UPDATE: Sheffield United has released a statement saying:
'Sheffield United will not be used to promote the view that professional footballers should be treated differently, as has been the want of certain sections of the media and various commentators.'
It added: 'The club condemns rape and violence of any kind against women in the strongest possible terms.'
Jim Phipps, Sheffield United co-chairman also had this to say, reports The Guardian: 'I’m angry that we are not able to get a chance to do for this footballer what should be done...I’m upset that we are not able to do what we wanted to do, but I acknowledge that my view is not the only view.'
Hepthathlon champion, Sheffield United fan and all-round excellent person Jess Ennis-Hill has said that she’ll remove her name from a stand at the club’s Bramall Lane ground if convicted rapist Ched Evans is offered a contract with the club.
The 25-year-old footballer was convicted of raping a drunken 19-year-old girl in a hotel room, with the judge ruling that he could not believe she was in a fit state to consent.
‘I believe being a role model to young people is a huge honour and those in positions of influence in communities should respect the role they play in young people’s lives and set a good example,’ Jess has said in a statement. ‘If Evans was to be re-signed by the club, it would completely contradict these beliefs.’
READ MORE: Four Things Ched Evans Could Have Done Other Than Release This Terrible Video Statement
Jess Ennis-Hill certainly isn’t alone. Her statement comes after sports presenter and lifelong Sheffield United fan Charlie Webster resigned as patron for the club, again, over the Ched Evans case.
‘These young men are standing by their hero, showing him unwavering solidarity and support, without actually understanding or really thinking about what Evans has done,’ she wrote in The Independent. ‘But we are the ones who set Evans up as an influencer. We are the ones presenting a convicted rapist as a role model to our young people. Is that OK?’
Perhaps unsurprisingly, support for Jess and Charlie has been vocal:
As for Ched? Well, he has been spotted training with United, but there has been no move to sign him – and no word on whether he’ll continue to play at international level for his home country, Wales.
‘I know it’s somewhere in the future. The decision will have to be made,’ Wales boss Chris Coleman recently told Sky Sports News. ‘There’s not been the time to sit down and talk about it with the FAW. All we’ve done is concentrate on the job in hand and that’s picking up points, picking squads, and trying to work on things that are here and now.’
Perhaps if, at some point after serving half of a five-year prison sentence, Ched had apologised – or even just acknowledged his part in the blurry issue of having sex with a woman clearly too drunk to consent, and showed remorse that the woman in question has been trolled off the internet and forced to change her identity numerous times thanks to him, things would be different.
But instead he’s maintained his innocence and belittled the charges against him just because it didn’t involve a dark alley and physical violence. Something that sadly shows the very real issue we’ve still got about perceptions of rape.
Like this? You might also be interested in...
Ched Evans Rape Case To Be Reviewed As He Maintains His Innocence
Now Chloe Madeley’s Getting Death Threats Because Of Her Mother’s Misguided Rape Comments
Why It’s Time To Stop Trolling Ched Evans’ Girlfriend And Remember Who The Real Criminal Is
Follow Stevie on Twitter: @5tevieM
Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.