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'I see more nastiness from the people defending Ched Evans'

As things stand, it is unclear whether Ched Evans has a future in professional football. The form...



'I see more nastiness from...
Soccer

'I see more nastiness from the people defending Ched Evans'

As things stand, it is unclear whether Ched Evans has a future in professional football.

The former Sheffield United striker was convicted of rape in 2011 and served half of his five year sentence. 

Evans maintains his innocence and is seeking a return to the professional game.

But a number of clubs, including the Blades, have pulled out of signing the Welshman due to opposition from supporters' groups and a vast section of public opinion.

Tonight, Off The Ball was joined by The Guardian football writer David Conn to discuss what the future holds in this case.

Listen to the full interview via the podcast player:

"He's only served half of his sentence in prison and he is now serving the rest of his sentence on licence," said Conn.

"It's not quite true to say that he's served his time and that does carry certain conditions. But it doesn't carry with it that he can't work again. We're not even certain that he'd be allowed by his probation officer, who he has to see regularly. I was told yesterday by the Ministry of Justice here that they and his probation office would have to agree that he is ready to resume that form of employment."

The issue that has been contested publicly is the accepted limits of rehabilitation and Conn looked at the Evans case in isolation within that context.

He said: "Once you see the website which his supporters - funded by his current girlfriend's father - still have up, which is vilifying of the victim of the rape, it's totally unapologetic and is under investigation here by the attorney general for possible contempt of court and possibly identifying the victim. Then I think it changes you're view on whether Ched Evans is at the moment somebody ready to be employed by a football club."

Conn added that "we haven't seen any contrition" from Evans regarding another aspect of the case and said that he "sees more nastiness from the people defending him, from what I see on the Internet".

"If you look at the conduct of Ched Evans and his friend Clayton McDonald [who was acquitted] that night, it's the sort of conduct and treatment of women which when it has come up before has got young British footballers great notoriety. We haven't seen any contrition and any recognition of that," he said.

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