling to clear his name properly or underline his conviction he should not be playing professional football in my opinion.

Quoted from Paris Mariner

I think the point regarding Ched Evans is that he doesn't acknowledge that he did it despite his conviction. If he truly believes this is the case, before resuming his career in football (a glamourous and extremely well paid one for someone of his abilty), he should pursue the correct appeals channels in order to attempt clearing his name first. When this has either failed or suceeded he can then return to work in his chosen career in the limelight. This would allow true rehabilitation to start. On that basis, it would be acceptable for a football club to sign him. Until he accepts he did it or seeks a seond ruling to clear his name properly or underline his conviction he should not be playing professional football in my opinion.

He has been trying to appeal since the verdict was given, the appeal is now being fast tracked I believe. If you had been found guilty of something you believed you had not done, would you show remorse or accept guilt? Football is a short career to put on hold.

Probably gonna get negged for this but...

No way am i condoning what Evans got convicted for. Lets get that straight.

But in our society if you are  convicted and sentenced and serve your time upon your release you are expected to be a law abiding citizen , be rehabilitated, and rejoin society. This involves getting work to rebuild your life and be a better person. Are we saying anyone convicted of a crime can never work again?

Now you could easily argue was the sentence stiff enough? Was it justice for the victim? Some may say no it was not. I would probably agree with them.But it is is what it is.

If he was available i would sign him.

Agreed with Bottesford, he has every right to be rehabilitated and to  resume his career. He is no good to society sat on his backside doing nothing. At least if he goes back to being a footballer he will contribute taxes. And it's not like he's just picking up where he left off either. Had he not been found guilty he might well have been playing in the Premier League now whereas currently not even the worst team in the FL will take him. And he won't receive adulation either, he'll get abuse everywhere time he plays, arguably deservedly. It has damaged his career (rightly so) but now he has served his punishment he should be allowed to resume playing and to make the most of it, that is the model this society works on. Crime then punishment then hopefully rehabilitation. Why should it be different in Evans' case? Whether he has been punished enough is up for debate (I think 5 years for a convicted rapist, serving half that, is unbelievably soft) but that is the punishment the state handed out.

Admittedly it leaves a rather sour taste that he hasn't shown any remorse or contrition and whilst he isn't likely to when he believes he is innocent, he could have taken a more sympathetic stance towards the plight of his victim. However, Hughes hasn't shown any remorse for his actions and is an arrogant pr**k but is allowed to carry on playing.