Alan Groves's Perm

Will Haining was there, I'm told.

Or three years earlier

Who's going to read it out? Please ... please .... please

I can't believe your ignorance. Are you for real, sir or madam? He was found guilty. He was refused leave to appeal. He is now able to show remorse for how he admittedly behaved towards the young girl, but he doesn't. He is able to show remorse for the situation she has consequently found herself in, but he doesn't. He is able to ask his supporters to stop villifying her, and to stop attacking Jessica Ennis. He can do all those things while still believing himself innocent of the crime he has been convicted of. He has done none of those things. "He has served his incarceration" - what on earth is that supposed to mean? He has not yet served his sentence. He is on licence. And he is on the sex offenders register for 15 years or more. He could go straight back inside tomorrow if he puts a foot wrong. And the only reason he is guilty is because a jury found him guilty? Correct.

Go on then. Disagree with some reasoned argument. Please. Tell us how he has shown remorse if you think that's wrong. Tell us how he has served his time if you think he has. Tell us what on earth "guilt beyond the jury's verdict" means!

For many years I have brought my young daughter to Latics matches - home and away. She has learned to love the team, to support it on good days and bad. She is a committed Latics fan. But I cannot find it in myself to bring her to watch Mr Evans playing. What would I be saying to her about the way he has treated the victim of this terrible crime, and the way he and his supporters continue to treat her? What would I be saying to her about how I view rape? What would she now think of our "family club"? No I won't be taking her if he signs for us, and after a lifetime of supporting this club I find that very hard to say. I am feeling very sad; disheartened; sick to the bottom of my stomach.

The Daily Telegraph website has us on the front page again today (as does the Guardian) with this quote from our glorious Council Leader: Jim McMahon, the leader of Oldham Council, urged the club not to sign Evans. He said: “Oldham Council supports and enjoys a strong partnership relationship with Oldham Athletic, and I’ve personally worked hard with the club owners to help secure the redevelopment of Boundary Park because of the club’s importance to the town. “My view – if I were in the club’s position – is that playing for a professional club puts you in the public eye and that carries important responsibilities. As things stand, I don’t believe that Mr Evans would be a suitable role model and ambassador for the town, or for the long-term reputation of the club.”

Fruitygoo, on 07 Jan 2015 - 12:00 AM, said: That's right. He would be serving the remainder of his sentence on licence in a blue shirt on our pitch. Shameful!

Excellent post which all should read. Thanks very much.

Haha! I love it. So profound.

The case review will take another 35 weeks or more. Following that they may simply uphold the decisions taken (ie. he is guilty of rape and he has no leave to appeal); or they may grant him leave to appeal. As I understand it the review body has no power to try him again and quash his conviction. That would be up to the appeal court. If they do allow him to appeal then we have to go through that the appeal process. I don't know how many months that would take, but high profile rape cases cannot be rushed. It may be a year or more's time.

I couldn't, just couldn't, cheer his goals, clap for him, feel good when we won matches, knowing that he is a convicted rapist, serving his sentence on licence until 2017, on the sex offenders register, but representing us out on the pitch. I shudder to think.

Has anyone else noticed that the online poll at Change.org asking Simon Corney not to sign Mr Evans has just passed 60,000 and is going up at a decent rate all the time? Just saying.