So if Ched Evans signed for us would you stop going to Oakwell?

Not served his time but out early. More here for anyone interested

http://www.chedevans.com

 

Me too.

 

He's off to Oldham

 

I've just got back from walking the dog and a bloke I talk to told me it was Rochdale who were signing him.

 

Would you stop going if we signed joey barton, marlon king ,luke mccormick?? One a child killer all been to jail and resumed football careers really hope none ever put a barnsley shirt on but why should these play and evens not.

 

I've been trying to look at this objectively and for me there's an issue here of rehabilitation of offenders. He is a footballer by trade and if he's to become a contributing member of society once his sentence is served then football would appear to be the natural path to achieve that. The problems that immediately jump out at me with that are broadly financial and social: it doesn't seem right for him to return to a lucrative job where he is portrayed as a role-model or aspirational figure.

If he genuinely wanted to resolve the former problem then presumably he could sign a deal with whichever club is involved and only take the national average salary for himself and donate the rest to a rape-related charity. If it's really just about getting a job again and this being his metier then earning the same as those of us who work to watch the sport would surely satisfy that. I understand that he is still appealing his conviction but this could be done with no admission of guilt and even if his appeal succeeded then he'd have earned money like the rest of us and a charity would have been able to better help rape victims as a result.

The latter problem seems more difficult. As I understand it he'll now be on the sex offenders register so that would presumably restrict involvement in some areas of the club's community work, etc. but parents would still be expected to take their kids to cheer him on and that is hard, probably impossible to get around. Even for those of us without kids to consider it wouldn't feel right to put a convicted sex-offender in such a lofty position. Personally I think it's a deal breaker but if some club does decide that they can live with such a decision, and it looks like one does, then I hope that something is at least done to mitigate what many would see as the financial unfairness of the situation.

As to whether it would put an end to my admittedly rare attendance at Oakwell, I think on balance it probably would.

 

Yes.

And he hasn't served his time. He's half way through his sentence, the remainder of which he's serving on parole. If he breaks the conditions of his parole he'll be sent back to prison to serve the remaining part of his sentence.

When he has served his time he will have the right to resurrect his career, but not until then, although I still can't understand how a registered sex offender can be allowed to work in a place of learning that educates children, which a football club is.

 

Yes.

 

good post, but i think for him to be integrated back into his career he needs to rehabilitate and to do that there needs to be acknowledgement of his crime. So far all i have read from him is contempt for the victim, no remorse or even support to back off idiots tracking her. His website reads all about him and his girlfriend. Nothing about the crime in general and any remorse. He believes he is innocent simply because he had sex after his mate and his claim that she wasn't drunk. Its that that leaves most bitterness in my mouth. There will always be criminals in any walk of life we come across, we choose how to deal with it. I wouldn't go to watch him play in a BFC shirt and would be so disappointed if our club allowed it.

 

I think theres an official definition where sex offenders can't work.

 

Are all sex offenders banned from working with children automatically or is it only certain crimes tht relate to children?

 

It would give me the excuse I need to stop going. I'd be demanding a refund though.

 

Can you imagine the focus and unwanted attention, globally that any club will get from this. The reputation, brand etc will be damaged and the story will run on and on, way beyond the initial training.....first game.....opposition fans........ support groups........UK press love a good target.

 

Yes but it won't be an issue.

 

Its Port Vale.

 

I travel a 260 mile round trip to every home game and I've been a Barnsley fan since 1974 so I suppose you could say I'm quite a commited fan.

If Barnsley sign Ched Evans I would never watch them again, and I can't think of many other scenarios that would ellicit that response.

 

How do you know its port vale?

 

I would stop going, but it is irrelevant anyway, as we won't sign him.

Be quite ironic if it was Rochdale though, wouldn't it. One more sexual offender in Rochdale!