Crane
14 years ago
6 days ago
2,432
Premium
"I'm sorry you feel you were raped"
Slashman X
17 years ago
4 months ago
6,000
Premium
Not what he said at all.
SpinSwimScream
14 years ago
2 days ago
1,598
I'm not saying he didn't do it but from what I read it seems like an absolute shit decision to send him to jail. Sets some precedent, any girl can just claim she got raped


iirc the girl didn't claim she got raped and actually had no idea she had done anything with Evans. It was the police that decided on the rape charge after the fact upon finding out what had happened. But yeah overall i agree with terriersmad.

He's shown little remorse, the behaviour of his supporters has been disgusting and the girlfriends family are scum. No doubt he will sign with someone eventually but if I certainly believe that he shouldn't be playing professional football, the vast majority of careers wouldn't re-hire a rapist so why should football be any different.
Sam
17 years ago
1 year ago
5,092
Funny how he distances himself from the abuse his victim has received. Abuse his website and family encouraged. The website is still up, in his name shaming the victim.

An incredibly insincere apology.
Jason
17 years ago
2 months ago
4,635
They never encouraged it by setting up the website. The website was to made display evidence that were gathered but not used in court.

The main question here is, why wasn't it used?
Jason
17 years ago
2 months ago
4,635
It is with great sadness that today I have withdrawn from talks with Oldham Athletic. I would like to thank the Club, and those who have supported me in my lawful quest to find work. I apologise to the clubs supporters, sponsors and all those effected by the last 72 hours.

Sadly the ‘mob rule’ tactics employed by the more radical elements of our society and the constant media reporting has had the desired influence on some sponsors and the club would face significant financial pressure if I joined them. The most significant issue for me was that owing to the threat of funding opportunities being withdrawn which may jeopardise the building of Oldhams new stand it would mean that workers would lose their jobs and others would be put at risk - that would simply not be fair.

Upon legal advice, I chose not to discuss the events in question. My 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 application 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 effect that that night in Rhyl has had on many people, especially 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.

Ched Evans


Statement just released.
VP.
13 years ago
4 weeks ago
25,271
Blames 'mob rule' rather than his actions during 'that night in Rhyl' for not being able to work. Though no one is actually stopping him from working, just play football at a professional level and rightly so. That statement was only made because of the PFA and Gordon Taylor is one of the biggest cunts around who as long as he is getting paid will defend a player no matter what they have done.
Vercoe
11 years ago
3 years ago
1,510
For me it is not about if Ched Evans did or did not rape the girl as in court he was found guilty and has served 2 and half years.

My problem is the media hype as in 2008 Luke McCormick the then Plymouth goalkeeper causing death by dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol killed two brothers and served 4 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7654430.stm

In 2012 on his release he signed for Truro then by 2013 Oxford Utd and is now back at Plymouth.

I myself can not remember any public outcry for Luke McCormick to not be allowed to return to football and his case was clear cut unlike Ched Evans who has always protested his innocents.

Now I am not against Luke McCormick returning to football as he served the time he was told to do but 4 years for killing to brother where Ched Evans got 2 and half years for rape.

Are we now at a point that rape should carry a harder sentence and more of a media backlash than murder even if it was by accident or stupidity.


Just to come back to this, although I don't really want to because, as you can imagine I've seen this discussion done to death on multiple occasions, but there was a lot of media outcry when Luke a) started playing professionally again and then b) when he re-signed with us, mostly from the Sun it has to be said.

Edit: I'd also like to add that neither of the children were wearing seatbelts at the time, not that it matters now of course. nor should it resolve Luke of any blame whatsoever, but if they were wearing seatbelts, like their father, they would (more than likely) have lived, like their father.
RhylFCKiko
12 years ago
1 month ago
457
All i'll say on the matter is, while he's a convicted rapist, I wouldn't want him at my club, no remorse, an apology that effectively said "Sorry, can I have a job now?" And for the "He's served his time argument" he's still out on license, if he gets done for anything for the next two years then he goes back inside.
Number 1
16 years ago
10 months ago
3,650
Gordon Taylor on BBC Radio:
Well he wouldn't be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and to maintain their innocence and then been proved right. If we're talking about thngs in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough, and it's now unravelling, and we're finding that it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time, indeed by the police at the time.


Oh fuck off.
Sam
17 years ago
1 year ago
5,092
Fucking hell, Taylor is a bastard.

He has to go.
El-chambo
13 years ago
8 months ago
73
Vercoe my point in using The Luke McCormick case was just to highlight that Luke McCormick has returned to football and that as you say there was a media outcry but nothing on this scale over his case.

When it comes to facts about both cases the main problem here as to be Luke McCormick returned to football were it looks very much like Ched Evans will not at least until he has severed his sentence if at all.

Also you may be able to correct me but I do not think any sponsor's of both Oxford or Plymouth pull out of the club due to Luke signing.

So do the sponsor's see rape as a worse crime than killing the brother's.

Both should be allowed to continue there career's once they have served there time.
Slashman X
17 years ago
4 months ago
6,000
Premium
Blames 'mob rule' rather than his actions during 'that night in Rhyl' for not being able to work. Though no one is actually stopping him from working, just play football at a professional level and rightly so. That statement was only made because of the PFA and Gordon Taylor is one of the biggest cunts around who as long as he is getting paid will defend a player no matter what they have done.

All i'll say on the matter is, while he's a convicted rapist, I wouldn't want him at my club, no remorse, an apology that effectively said "Sorry, can I have a job now?" And for the "He's served his time argument" he's still out on license, if he gets done for anything for the next two years then he goes back inside.


It's almost like you guys don't realise he still has an appeal pending and saying "Sorry I raped you" is likely going to affect the outcome of that appeal. Jesus Christ. Whether you believe he did it or not, apologising for the actual incident would fuck him up from a legal perspective, which he fucking mentioned in the statement. He's apologising for the whole hate mob that forced the woman to change name etc and saying he condemns that, which is exactly what everyone expected him to do and the 'right' thing to do at the current moment. People spouting shite earlier about "He forced her to change name, move away etc, he should feel bad about that", he does that and now people say "Such a cop out apology, should apologise for raping her whilst his appeal is still going on". It's a "damned if you do..." scenario.

He honestly hasn't done anything anyone else wouldn't do in the exact same scenario
Crane
14 years ago
6 days ago
2,432
Premium
Neither of them demanded an apology?

He comes across as a knob for this statement because it's only because a club pulls out of signing him. Why couldn't he have said this before, and not just bunging it in with whinge about how he can't get a job?
Slashman X
17 years ago
4 months ago
6,000
Premium
Neither of them demanded an apology?

He comes across as a knob for this statement because it's only because a club pulls out of signing him. Why couldn't he have said this before, and not just bunging it in with whinge about how he can't get a job?


Some people here said he should apologise for the "witchhunt" and that he instigated it.

On legal advice he was told not to say anything that could affect his appeal, he says that in his statement. He made the statement because people took his lack of statement/apology as arrogance, which he also said in his statement and makes sense. If he released that statement as soon as he left prison people would still say "He's just doing it to get a job"
Number 1
16 years ago
10 months ago
3,650
Steve Bruce and Harry Redknapp have piped up in support, with Bruce even revealing himself as a believer in his innocence. Good grief.

Meanwhile, Greg Dyke has said the FA doesn't feel the need to intervene in this case. Which is not exactly very helpful.
Slashman X
17 years ago
4 months ago
6,000
Premium
Anyone who offers their support is just asking for trouble
Ninja
14 years ago
6 years ago
5,341
Blames 'mob rule' rather than his actions during 'that night in Rhyl' for not being able to work. Though no one is actually stopping him from working, just play football at a professional level and rightly so. That statement was only made because of the PFA and Gordon Taylor is one of the biggest cunts around who as long as he is getting paid will defend a player no matter what they have done.


1. It definitely is because of mob rule, otherwise he'd probably be a Sheffield United player now, if not an Oldham one.
2. That's literally Gordon Taylor's job.
Sam
17 years ago
1 year ago
5,092
Steve Bruce is an idiot.
Vercoe
11 years ago
3 years ago
1,510
Vercoe my point in using The Luke McCormick case was just to highlight that Luke McCormick has returned to football and that as you say there was a media outcry but nothing on this scale over his case.

When it comes to facts about both cases the main problem here as to be Luke McCormick returned to football were it looks very much like Ched Evans will not at least until he has severed his sentence if at all.

Also you may be able to correct me but I do not think any sponsor's of both Oxford or Plymouth pull out of the club due to Luke signing.

So do the sponsor's see rape as a worse crime than killing the brother's.

Both should be allowed to continue there career's once they have served there time.


You're right, there wasn't this much media or public outcry over Luke's return to football but, for my money, it's because he kept his head down and tries to avoid the media spotlight where he can whereas Evans obviously doesn't (but then, if he believes he's innocent then why should he? He'd just better hope he wins his appeal). Maybe saying Evans isn't trying to avoid media spotlight is the wrong phrasing but because of his appeal I suppose he's automatically getting more exposure.

Where Oxford is concerned, I couldn't tell you whether or not any sponsors had adverse reactions, although he was only ever brought in as a short term replacement as their two main 'keepers were injured (FWIW he had signed on to play for local non-league side Truro in Cornwall before Oxford approached him), so maybe that worked in his favour? As far as I know Argyle never had any threats of sponsors pulling out when Luke returned either.

I wouldn't say that the sponsors place rape higher than the death of two young boys, I would play devil's advocate and say that perhaps the fact that, if guilty, there's an admission of intent on Evans' part wherein he intended to have sex with the girl in the state she was in whereas Luke never intended to crash into anyone (not that it matters now) so maybe that will play on the sponsors' minds?

I would also point out that Lee Hughes returned to football with arguably less uproar (I think, my memory isn't great) after he killed somebody with intent to harm (I believe).

It's an extremely tricky situation that there can't really be one rule set in stone for in my mind.
Carroll.
15 years ago
3 years ago
3,361
The more this goes on, the more I'm getting pissed of with the whole situation. While what he did agrees with the definition of rape, I don't think I agree with the definition of it and his punishment. While yes, he had sex with her without her consent (although he did go down on her, can't see him doing that from his own accord?), he didn't do it using force. He was fairly drunk himself, I doubt he saw it as anything more than just casual one night stand that I'm pretty sure many of you have experienced or can imagine. Also to the point that she has to live with it for the rest of her life etc., one she most likely got a pay off enough to last her life, two, no offence, but I see it as a cheap excuse to hide the fact she got drunk and had sex.

Guess the point I'm trying to make before I get a barrage of abuse is that while yeah he hasn't served his time exactly, let the guy get back to life. He didn't go out that night to rape a girl, the alcohol didn't make him physically force himself on her, he basically didn't see the fact she was so drunk (that she could walk normally, get her pizza etc.)
Franck
17 years ago
2 weeks ago
4,255
(although he did go down on her, can't see him doing that from his own accord?)

Because no man would ever wish to perform oral sex on a woman by his own will.
Carroll.
15 years ago
3 years ago
3,361
I don't know, especially if you're drunk would you venture down there
Franck
17 years ago
2 weeks ago
4,255
If it's something that turns you on you definitely would.
VP.
13 years ago
4 weeks ago
25,271
Its quite a normal thing to do Carroll...
Shola
16 years ago
5 years ago
2,708
Who has supposedly paid her off in this scenario? And cheap excuse? I mean does she live in the 1800's?
Andy Cav
17 years ago
1 month ago
41
Premium
I don't believe Ched Evans should be allowed a professional football contract whilst his conviction is pending appeal. I do believe if the ruling is upheld he should not return to professional football in this country.

His high-profile position is completely inciting "mob rule". It has done no favours for the alleged victim, it has done no favours for his re-integration into society and it has done no good for anybody who has commented on it from a public perspective. Oldham wanted to sign a professional footballer who would improve their side, due to this decision and the personal profile of the target, members of the club's staff received abuse and death threats and one has been forced to tender his resignation. How are death threats directed at innocent parties any better than anything Ched Evans has or hasn't done since leaving prison? Gordon Taylor referenced the difference in what was presented at the time to the factual truth of the Hillsborough tragedy; he in no way suggested Evans' innocence, just that his protestations of innocence could still be ruled correct.

The truth is that both of these incidents were without malice and were cases of poor judgement that the media and the mob-rule reaction has caused the results of both to be blown way, way, way out of proportion.

Ched Evans maintains his innocence and during his appeal process would be, rightly, advised to keep quiet and not (in his mind) wrongly implicate himself. The conviction is not in any way cut and dried, hence the website. Drink was involved, drugs were involved and someone who had previously similar incidents with people of similar sporting profile. The accused, whilst in a relationship, had sex with a clearly intoxicated woman in a pre-booked hotel room, after and in the company of his friend who had done the same. What is entirely clear, is that Ched Evans did not have sex with a woman who said no, there was no force or violence involved; there is simply a very, very grey area over whether consent could be made and whether the woman could remember more than she claims and is taking advantage of a situation she didn't pursue,
Jason
17 years ago
2 months ago
4,635
Disgusting, she actually got away with it, too.

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