Ched Evans

[Sergeant Wilson]

If he's able to set up a successful firm, then he's clever enough to not ever use the name of convicted rapist in any advertising.

I have no issue with him making money out of his this highly implausible scenario, though.

Correct. I've never disputed this. But by the same token, if you wouldn't go to an Ian Watkins concert why would you pay to watch Ched Evans play football?

The clubs should be taking the moral high ground on this, same as venues, it should be very bad for business to hire (and promote) a convicted rapist. The fact it doesn't appear to be enough of a deterrent is a pretty damning indictment of football fans.

If he signed for St. Mirren, I would never attend another St. Mirren game whilst he is at the club. I might never attend one again unless they repudiate and apologise for the decision. Some things are more important than football, and this is much, much more important.

The morality isn't really the issue. It's the practical and legal side that allows it. You have strong opinions on drugs. What if he'd been a dealer?

[LinkinFighter]

Apologist for rape found. Shameful.

I was asking a question champ. I never said roastings were ok.

[JamboMikey]

He should be allowed back but under an alias.

Ed Chevans.

[mizfit]

He'll come back and slink away into the shadows after a year of constant abuse, Football fans are very unforgiving people.

Probably see him turn up in the Conferance lower divisions or welsh leagues in the next 5 years.

[Karpaty]

What about the legalities, I assume he'll need some sort of PVG which he'd fail miserably?

[H_B]

Football fans are very unforgiving people.

I think the opposite actually. If Evans signs for someone and scored 10 goals in 9 games he will become a hero to many of that club's fans.

It's up to fans to make it very clear to their clubs that they will not accept a vile human like Evans at their club. For me, it would be a walking away offence if the club I supported signed Evans.

[mizfit]

in fact he may go abroad if he wants to keep a low profile, that Hearts boy tried it, until it all came out when he was in Lithuania.

[Tom McB]

I was asking a question champ. I never said roastings were ok.

Yeah, like the phrase "having a go at some steaming burd" isn't loaded.

Not young woman, burd, and she's steaming too, eh, that matters why?

Here's a clue it doesn't.

[The Ginger Prince]

Yeah, like the phrase "having a go at some steaming burd" isn't loaded.

Not young woman, burd, and she's steaming too, eh, that matters why?

Here's a clue it doesn't.

Wow.

[peasy23]

They had a discussion on Jeremy Vine at lunchtime about Evans, and one of the guest speakers was the manager from a women's centre in Sheffield. She says United would be wrong to employ him as it would send the wrong message out to women in Sheffield and would also bring back memories to victims of rape every time they see his name in the paper.

Vine brought up other cases like Lee Hughes, Gazza beating up his missus etc, but she just refused to engage in any discussion about any other cases. Rape is a horrible crime, no doubt about it, but why single it out as the only crime that makes someone unemployable?

The one case that really pisses me off is Luke McCormick. He knowingly got in his car while bladdered and the result was two kids killed, one man badly hurt and another man and two kids injured. He's now fecking captain at Plymouth Argyle. Unbelievable.

[LinkinFighter]

Yeah, like the phrase "having a go at some steaming burd" isn't loaded.

Not young woman, burd, and she's steaming too, eh, that matters why?

Here's a clue it doesn't.

Wow.

[Supras]

The morality isn't really the issue. It's the practical and legal side that allows it. You have strong opinions on drugs. What if he'd been a dealer?

The practical side is clear - if all football fans adopted my position Evans would never play professional football again. No club would sign him, it would be very bad for business. As for Evans, slink away, we're not trying to ruin the guys life, he can live in peace all he wants but just not in the entertainment industry.

If he had been a dealer, whilst a professional football player, he's an idiot but I see no reason to ban him from the entertainment industry. There's a clear difference between what Evans was convicted of and minor drug dealing, you should realise this.

My strong opinion on drugs is that it should be legalised, it's a position dealers strongly oppose because it would wipe them out.

He'll come back and slink away into the shadows after a year of constant abuse, Football fans are very unforgiving people.

Not really. They shouldn't give him any abuse, they should just not turn up when he plays. And TV should not televise any games he is playing in.

He shouldn't be in the entertainment industry, it's as simple as that.

in fact he may go abroad if he wants to keep a low profile, that Hearts boy tried it, until it all came out when he was in Lithuania.

And what he did, whilst a horrible crime, was not nearly as bad as what Evans was convicted of.

Vine brought up other cases like Lee Hughes, Gazza beating up his missus etc, but she just refused to engage in any discussion about any other cases. Rape is a horrible crime, no doubt about it, but why single it out as the only crime that makes someone unemployable?

The one case that really pisses me off is Luke McCormick. He knowingly got in his car while bladdered and the result was two kids killed, one man badly hurt and another man and two kids injured. He's now fecking captain at Plymouth Argyle. Unbelievable.

Who is saying it should make him unemployable? I've said repeatedly if he wants a job he can work in, with his conviction, then fine, who cares? My point is that it shouldn't be in the entertainment industry, which is what football clearly is.

And I've also pointed out that this crime certainly isn't the only one that should exclude people from the entertainment industry. Lee McCormick should be no where near it, for example.

Fans can change this, if they choose to, but they simply aren't choosing to. It's depressing.

[Sergeant Wilson]

The practical side is clear - if all football fans adopted my position Evans would never play professional football again. No club would sign him, it would be very bad for business. As for Evans, slink away, we're not trying to ruin the guys life, he can live in peace all he wants but just not in the entertainment industry.

If he had been a dealer, whilst a professional football player, he's an idiot but I see no reason to ban him from the entertainment industry. There's a clear difference between what Evans was convicted of and minor drug dealing, you should realise this.

My strong opinion on drugs is that it should be legalised, it's a position dealers strongly oppose because it would wipe them out.

Not really. They shouldn't give him any abuse, they should just not turn up when he plays. And TV should not televise any games he is playing in.

He shouldn't be in the entertainment industry, it's as simple as that.

And what he did, whilst a horrible crime, was not nearly as bad as what Evans was convicted of.

Who is saying it should make him unemployable? I've said repeatedly if he wants a job he can work in, with his conviction, then fine, who cares? My point is that it shouldn't be in the entertainment industry, which is what football clearly is.

And I've also pointed out that this crime certainly isn't the only one that should exclude people from the entertainment industry. Lee McCormick should be no where near it, for example.

Fans can change this, if they choose to, but they simply aren't choosing to. It's depressing.

The majority of football fans will desert morality if success is forthcoming. It could also argued that a drug dealers activity is immoral and could potentially cause damage to more people than a single rapist.

I've said before I have no sympathy for Evans personally. I just find the pro and con arguments quite interesting. Have any supporters of the clubs Lithgow played for stopped going. I acknowledge that his crime was less serious.

[djchapsticks]

Way off topic but in a slight aside to Supras' point about Ian Watkins and Gary Glitter becoming pariahs (and rightly so) within the entertainment industry, it appears that the equally reprehensible Johnathan King has managed to worm his way back into the industry, he's being featured in an upcoming BBC documentary about the foundation of Genesis.

[welshbairn]

For those whose certainty overflows:

https://www.crimeline.info/case/r-v-ched-evans-chedwyn-evans

[Supras]

I'm liking the repeated use of entertainment industry from Supras, should he be allowed to sign for Kilmarnock? There's nothing enjoyable about that crock of shite.

I'm using it repeatedly because it's incredibly relevant, the whole crux of the matter. And it neatly separates me from prisoner haters who want American style minimum sentences in super max prisons. I've nothing like those people. I think all criminals should have chance for rehabilitation and a normal life. What I object to, is them being involved in the entertainment industry. Simple, really.

And, despite your terrible joke, yes of course Kilmarnock would still count.

The majority of football fans will desert morality if success is forthcoming. It could also argued that a drug dealers activity is immoral and could potentially cause damage to more people than a single rapist. I've said before I have no sympathy for Evans personally. I just find the pro and con arguments quite interesting. Have any supporters of the clubs Lithgow played for stopped going. I acknowledge that his crime was less serious.

Anyone who considers success on a football pitch to be so important that they are willing to hire anyone, rapists/murderers/etc in order to achieve this success, is someone with severely skewed priorities. Simple as that.

Yes, of course that could be argued. But it was your example. A low level dealer peddling pills that are significantly less harmful than, say, alcohol, is vastly different from a major heroin manufacturer and importer. If we leave aside the fact that a drug dealing professional footballer is extremely unlikely for a number of reasons, one scenario would be clearly less serious than the other - as would be reflected in their sentence. In the second case, for example, this discussion wouldn't be happening because the defendant would likely be too old by the time he got out to play professional football.

In the first case, I wouldn't object to them returning. Simple as that. It would always exist on a case by case basis because it's clearly not the kind of thing you can attach hard and fast rules to. What we can always agree on, as a hard and fast rule, is that rapists should never be allowed to return to the entertainment industry.

In the Lithgow case, I would not object to him returning to football. I didn't in the Paul McGowan case either, although I recognise that it was a not insignificant factor in his eventual release.

Agree with djchapsticks re Johnathan King.

[HibeeJibee]

The one case that really pisses me off is Luke McCormick. He knowingly got in his car while bladdered and the result was two kids killed, one man badly hurt and another man and two kids injured. He's now fecking captain at Plymouth Argyle. Unbelievable.

Lee Hughes another example... Death by dangerous driving, 2 others seriously injured, plus he and his pal fled the scene. It was claimed that he did this as he was over the limit. Seemingly little trouble finding a club.

Also the Marlon King sagas.

I wouldn't want my club signing rapists, but I wouldn't want them signing murderers, dangerous drivers like McCormick or Hughes, sex offenders or drug dealers, either. But different people have differing sympathies, and football fans easily forget.

[ICTChris]

Are there any other convicted rapists playing football? There was that Belgian player who was convicted but was subsequently included in the national squad.

[sjc]

Lee Hughes another example... Death by dangerous driving, 2 others seriously injured, plus he and his pal fled the scene. It was claimed that he did this as he was over the limit. Seemingly little trouble finding a club.

Also the Marlon King sagas.

I wouldn't want my club signing rapists, but I wouldn't want them signing murderers, dangerous drivers, sex offenders or drug dealers, either.

I don't disagree but there in lies the problem.......where is the line drawn & by whom?

I see what Supras is saying in relation to entertainment industry but the arguement for banning these people from it are entirely different from a teacher or a Dr being struck off.

[RandomGuy.]

He'll find a new club, and in five years he'll barely be mentioned by anyone outwith the odd mention when the subject of rape raises its head in the sport again. As someone who supports a team who've signed a players who's spent time in jail for murder, I can tell you that whoever he signs for well be staunchly against it, but there will also be a minority who'll defend him. If he doesn't perform fairly quickly then he's more likely to be punted than a non-murderer though.