PhilStarbucksSilkySkills

how was he a success for us then other than scoring some goals what did we achieve by signing him other than bad publicity ?

Goals = success for a striker. I'd say we achieved plenty by signing him.

'No comment' is not good enough.

It's good enough for me, for reasons I've already stated.

If he's acquitted we're out of it anyway. He'll be back to Sheffield Utd or another club paying £10k a week or more.

You might be right. But it has to be worth a try.

I also can't see him getting as much as 10K a week when he hasn't played for a couple of years or more.

This tweet happened at 2.14pm today.

 

@MENOAFC: Reached out to Oldham about the Ched Evans rumours and have been given a very firm 'no comment' regarding the matter. #oafc

 

This chapter needs closing by the club quickly. They've chosen to leave the door open. They didn't have to.

They shouldn't have to close the door. If this is all an exercise in sweetening Ched Evans up just incase his appeal is succesful then it would be foolish to come out and fully deny any intention to sign him.

Sometimes things belong behind closed doors and should remain so. The club don't have to explain every move they make and conversation they have. Doing so would be extremely counter productive.

Why oh why does it have to be us!! Unbelievable and moronic that we have somehow even been entered into this discussion.

Until we know the nature of the discussions then we literally know nothing of importance.

Certainly nothing worth getting upset about.

 

Hang on, I might agree with your point about stepping back from this but let's have debate - discuss the opinion not the owner of the opinion.

I am discussing the opinion. I am saying it is over the top and unnecessary at this point. There's crying over spilt milk and then there's crying over spilt milk that might possibly be spilt (and in all likelyhood isn't being spilt) in the future.

This news is sickening and takes the gloss off yesterday's win and a very good season so far. Typically, the club won't give a denial or any other kind of statement. No sign of our representative on the Board resigning yet. I was against the Hughes deal but at least he was contrite. Evans is in denial and his using his rich friends and reactionary and self-serving organisations such as various PFAs to gloss over and deny. Until a court overturns the decision then he is guilty as charged. Unlike Hughes, he accepts no guilt or responsibility.

 

I abhor the deal with Ashley but we must accept that there are benefits and put up with it and we can't take on the sins of the world. His company is notorious for policies such as "zero hours" contracts and sponsorship links with an unscrupulous loan merchant. But why would Corney sabotage our season and club over Evans? Forget moral arguments - Corney is a "businessman" and wants his money back from us, and genuinly wants a promotion. He has striven for success. But do we need a Ched Evans anyway, despite his baggage? The team looks fine to me. What will he cost in contract terms? We shall reap the whirlwind if we sign him and our promotion push will be de-railed. The media will be merciless; it is just waiting for some clown of a Chairman to pick up the baton from Bramall Lane, who were only planning to let him train, not sign. God help the club that signs him. How would our sponsors react (apart from Ashley)? As far as I'm aware we don't have the rich and famous supporters that the blades have, but I guess that many sponsors would think twice about continuing to have business links with the club. Oldham town doesn't exactly have a good reputation, and even thinking of signing Evans would add to all the negative stories about poverty, ignorance, racial divide and poor governance. It was so heartening last night reading the match reviews and then the story of the four young Latics players giving time and money to help a foodbank. That's the image of the club and town that we need.

 

I shall dread watching Latics away (and at home) if Evans plays. Opposition fans and various pressure groups will react strongly and the feel-good factor will soon disappear. Player morale will suffer and it will damage performances and results. Myself and others are already considering how we protest about the possible signing. It will put our players and staff in a quandary. Will Johnson be happy? He comes across as a decent and humane man but do we take the rumours of Evans as evidence that Johnson is will accept Evans?

 

There are so many issues here that we need early clarification. Already the club is tarnished (unless a complete denial is on the way). I bloody well knew that it would be us getting involved before long. Let's hope it's a nightmare and I shall soon wake up.

Ridiculously OTT

Ironic that the very first person to comment after advising everyone to chillax comes out with this.

I'd chillax about this guys.

Even if the story is true then it could easily be about keeping tabs on the guy just incase his appeal is succesful. There isn't a chance they'll be signing him otherwise after everything that's been happening lately.

I'm too sophisticated to successfully impersonate a Rochdale fan. I'd be turned away.

In fact, a scenario like this one springs to mind:

Let's hope Paddy Kenny gets a good start.

At least this bit of business makes sense now. It would have been a waste of a wage to bring him in as understudy for Rachubka.

To save me starting a new topic, does anyone know specifically what has happened to Amari Morgan-Smith? I never hear his name mentioned, even amongst the injury worries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30126234

Jesus. The PFA's solicitor is drawing comparisons with the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six.

 

He's also says "This crime, as alleged, was at the bottom end. There was no violence and thankfully the victim has no recollection of it."

 

What an absolute prick.

He wasn't drawing any comparisons other than to say that people vilified in public and by he media have had their cases overturned. That was the only point made by bringing up the Guilford Four and Birmingham Six. But quite typically the BBC threw some spin on it and turned it into an outrageous headline.

So Phil wants to give the rapist (and everyone ever convicted) the benefit of the doubt because someone at some point got wrongly convicted... Its a bit of an odd ball stance to be frank...

The point I'm making is that I am not going to judge anyone until I have enough evidence to do so. I certainly can't claim that for the Ched Evans. It doesn't seem that the details of what led to the verdict have been made available and I think that courtrooms will get it wrong often enough for me to be skeptical.

This isn't about giving "the benefit of the doubt". It's about not judging so venomously as so many people in the media and on here seem to be delighted to do. I think the whole thing is badly out of proportion.

If he did it, he has served his time and should be allowed to rebuild his life and his career. If he didn't, then boy is he getting a rough deal right now. But the mob are out with their pitchforks, and the vast majority if not all of them know little to nothing about the case other than he was found guilty. I find it all incredibly distasteful.

Why would anyone still defend him?

I assume that if someone is sure that he's innocent then they will defend him. I am not one of those people.

Seriously, he's a rapist.

So says you. Do you have any other reason to make such a statement other than faith in the judicial system to deliver justice?

 

She didn't give consent.

You know this how?

 

She's not a :censored:ing toilet for any bastard to take advantage of.

Good to know. I'm glad you enlightened me on that.

 

Now he can't even acknowledge what he's done. He shows no remorse. He's making her feel even worse by his on-going behaviour. He's a total tosser and i for one will give him absolute :censored: if he plays against us.

And what if he has a good reason to show no remorse? Unless you know that he's guilty, how is it fair to critisize a guy for insisting that he's innocent?

Have you got a link to the anti Ched site fella? Wouldn't mind giving it a nosey over to see is there is anything that contradicts what I've read on the Ched site

I'm unaware of any specific sites dedicated to Evans in that way. I'm talking about forum post and journalists mainly.

This

 

I've worked I've worked briefly in criminal law they will have seen the evidence from both sides. To get a unanimous conviction like that from jury would suggest that while the said website may give Evans a case, the case for conviction will have been far stronger.

 

I have more faith in the law than I do of that website.

Why do you need faith in either?

As LeeSinnott says, right now; he's been found guilty by a jury of his peers and is a convicted rapist. He was innocent until proven guilty; which he was.

If he wins this appeal, it puts another spin on things, but right now - he's a rapist. And that, currently, is a FACT (copyright OWTB for the uppercase fact!)

That position assumes a level of faith in the judicial system that I don't have.

 

Yeah, that's exactly the place i'd be visiting for a balanced and well rounded take on the events that happened and continue to unfurl.

Do you know a website with well balanced and rounded take of the events? Most of what I see is on the anti-Ched Evans side, extremely emotional and assumes guilt with no justification other than the aforementioned faith in the judicial system.

 

How is that enabling us to be equipped to deal with the issue? It's an often raised argument, but I'd rather it was examined than hid away and labelled forbidden.

I assumed he was being sarcastc, Rummy. That's certainly how I read oafcmetty's response.

Sadly that from all areas of society, lot of copy culture. The medical students who included a rape scene in end of year play equally as thick.

I've not heard of this story at all. But unless there's an important detail that i'm not aware of, I can't think of a reason that a rape scene shouldn't be in a play.

There's a lot of remarkably liberal viewpoints out there considering the offence that was committed.

My liberal viewpoints remain steady regardless of the variables at play.

As an ex teacher believe me youngsters copy so called role models as its ok to be like that. Totally agree it should be earned but more often it is a responsibility they stuff up with as not always very bright in a life skill sense or qualification way. Odd exceptions like Dowie and Simpson.

I'm just curious how many youngsters would have considered Ched Evans a role model prior to his conviction.

And the main question for me is should it be the responsibility of any footballer to be a role model when all they are trying to do, or care to do is to play football?

Not a fan of the "football players are role models" argument.

I'm not saying footballer can't be a role model, I just think it shouldn't be automatic and needs to be earned.

I'd agree a horrible precedent was set with Barry's pursuit and signing of Lee Hughes; one which TBH i think has forever sullied our club.

But - IMO, we'd plumb new depths if we signed Evans.

 

We wont though, so its a moot point really...

Plumb new depths?

Are you saying that what Evans has been convicted of doing is lower than what Hughes did? Or were you insinuating that if we signed him it would add to our poor reputation, having already Hughes and that the compounding effect would sink us lower?

A lot of righteous and strong opinions on here about Ched Evans.

I am curious about how many of these people are highly knowledgeable about the details of the case or it it just blind faith in the judicial system that is spurring these emotions?

If it's the latter then your confidence in a court to reach the correct conclusion is far stronger than my own. If it's the former then I welcome any facts that might convince me that you are correct to feel this way.

As it stands I hold no beliefs on this matter.

LJ says to increase goals ....How?

I've already answered how I believe it can