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Ched Evans Debate

Danza91

Danza91

TS Member
For a bit of background, Ched Evans is a professional footballer who has recently finished serving a 2 and a half year sentence in jail for rape. A debate has sparked as the player has been allowed to return to his club, Sheffield United, following a request from the Professional Footballers' Association. At this time, he is allowed to train with the club but they have not yet decided whether they will resign him.

It has been announced that a patron for the club has resigned from her position based on the fact that a convicted rapist should not go back into a position where they are often considered as role models by the next generation of young men.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30015701

I'm interested to learn what people's views on this are. I am more on the side that he shouldn't return to his position. Although he has served his time, I also think that in most other roles, you would feel the affects for a long time after your sentence. Maybe less so in a low-level position in a medium/large sized company, but if you were in a senior/managerial role or leading a team in some form with a number of those aspiring to reach your level one day, and you were convicted of a crime like rape, you would absolutely be laid off. Why should it be different in a career where it's thousands of children looking up to footballers?
 
While I obviously think that what did was awful, and that he's definitely a terrible role model, I do honestly think that he should be able to play again, on the basis that he has served his sentence. While there's definitely a valid argument regarding the length of that sentence, ultimately I think that, on the basis of my views of what is and is not "justice" (which is a subjective concept anyway, and therefore many will disagree), anyone who is released for prison deserves another chance to go back to their former job, regardless of what that job may be.

Do I think that a proven rapist deserves to be paid thousands of pounds a week? Definitely not. But in this capitalistic society there are many awful people who don't deserve anything, yet have stupid amounts of wealth and influence. I think it's terrible that while hundreds of millions of decent people are in poverty, people like Ched Evans, Lee Hughes or Marlon King have jobs that earn them lots of money and admiration, but then sadly that's just how the awful system known as capitalism works. (which is why I'm a socialist, but that's just another debate entirely)

To anyone who passionately believes Ched Evans should never play football again, would you honestly say you feel the same about him if his job was a binman? Or a janitor? At the end of the day being a footballer is his job, regardless of whether or not he deserves to be one (Which, just to clarify, I don't).
 
Agree entirely @Adam , what can he do otherwise? People underestimate the effort & dedication to make it into ANY professional club. I think it should be treated in the same was as it would at any other job. What is the option, become another statistic where the tax payer compensates his crime further. He will have no other work experience, presumably no further education, which is usually sacrificed if you want to / are able to make it a professional career, all which gives him no other option.

I'm not aware of the case (what extent of 'rape' it was) and although, of course, there is no excuse for any degree of rape, a surprising amount of all professional sportsmen/women's participate in activities that would constitute as 'rape' in certain peoples eyes for sure. I dislike the whole footballer/rugby attitude (I'm sure people know what I mean) quite honestly, but it is current and rife and is showing no signs of getting any less extreme, especially with social media being more & more prominent. Its the same with many 'celebrities' not in sport, I've witnessed many times first hand just what goes on and every time I cringe in disgust. I get where it comes from though, when you have money & a 'status' - things that used to excite you just doesn't any more - because they are so readily available. Which is not only dangerous, but quite frankly frightening. The nicest of people, whom I have know for decades, I have seen turn into monsters before my very eyes. Especially when effected by drugs, drink and more importantly, their ego & peers.
 
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Adam said:
anyone who is released for prison deserves another chance to go back to their former job, regardless of what that job may be.
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Really, even school teachers that have been imprisoned for child sex offences?

I don't know what to make of this. On the one hand he is out on licence and as a role model could give the next generation the wrong idea about consensual sex. On the other hand, by letting him out on licence they say he is not a threat, been punished and rehabilitated.

The only thing i can say is. He will have this sex offence on his DBS (was CRB) for a long time, and as long as they safeguard the vulnerable, e.g coach the under 20s female team. then the club is doing what they legally need to.
 
delta79 said:
Really, even school teachers that have been imprisoned for child sex offences?
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Alright fair enough on that one, definitely not, though maybe if schools actually did a decent job of not employing nonces this wouldn't be an issue as they'd never be able to become teachers in the first place. (During my time at school we had two teachers arrested for paedophilia, so to be honest I can't see how whoever it is that's responsible is doing a good job of keeping them away from schools).
 
Many people in Sheffield, including myself, find the idea that he could represent our city quite repulsive. Many of us don't give a toss about football, but this does concern us if they choose to name the club 'Sheffield United'.

That 'united' does not include the hundreds of thousands of Sheffield residents like myself who don't have a strong dislike of women, as supporters of this rapist returning to our city obviously do. That is simply what this is about: dislike of women. These sorts of people don't like them, don't want them participating in our society.
 
That is well put, the feeling of thousand of residents needs to be taken into consideration with this. the one way to drive home the feeling is to boycott a match. an empty home team stand will raise concern with management
 
Sam said:
... like myself who don't have a strong dislike of women, as supporters of this rapist returning to our city obviously do..
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That statement is truly mental.

If someone has 'done their time' they are supposed to be able to get on with their lives as long as they live within any release conditions, that's the point of releasing them and free people are free to go to whatever city the wish. I support this freedom, as they alternative would be indefinite detention. Obviously by holding this opinion I am a fan of rape and have a strong dislike of women.

I find it hard to criticise Evans himself for wanting and trying to get back to his job. What I don't understand is the motivation of the club by wanting him to. Surely being convicted of rape would amount to gross misconduct, so why does he have a job there to go back to? I think the other big question is how can 2 years be appropriate for such a devastating crime? The biggest reason for him not being able to return to professional football should surely be his being too old by the time he is released!
 
The statement is not mental - it's so obviously truthful that it's barely worth saying. Supporting this bloke coming back to play for Sheffield, publicly stating that he should play, is indicative of certain values that person holds. Crappy values. I am not saying they out-and-out support rape or sexual assault, but they quite clearly have a problem with women, or at least see very little value in their place in society.

If football fans think it is OK for him to be back at the same club, where he will be a role-model to young fans, then it demonstrates that violence against women is a pretty low priority for them. Feeling strongly pro-Ched on this specific issue gives clues towards a person's attitude towards women as a whole. They may want to sleep with them, perhaps begrudgingly tolerate them, but they don't think raping one is particularly serious crime. Just laddish banter that got out of hand, yeah? Nothing that should bar you from being a role-model to male children, anyway.

tl;dr: only dicks would support this.
 
Does the club actually represent Sheffield? How many players do they have that are home grown talent?

Its just a business that happens to have a name the same as the city it is in.

As to the issue, I am not a football fan and I feel they tend to be over paid and not worthy of peoples admiration.

My biggest issue with him is the fact he has only been sorry for being done for the crime nothing about his victim and the pain and suffering he has caused.

Like it or not our justice system is supposed to be to rehabilitate prisoners and to help make sure they wont re offend. If someone has decided he is not a threat to society then why should he not return to his job if the law allows it.
If you don't like this model then we either have to lock everyone up for life or find a new Australia to ship all our criminals to.

Also maybe Sam should get a lifetime ban from the forum for calling other people dicks, as far as that goes its very offensive and its very sexist to refer to a person as a part of the male anatomy. It shows a lack of respect for men and men in our society.
 
Nope, sorry. It's a pretty accurate term to describe people who cheerlead for rapists. Feel free to delete if you want, I'm not going to.
 
I'm going to say this one final time. Stick to the topic at hand, and not some pathetic debate namecalling those with differing viewpoints.

As for suggesting bans or action against members, it's off topic to the conversation at hand, and it's an issue for the team and not for discussion in this thread.
 
I think he is a disgusting excuse for a human being. If I had my way, all his kind would be shot at dawn.

Football is vile and the fact that it is allowed to continue in this day and age never fails to shock me.
 
Jem8472 said:
Like it or not our justice system is supposed to be to rehabilitate prisoners and to help make sure they wont re offend. If someone has decided he is not a threat to society then why should he not return to his job if the law allows it.
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I didn't mention it in my first post as I would have thought it was obvious. Someone employed by a school who commits a sexual crime wouldn't be allowed to return to that specific line of work because it would be wholly inappropriate given their status as an influential role-model. The exact same is true of a footballer.

Nobody is saying that he shouldn't be allowed to return to employment. But it is a widely held view that sex offenders shouldn't be allowed to take jobs where they are looked up to as a role-model by children. There would not even be any question of this if he was a teacher, attempting to return to his old school.
 
If Rolf Harris survives his prison sentence would people accept him back into the position of a TV personality? No. So why should Ched Evans be accepted back into the position of role model to football followers? Yes, he should be allowed to get some semblance of life back, but he forewent ever being able to be a role model when he committed these awful acts. The managers of the club have the responsibility to understand what a statement giving him his position back actually means
 
Agreed. I've seen some ridiculous quotes around sites today such as "If he was a plumber, no one would have batted an eyelid" and other such rubbish. Footballers are paid what they are paid on the understanding that they are also role models for the kids who look up to them. Muck that up, and to me there should be no second chances whatsoever.
 
This is a man who is going back to a high profile job, representing a certain part of the UK, representing a very large industry, acting as a role model for children, teenagers, adults, aspiring footballers... he shouldn't be allowed back into work.

It gives off a very strange image, raped someone? Don't worry, you're good at playing so you'll still have a job later. Evans should never be allowed on a football field again, set an example to everyone in this country. If you commit a crime, you've messed up your career and life, you don't deserve a second chance.
 
James said:
It gives off a very strange image, raped someone? Don't worry, you're good at playing so you'll still have a job later. Evans should never be allowed on a football field again, set an example to everyone in this country. If you commit a crime, you've messed up your career and life, you don't deserve a second chance.
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I completely agree. For me, it normalises rape and makes a mockery of the severity of the crime. It shouldn't be something that is forgotten about following a sentence, it should follow you around like a bad odour for the rest of your life.

I posted about Ched Evans on my blog and have copied an extract into here, apologies if it's poorly written, I'm no writer.

There is a huge problem in this country with rape culture and this Ched Evans case will only make it worse, if he is allowed back at Bramall Lane. If you look at the comments on Twitter and Facebook posts from the likes of Sky Sports News and BBC Sport, it’s quite worrying. In response to Jessica Ennis's recent decision to revoke her name from one of the stands at Bramall Lane if Sheffield re-sign him, one guy simply replied ‘What a slut’ which has given him over 50 favourites, and then posted whole host of other misogynistic comments. On top of that, another person has said ‘give the bloke a break – he’s served his time.’

Give the bloke a break? Sorry, give him a break? A convicted rapist who has shown no remorse for his crime and scarred a girl for life and you want people to give him a break? Do people not understand these kinds of comments normalise rape? His return will only normalise it more! It is no wonder that approximately 70% of rapes (probably more) are not reported because they don’t believe the perpetrator will be brought to justice, and when they are, their punishment is not near enough.
 
I have just read your blog. And it comes out as a well thought out view., not clouded by strong emotions.
 
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