An English soccer club has abandoned an attempt to sign a convicted rapist after death threats were made to its staff amid an atmosphere of “unbearable pressure.”
After days of speculation, Oldham Athletic confirmed Thursday it wouldn’t be handing a deal to Ched Evans, who was released from prison in October after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old girl.
The third-tier outfit said “vile and abusive threats” as well as “significant financial pressure” placed on the club from sponsors had prompted it to backtrack on the deal.
Oldham’s owner, Simon Corney, had previously said there was 80% chance it would hire Evans as it appeared undeterred by condemnation from fans, politicians and the police.
Read: The pariah of English football?
Evans — who insists he is innocent and is appealing against his conviction — released his own statement Thursday, apologizing “for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned.”
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He said he “understood” the view of Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill after she told Sheffield United she wanted her name removed from one of the stands at its stadium should Evans play for it again.
And Cameron waded into the controversy again on Thursday when he told LBC: “My view is it is not for politicians to pick football teams, it should be for football clubs to pick their teams.
“But as they do that, they have to recognize that football players are role models for young people and they have to think about what will the impact be on the club, what will the impact be on young people.
“As for people who are in this position, surely the position is to recognize when you have done something wrong and you have been punished, rightly punished, you’ve got to work your way back.
“That might mean doing more voluntary work, putting more back in, in order to demonstrate to the public, the football-loving country we are, that you are really sorry about what happened and you want to atone for what you have done.”
