TrentVilla Posted November 19, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 19, 2014 Ok we'll agree to disagree on this Trent. All I know is that if I was convicted of rape and spent 2 and half years of my life in prison, had my career wrecked, on the sex offenders list for life and believed I was innocent I would do everything within my power to clear my name and that includes a website, Ok thats looking at it from his perspective. From hers I would just want all this to go away and be able to get on with my life. I largely agree with you but as previously pointed out the website isn't going to make the single bit of difference to his efforts to clear his name in a legal sense, at best it is a PR excercise and at worst well it could very well be viewed as having a darker intention. And yes I entirely agree on the last line, which is why I don't think he should re-sign for Sheff United and why he should stop the website. But happy to disagree as we aren't going to agree and I've no desire to get into a dispute with you personally over it fella. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguin Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) Sheffield United no longer willing to let him train with them.http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30054475 Ched Evans: Sheffield United will not let convicted rapist train Sheffield United have retracted their offer to let convicted rapist Ched Evans use their training facilities. The Blades had been heavily criticised for agreeing to allow Evans to train at the club after his release from prison. Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill stated that she wanted her name removed from one of the Bramall Lane stands should he play for the club again. The club said reaction to their initial decision "has been at an intensity that could not have been anticipated". Edited November 21, 2014 by penguin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted November 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2014 Well yes it could actually Sheff Utd, him being a convicted rapist and all. Seems they tested the water and decided it was too icy for them, shame it took such a large backlash for them to come to their senses. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Having spent a bit of time at the Sheff Utd training ground recently I have a slightly different perspective to one based on media reports. There is a lot of people out there wanting to be the star of the show and be outraged based on what they think they know rather than what has actually happening. The training is fitness and not part of the first teams match day. There is a lot of security around the training to avoid outsiders causing a scene. Sheff Utd after a request from the PFA allowed a former employee who under the law had served a sentence to try and regain fitness and continue with his life. Now after the impact on the club, and the club is always bigger than the individual, they have said that they can no longer offer their training facilities to Evans. The distraction and impact to the club is far too great to allow the arrangement to continue obviously. Sheff Utd have never condoned the crime or the sentence, that is a legal matter dealt with by the judicial system etc. Hopefully now the distraction of all of this will mean getting into the training ground is slightly easier. And that the life issues for both Evans and the victim can be resolved in other ways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted November 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2014 Yes, I believe all that about the PFA request and the nature of the training is all in the public domain and it should be fairly obvious that he would be doing fitness training and not involved in first team training drills. But, there was seemingly a consideration by some at the club of the prospect of resigning the player as is demonstrated by a number of the quotes attributed to employees of the club including the manager. In terms of what the considerations were, that is open to speculation, perhaps they wanted to see what his fitness was like after 2 1/2 years in prison or perhaps they wanted to see what the backlash was like. But the quotes, much like the PFA request are out there in the public domain so the conclusion that they were at least open to resigning him is a fair one. On the prospect of re-signing a man they did not sack when he was convicted in April 2012 but whose contract they allowed to run down, United said: “The club is not prepared at this time to decide that issue.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/sheffield-united/11222847/Ched-Evans-allowed-to-train-with-Sheffield-United-following-release-from-prison-for-rape.html Clough insisted: “The statement said that he is purely down to train with us and we will take it from there.” In a further interview with BBC Radio Sheffield, Clough said there was no timescale on whether a decision would be made to offer Evans a deal. “It’s nowhere near being decided, as it said in the statement,” he added. “It goes in stages. How you can sign a player who hasn’t played for two years and seven months? I don’t think anyone is in a position to do that. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/nov/12/nigel-clough-ched-evans-deal-sheffield-united So not only did they not sack him following his conviction but there are various quotes that seem to indicate they were while as you say complying with a PFA request, they certainly weren't rulling out re-signing him and were also seemingly delaying any decision on that until they had more time to look at him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 But not one of those media "quotes" said they were going to sign him, it was in response to a question from the media about the possibility of that. You say that info is in the public domain but how much of it is then read and understood when you see people spouting off their opinions about him being part of Sheff Utd again. Merely training with the club to regain fitness is not playing, is not an intention to sign or anything. The club may have done a few things wrong, and that is a grey area for me, but they are being unfairly criticised IMO and have acted as things have developed. Nothing in the quotes above contradicts that and a lot of the opinion is added by the media outlets reporting it. As said its a distraction at the club that will no longer be there now. As for Evans and should he play again, well banning him or ostracizing him out of football all together is a dangerous precedent, and one that would need very careful consideration, and football does not have a great track record there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted November 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2014 No I know they don't Drat, I wasn't saying that they did. What I was saying is that those quotes support the view that they were at least open to the idea of signing him, that they were at least willing to consider it. You seemed to be suggesting that there was nothing to suggest that they were even considering it and that they were simply letting him train with them because the PFA asked them which is what I didn't agree with. I completely agree with you that many people will have commented on this story from a position of ill informed ignorance, its the way of the world these days especially on social media. But that is true on both sides of this topic, like most. There are also those who defend Evans rights to play football without actually having read about the case or the impact on the victim. I agree with you that some of the criticism is ill informed and inaccurate, but criticism of them is I personally think entirely justified for a number of different reasons in relation to this case. They have acted pretty poorly throughout in my opinion and I honestly think that had the public reaction not been what its been (ill informed or otherwise) and he had demonstrated his fitness then they would have resigned him which is what I think the quotes I've shared suggest, I was careful to avoid any of the media opinion for the reasons you mention. On your last point, by and large I agree. I don't think he should be banned from football for the reasons you state and because I actually in principle support the rehabilitation of ex offenders. But I don't think his return should be at the club and in the city where the incident happened and in which the girl and her friends and family live. Ordinarily that wouldn't be so much of an issue but due to the high profile nature of a footballer I think that would be insensitive and damaging to the victim. If he were to sign for, I don't know, Plymouth perhaps I don't think the reaction would be as bad its because its going back to his old club that I think the reaction has been so strong. So I don't think he or the likes of Marlon King should be banned from playing football, but I do think clubs have to take far more into account than just the players ability and that is something that far too often they fail to do and that is true of Sheff United on this occasion in my view even if they didn't get as far as actually signing him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted November 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 21, 2014 But not one of those media "quotes" said they were going to sign him, it was in response to a question from the media about the possibility of that... Perhaps an answer to media questions could have been expressed thusly: Media: Are you going to re-sign him? Sheff U: "No" or "No. What we're doing with him is unrelated to the team or the squad. The training he is undertaking is solely about his fitness after 2 years in Jail. We're the closest club to his home and we've been requested by the PFA to let him get some fitness back after he's served hi prison sentence. It's nothing to do with re-signing him. We're not going to do that. It's about re-integration into society". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djdabush Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 On your last point, by and large I agree. I don't think he should be banned from football for the reasons you state and because I actually in principle support the rehabilitation of ex offenders. But I don't think his return should be at the club and in the city where the incident happened and in which the girl and her friends and family live. Ordinarily that wouldn't be so much of an issue but due to the high profile nature of a footballer I think that would be insensitive and damaging to the victim. If he were to sign for, I don't know, Plymouth perhaps I don't think the reaction would be as bad its because its going back to his old club that I think the reaction has been so strong. Generally I agree with your view Trent, but just wanted to point out that it happened in Rhyl and presumably both her and her family are from there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Ministry of Justice block Evans from taking up Maltese league leaders Hibernians on their offer of a contract for the rest of the season. I presume this is standard fare for convicted rapists who have shown no sign of remorse? He's been released from prison but he is only out on licence and his sentence isn't over until April 2017. I don't know what his day to day is at the moment but the government will require him to meet prohibition officers or something for at least the remainder of his sentence, surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YLN Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) edit: Have to agree with Trent, you are clearly only looking at this from his perspective and it seems heavily leaning toward the fact there has been some kind of miscarriage of justice toward him. Despite the fact he has been found guilty in court and the appeal court, the victims welfare and well-being should 100% come over the convicted rapist. He lied to the hotel porter to gain access to the room and then escaped through the fire escape after the deed, as guilty as they come and through his actions has forfeited the right to have such a mediacentric career in which the participants are seen as role models imo. I probably agree with this more than my original post. hmmm Edited January 4, 2015 by yillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 4, 2015 Moderator Share Posted January 4, 2015 Claims this morning he is set to sign for an as yet unnamed League One club, should be interesting when he plays Sheff Utd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Seems it's either Port Vale or Oldham, Oldham signed Lee Hughes in similar circumstances a few years back. I'd preferred to see him in non league, work his way back up the football pyramid that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Oldham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Can't see this going down well in that part of the country - there's been been recent investigations and convictions surrounding the exploitation of children in sex-rings. Not a good move for community spirit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Until he shows remorse and apologises he has no place in football. Any other job/career the unrepentant convicted rapist would be unemployable - and that should apply here as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 5, 2015 Moderator Share Posted January 5, 2015 Well given he is appealing again he isn't about to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eames Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Well given he is appealing again he isn't about to do that. Exactly - and given the PFA won't touch him with a barge pole either speaks volumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I wonder if it was Rooney, Ronaldo, Messi, Bale, Suarez, RVP etc looking for a club after a similar jail term he'd be facing such strong opposition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted January 5, 2015 Moderator Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yes I think it would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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