Oldham Athletic’s board are to hold a conference call between themselves on Monday to discuss their strategy regarding the convicted rapist Ched Evans.
Two of the directors are in America, including the chairman, Simon Corney, who is in New York, so the board is unable to meet in person. But it is expected a statement will be issued later on Monday to try and clarify Oldham’s position, with Corney and his fellow directors taken aback by the reaction to their interest in signing the Welshman.
The Oldham manager, Lee Johnson, said it would be a “board decision” if the club opted to sign Evans.
Speaking outside Boundary Park, Johnson said: “I understand these are very difficult circumstances. I respect that for everyone. It’s a board decision.”
He added: “Whatever the board decides I will be a part of.”
The Labour leader Ed Miliband, who is on the campaign trail, has joined the fray, telling BBC Radio Manchester: “He hasn’t shown remorse and I wouldn’t take him on.”
Evans had been due to train at Oldham on Monday but this now appears unlikely and his prospects of joining the League One club are in the balance.
The sponsor of Oldham’s main stand, Verlin Rainwater Solutions, announced on Monday that it will end its association with the club if Evans signs.
Craig Verling, a director of the company, said: “The club know our stance and that is if they sign or allow Ched Evans to train we will be out of the door.
“We had a conversation with the club when they considered allowing Ched Evans to train with them six to eight weeks ago, and we were led to believe they had listened to the general input.
“But our sources have made it clear he will be training or signing for the club this week and it is not something we wish to be associated with.”
Verling added: “Ched Evans is a convicted rapist and while my personal view is that people should be given a second chance in life it is just not something with which we wish to be associated.
“It is not a business decision, it is a personal one, and the fact is it just does not sit right with me.”
Another sponsor however – Web Applications UK – said it will continue to support the club irrespective of its decision over Evans.
The company’s chief executive, Craig Dean, said: “To deprive a human being of the right to work in their chosen profession should be a decision taken by a judicial system that dispassionately balances the rights of the individual against that of the society as a whole.
“Whether Oldham Athletic choose to employ Ched Evans is a decision for the manager and board of directors of the club; we will not interfere with that decision.”
Meanwhile, an online petition protesting started on Sunday against the 26-year-old finding a route back into football via Oldham after serving half of a five-year sentence for the rape of a 19-year-old woman in 2011 had reached 22,500 by early Monday morning.
It stated: “Currently Oldham is said to be considering signing him. This is a damaging message about rape and sexual consent to be giving to your fans. Please think again.”
Despite this public outcry it is thought that Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct, which is Oldham’s main sponsor, would not pull his backing out of the club should Evans sign.
The Latics are no strangers to controversy, having in 2007 signed Lee Hughes, the former West Brom striker who had recently been released from prison after causing death by dangerous driving.
Evans left prison in October last year after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman in a Rhyl hotel room in May 2011. The 26-year-old has consistently maintained his innocence in the wake of the guilty verdict, with an investigation into his conviction ongoing by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Should Oldham allow Evans to train at the club or offer him a short-term contract it would represent a significant shift in their stance. In December the Lancashire side were linked with Evans but released a statement that read: “Oldham Athletic are aware of various newspaper reports linking the club to Ched Evans. The board of directors would like to confirm that we will not be extending an invitation for Ched Evans to train with Oldham Athletic nor will we be offering him a contract.”
