Something we will never be united on

It has been discussed on television - from the news channels to The Wright Stuff and Loose Women. The radio phone-ins, both local and national, have debated the issue. There have been opinion pieces and interviews in the written press. Social media has allowed people to express their views, some more eloquently and less abusively than others. Since Ched Evans was sentenced to 5 years in prison for rape in April 2012 his case and potential return to football have been frequently covered by the media.

One place you will not have read much about the Ched Evans case is here on this blog. Following the guilty verdict and United's defeat at MK the next day I wrote this piece, the only reference you might have seen since is in response to self-appointed fans' representatives speaking to the media. I took the view that this was a discussion only worth having nearer when he was released and there is something to discuss.

While the club have remained largely silent on the subject recognising that this is something to be discussed in the as and when and not before, the opinions of those who support Evans case for innocence and would support his return get louder. With United losing 1-0 to Leyton Orient and struggling to put away chances that could get us back into the game last Saturday, the chants started and were probably louder than at any point so far. "Super Ched" and "He's coming home" were sung with gusto by a number of fans at the back of the Kop and the chants were picked up by others joining in elsewhere in the stadium.

This was no way a majority of fans, despite the vociferous volume. A look around saw many people around me on the Kop shift uncomfortably. Several female supporters shook their heads. The desperation and belief we are lacking a regular goal scorer increases the belief for some that Evans might be that man.

I sat there wishing we could use that passion to back the eleven on the pitch, wishing we had signed a 20/30 goals a season striker, firing United towards a much needed promotion, yet that just hasn't been the case. Or maybe we have  and Marc McNulty needs to be given a decent run in the team? Three managers have failed to solve the striking conundrum which, if answered, would have meant the calls for Evans to return would not be as numerous and loud. The dilemma facing the club now may not have been a dilemma at all.

So what are the issues as I see them?

Is there any need for debate?

My first question is does the manager want to sign him and does he want him part of his squad? If the answer is "No", then the debate should end there. I don't think a club should impose players on a manager, regardless of the history with that player, or the possibility of regaining some of the "lost value" of that player somewhere down the line. Sadly I feel that the latter is playing a part in the minds of some of our decision makers. That alongside maintaining a competitive advantage i.e. better to sign Evans and take the flak, rather than him signing for, and potentially being successful at, a rival club.

If the answer to the question is Yes, Nigel does want to sign him, then my personal opinion is we shouldn't, although I suspect I am increasingly in the minority here. As I said before, the longer we go with unconvincing performances and a lack of goal threat from our front players the more likely those undecided fall into the "Sign him" category and the sway of opinion moves. 

I would have liked to see the manager and club show interest in signing other talented League 1 strikers who have been available, been signed by rivals and would have had an impact from Day 1 at the club. The fact that Kieron Agard, Will Grigg and Simeon Jackson (three examples) have gone elsewhere represent missed opportunities for me.

Only the manager and board can say whether we had any interest or not. But if we (club or manager) are placing their hopes in a striker who hasn't played for over two years and is nowhere near match fit, at the expense of ready-made candidates, I would be hugely disappointed.

The Brand (or as fans would see it, the club's name and standing)

Much of the club's limited comment has been focused on damage to the club and brand. A brand is a difficult concept for fans to accept. It's our club, not a brand, but we need to accept it is a business and tarnished business names do suffer financially and operationally. From the owners' perspective they need to sell the club to sponsors, business associates and potentially new investors. I can see why brand and standing will be one of their key considerations.

Adidas have reportedly said they would be fine with Evans returning to United and they may well feel they can make that statement in the here and now, but do they really know what the negative publicity may be like?  Do any sponsors, business associates or club officials really know?

This isn't a local issue; it is national and one where the focus isn't going to move away for a while yet. Certainly whilst Evans - as is his right - is fighting to prove his innocence and seek grounds for an appeal.

We are potentially entering new ground here, the first professional footballer to return after serving his punishment for a rape charge. As I mentioned in the introduction, the debate on television, radio and in the newspapers and social media has been frequent since his jailing, it will only multiply in number and the intensity of scrutiny increase post-release.

In terms of the club's name and standing, we hardly did ourselves any favours signing repeat and violent offender Marlon King. The Tevez affair seemed to harm our club more than it really should have done. Fans seem keen to adopt a Millwall-esque mentality of if the wider public don't like us, who cares. Yet I suspect the guardians of the club care. We are no longer "The Family Club", the moniker adopted by the club in the 1980's, but very few clubs could claim to be.

United under scrutiny

My position on Evans is based on two strands of thought. I'm struggling with moral issues, which I will come back to, but more importantly I can only see his return having a disruptive impact on the club and there is no certainty regarding the impact he will have on the pitch. The ensuing media focus, the division of opinion amongst fans and the unavoidable criticism from many quarters can only be a bad thing for the club and players.

Never is it more important for a club to be United and there has been great work done in the last few months by the club and board to build this. Obviously relative success on the field also helps.

Recent comments by the manager regarding the club's transfer activity and digs about money did no-one (board, fans, the manager himself) any favours and showed cracks that need healing quickly.

I fear the return of Ched would leave gaping chasms to try and fill. We could ostensibly lose fans through the gate on this issue. I know some would say "Stuff them" - I have seen that on forums and social media, but can the club afford to alienate long-standing fans on this issue? Clubs increasingly find that once fans are "lost" it is increasingly difficult to get them back.

On Pitch Impact & Fitness

Any player returning after a two and a half year absence will not be match fit, will not be match sharp and will be prone to injuries as a result of their lack of preparation. Even if we signed Evans it could be months before he is in a position to play. Surely there is better use of club finance and resources?

Lee Hughes took his place in the Oldham Athletic team less than two weeks after leaving prison. He failed to score for 7 games and then required an operation, eventually scoring his first goal three months into his return. The following March he was injured again and out for the rest of the season.

Anyone can keep fit, but getting yourself conditioned to avoid niggly injuries, to have the alertness to anticipate the cross trajectory, the movement of your marker, that's completely different. There is also a mental fitness required. More so when returning to football in the manner he potentially will be.

Evans has proved to be a confidence player, when he was good he was brilliant, but for two years he was awful. It is easy to forget that his one good season saw him supported by team mates, several of whom are playing at a higher level. Many of the other goals and assists that season came from Lee Williamson and Kevin MacDonald (now playing in the Championship), and Stephen Quinn and Matt Lowton (both with Premier League clubs). All hugely influential in the way we played and key to the success of the club and Evans' incomplete season.

A return will be in a different role in a different formation and whilst playesr like Jose Baxter and James Wallace have undoubted quality for League One, Evans would miss the hard running and hold off play of a strike partner like Richard Cresswell. At times derided by United supporters, he slogged away for his fellow strike partner's benefit that season.

The moral argument

Views on morality are personal, any judgement that determines whether actions accord with right or good conduct, are bound in an individual's personal beliefs and personal code. Morally, I wouldn’t want my son and daughter cheering on and idolising a convicted rapist and that is what he is. I accept that others don't share this view, although I wince when I see supporters speaking and writing in terms of "shades of rape" rather than acknowledging that, by the law, that rape is what it was.

Yes, his conviction is subject to a further appeal to the Criminal Cases Review Board, but from what I understand it could be two years before that is heard and the likelihood of a case being referred back to the courts is limited. With no contrition or apology it makes the position of any employer even harder in the ensuing period. For a parent who had to explain what had happened (as best you can) to Evans, his return and potential glorification cannot sit well. 

I accept that once someone has served their punishment they have a right to return to society and seek employment. However I have a real issue with the privileged position footballers seem to have on that score thanks to their potentially high value in their particular employment market. I know that neither I, nor anyone else in a professional position would struggle to find employment so easily (not that I would consider doing what he did) and would also lose our professional qualifications.

He will be on the sex offenders register. Only a player of perceived value  would find themselves employed at a football club with that marked on their record. We know that players have it much better than anyone else, this just heightens that uncomfortable awareness.

I have questioned whether I am being over-sensitive on the moral issues; I know some think I am. Football fills your senses with extremes of behaviour, both on the pitch and in the stands, which you wouldn't ordinarily expose yourself or your children to.

Then again, hearing offensive songs and witnessing violence on the terraces in my young years following United hasn't had an effect on me. I guess it is more down to parenting and life experiences as much as the words and actions of others. Yet, having said all this, my Dad is fine with Ched returning, which may seem at odds with what I have written, but perhaps shows how opinion can be split amongst members of the same family.

Petitions and Protests

One aspect of the current debate I cannot agree with is the petitions and claims that he should not return to United (and to United specifically). 140,000 have signed a petition to this effect and if someone has this view, surely it should be widened to all clubs? He could just as easily go elsewhere - say Championship or another League 1 club - and earn more than we might be prepared to offer. Surely that is as big an issue for the petitioners and protesters? A man earning significant rewards after such a crime. If you accept that, whether you like it or not, Evans will return to football, I see no difference between that being United or anywhere else.

If he does return

If his return was to happen it must be ensured that any deal must be on the club's terms, however much some might fear him going elsewhere and strengthening a competitor. Some fans seem to think we owe him, although I am not sure what we owe him. I also think a club statement that described us as remaining in contact as we were "offering a duty of care to a former employee" was ill thought out and is something that would be rarely seen in normal employment, if at all. Other supporters think he owes us.

The latter is perhaps more relevant, however we know that in football there is little place for feelings and a sense of duty; money rules. Without the case hanging over him back in 2012 he would have probably been sold in the January transfer window anyway. United would have then been just a club in his playing history.

Some fans chant "He's coming home", somehow forgetting the transient nature of football careers, very few players these days have a club they call home and statements from Evans' friends and family stating he want a return to United are as much about keeping his story alive and perhaps a realisation that re-starting a career may not be as easy as some might suggest. Why not make eyes at a former club, where you know you have support amongst the fans, at the same time stirring interest in others.

It is my view that we should not break any existing structures, nor should we upset existing squad members with any financial package offered. Unrealistic figures, based on his previous contract, have been mentioned in newspaper reports and whilst they are way wide of the mark, any package that is seen to be above average or rewarding could well provide further negative publicity for the club. A deal should be earned and not a given.

Mitigating the impact

There are ways in which United could sign Evans and look to deflect some of the attention in the immediate aftermath of release. An example would be to sign him and immediately loan the player out to a League 2 club to gain fitness and take the attention away from United. Whilst I see this as a smart move in principle I wonder if it might become a stick to beat the club with.  Given the moral arguments being posed, layering on top a view that United are protecting their "investment" in Evans may not be viewed positively.

Another issue regarding this approach would revolve around the acceptability to the player. Would he want to do this if he had offers of Championship or League 1 football? Would there be a club willing to take on the potential of goals, at a cost of the media attention and disruption? I guess there probably would, but again would the club/location be acceptable to the player and also the legal authorities? Would there be limits on his movement post release?

Other ways in which a deal could be structured could involve some form of community work, advising young people to learn from his mistakes. As many people have pointed out the situation Evans put himself into is probably replicated by many young people across the country every week on a night out. However his lack of contrition makes the rehabilitation by education difficult.

I respect the fact that he believes he is innocent, however the actions he undertook that night ought to be a lesson to young people more widely. There is also the possibility that his appearances anywhere (both on a pitch and undertaking any wider community/educational service) could be hit by protests and abuse, whether he is trying to do good by them or not. That would be unhelpful for any party involved, be it community, charity or club.

Another option might be to keep him and play him in U21/Development games, but I think this could be disruptive to the young players and their development. The negative focus on his appearances cannot help his team-mates.

So what happens next?

Will he return? Who knows? When the club said that a decision has not been made, I have a tendency to believe them. If an issue is this divisive and emotive for our support, I can only imagine similar, but maybe less vociferous, debates and divides exist elsewhere within the club. We are all individuals; no-one can claim to have a collective view representing all, be it in the street, the stands, the offices and boardroom.

No matter how much the media demand the club makes a statement and shows their intent, they are right to wait until they have clarity and confidence in their chosen plan of action. They will also need to have a plan in place to deal with the fall out of their decision and that is better made as they assess the feelings and focus nearer release day. The national focus will be one aspect, but whatever the decision there will be unhappy United fans.

This is a big decision for the club, that I think could make or break our season. I am sure most of our fans would agree with that thought, but there are many who would view it that way for different reasons. And on this we will never all be united. 

'Ear all, see all, say nowt

Over the last couple of days a new name rose to prominence when Sheffield United were discussed; Alan Smith. Not the prosaic, monotone striker turned pundit. No this is the Secretary of the Kiveton Branch of the Supporters' Club and apparent mouthpiece of the Sheffield United supporters where the Ched Evans situation is concerned.

Across the mainstream media from Sky News to the BBC, to print and radio, the issue has been discussed and either a reference has been made to his quotes or a direct interview has been broadcast. Whilst the opinion of a United supporter is certainly more relevant than the passing observations of Christopher Biggins and Barry from Eastenders (thanks for that insight The Wright Stuff), his manner and the basis of his comments have caused consternation and frustration amongst a number of supporters.

"Alan Smith, who is a member of the Sheffield United Supporters Club executive, told Sky News that he's been given an assurance that Evans will be returning to Bramall Lane.

He believes that most fans will welcome the club's former top goal-scorer back.

"He has served his time, he has served his sentence and we would have him back. Good players like that have got to carry on playing and if not for Sheffield United it would be for someone else, and we would regret that," he said."

Although some Blades fans at the club's Bramall Lane ground said they did not want the player back the majority - both men and women - said his return would be welcomed."

Sky News

Driving back from the Mansfield Capital One clash I turned to 5Live and the panel of journalists were invited to discuss Ched Evans, but not before hearing the views of a Sheffield United Supporters Club representative.

Listening to the interview I sat in my car, wincing at many of Alan's utterances. Cringing inside. This self-appointed spokesman for United fans everywhere was making us all look stupid, thanks to his ignorance, limited vocabulary and (I'll be kind) naivety (others may say clamour for the limelight). 

Probably the pick of his quotes was; "I don't want to come across as all for rape, far from it". My incredulity was shared by the journalists at the end of the interview. Henry Winter sounded stunned, and struggled to find an adequate response to what he had just heard. He described it as "very dispiriting", whilst Daniel Taylor of the Guardian said it was "not the greatest (interview), there were a few things that were said that made my blood run cold".

Mr Smith is like the worst of the radio phone-in clowns. Sometimes it is not what you say, but how you say it. There may well be some valid points in what he was saying, but it was lost in partisan, bombastic bluster about what Evans owes Sheffield United.

On Radio Sheffield the next morning his ill thought out utterings continued to be made.

"I have been told he's coming back. I'm not willing to reveal who by, but he's a high profile person." I bet they are glad that you broke their confidence Alan, assuming there was something said in the first place. When pushed as to who that person was he wouldn't say as "it wouldn't be fair on the club". Yet his ill-conceived utterances over the previous 48 hours were hardly fair on the club (or his contact), at a time when the club have made no comment as, at the moment, it is not an issue that the club has to comment on. He displayed the worst example of the "In The Know" culture in football. One upmanship of the lowest order.

"No end of people came up to me at the match last night saying what a fantastic interview I did on Sky News", clearly his ego was appeased.

"I'm not for rapists, I'm for my club" Well it's good we cleared that misconception up.

"I believe there will be a job for him going round other people who've done crimes" Doing what? Comparing notes with burglars?

"He's done his time if he raped her, then it's fine."  Really?

I am all for him having an opinion, he can hold whatever views he wants, just don't present it as representative of the rest of us. If I was a senior representative of our Supporters Club, I would be looking to repair some damage and sharpish.

I have a blog, but I have never and would never claim to be a voice of the fans. This is my voice (and that of the odd guest writer). There is no agenda. I might rabble rouse, I might ask all fans to rally behind an idea or cause, but what I put on here remains my view. If others share it, then fantastic. If they don't, then so be it. I am more than happy to debate and discuss.

Maybe Mr Smith will be more circumspect next time he is asked to offer his opinion on such a divisive subject? Maybe he will wonder how he will be portrayed and consider how he will be used and presented to the world? Maybe he will take a deep breath before giving his answers? Maybe he will just put the point across as his own opinion? Maybe he will consider the damage he might do to the club, his connections and the outside world's perception of his fellow supporters? One can only hope.

The time for comment, personal opinion at that, on what happens is October.  Until then anything that is being said is based on supposition and guesswork. A bit like The Wright Stuff ad break quiz which asked how much Evans would be on if he returned? Answer £19,000 per week apparently. When you have picked yourself up off the floor from laughing at such a ridiculous amount, just think about what such fictional figures add to the media frenzy being created. A media frenzy added to by someone willing to put themselves forward, speaking as a representative of our support. Our support is split. No one can assume the mantle of representative, not on this issue.

So until he is released and we see what action the club takes here is a good piece of Sheffield advice Alan, "'Ear all, see all, say nowt", or in more common vernacular, "No comment".

Dismay, Dispiriting, Disunited

I started to write this post on Friday night. Being called a "rape sympathiser" (I think he meant "rapist sympathiser") by someone who doesn't even follow me on twitter probably riled me more than it should have done. What has followed has been three of the most dispiriting days I have known as a United supporter.

Like a majority of Blades fans I had been following the Ched Evans trial over the previous two weeks. It had proved to be an utterly unedifying experience. Live tweeting from a rape trial seems as seedy as the encounter that led to the case being brought. The live reportage brings with it inherent risks that public judge and jury form verdicts from limited tweets, summations that are made in 140 characters, where mistakes can be made which lead to social media outrage.

The previous week Sky reporter Mike McCarthy tweeted that a hotel receptionist had heard "screaming" coming from the room. He subsequently corrected himself in a later tweet where he emphasised that the correct word used was "squealing". I then found myself tweeting:

“"Squealing" and "Screaming" massively different connotations depending on which word is used”

I then got a reply from a Rotherham supporting friend saying:

"Tweets you never thought you would send.”

He was right, I read it back, I didn’t like it and I hoped I would never find myself doing it again. I didn't tweet anything else about the case after that. I read the tweets, the news reports, the forum threads where amateur QCs and fans who worked in the legal profession interpreted the reporting coming out of court, but I tried not to express any personal judgement on the protagonists. That was not my job after all and my opinion of it counted for nothing.

My view from the start was that someone is innocent until proven guilty and that would remain the case until the British justice system dealt with it in due course. Everyone has a right to a fair hearing. In suspending him United could have been seen to be forming judgement on him. By playing him, it only becomes an issue for some when a guilty verdict is reached. A no win situation.

On Friday afternoon, following the verdict, I tweeted that:

“He (Evans) has been stupid, irresponsible and thrown away a good part of his career. I said I would go by whatever verdict and I stand by it.”

“As a club we move on. We played him until a court of the land tried him. We now go forward without him.”

Nothing controversial you would think but following that tweet I was accused of being “a rape sympathiser”, having no morals and that “I weren't bothered when he was scoring goals". Conveniently forgetting that when the case was brought Evans was out of the side injured and had contributed little in his previous seasons at Bramall Lane. Not that this should be part of my thinking when forming a judgement on someone. I was accused of taking part in the twisted chants that some Blades fans started; “He shags who he wants...” yet I never did. As a father, as a man with a decent level of morals - despite what my new twitter friend had thought, it wasn’t right. It was, on the contrary,  indescribably wrong.

I’ve been given stick on twitter before; it’s par for the course. I can take the swearing and most of the name calling, but I took that kind of comment to heart. To clear my head, I paid a visit to Handsworth FC, the club from the Sheffield suburb where I grew up.  Needing a point for promotion from the Northern Counties East League Division One, in just their second season, the cold air, a pint of Stones and a great pie and a competitive game of football cleared the fuzz in my head.  Handsworth lost to third place Glasshoughton thanks to a late goal. Little did I know but that would be the first of two times that weekend I would see a team lose to ten men.

Despite the result, I returned home positive. It was a football experience so alien to the machinations of earlier in the day. It was cold outside, but an experience that warmed the heart. There was pride, passion, pint and a pie, but sadly no promotion and plenty of change from a tenner.

Then, as they do, things deteriorated further over the weekend. A tremendous Blades following of over 6,000 fans boded well for an enjoyable Saturday afternoon at Stadium:MK. All we had to do was make the vociferous noise to match the numbers and back the team. Sadly the atmosphere was extremely flat, subdued and with antagonistic elements. Unsurprisingly, in the circumstances, there was a lethargy and flatness amongst the players as well. Whilst the team struggled on the pitch, pockets of fans tried to start Ched Evans songs - but with little support from the vast majority they thankfully petered out at source. Arguments and contretemps broke out amongst the Blades support during the game. It was an uneasy and uninspiring atmosphere, alongside an insipid display on the pitch.

Once back home a visit to twitter demonstrated a developing moral vacuum. The delight taken in the guilty verdict from fans of other clubs, largely elements of the Wednesday support, was sickening. In revelling in a man's guilt for no other reason than the football club he played for, they take twisted pleasure from a woman's suffering. On the other side of the divide, those who support Evans tweet and post about #justiceforched, talk in denigrating terms about the victim, off the back of a limited number of tweets emanating from North Wales with no clear evidence to support their veracity. It is one big, horrific mess and while football tribes battle for the moral low ground on various social media platforms, the real victims, those who are actually suffering; the girl, her family, the players' families are all ignored.

It continued today, when I recoiled from my computer screen in horror as a moderator on one Blades internet forum suggested a fellow supporter's proposal for applause for Evans on nine minutes (based on his squad number) on Saturday. Football fans across the country mocked Liverpool's public support for a racist, and here are our supporters suggesting we show support for a convicted rapist, because, whatever you think of the validity of his conviction, that is what he is until an appeal says otherwise. Thankfully the more sensible majority shouted down the idea further down the thread.

Whether you like it or not, our legal system works on a jury made up of twelve everyday people like you and me. Based on the evidence put before them they found Evans guilty; unanimously. They sat in the courtroom, they saw the nuances of verbal responses, the manner of the defendants, the reactions to questions and witnesses. Those who read reports and form their opinions do so without that benefit. The jury may have got it wrong, they are human, but no one can say that with any certainty.

It is for Ched Evans’ legal team to do what they see best on his behalf. It is of little consequence to us now and the increasing irrationality of comment on the matter will not be helping his case. To all of you saying that you know it is not about United or football, but you feel that an innocent man has been found guilty, I ask you this. Would you still be this passionate about the perceived miscarriage of justice if it had been McDonald found guilty and Evans innocent? Would you be liking Facebook pages and tweeting messages of support for him? If you are honest with yourself, you will admit the answer is no.

This case isn't anything to do with Sheffield United. It is nothing to do with football. It is about a sexual assault.

The only lessons that can be applied to football is for young and handsomely paid footballers think twice about the positions their ability and riches put them in and the situations they choose to engage in. The other more general implications can be applied to every young person - male or female - who heads out for a night of booze and a good time every Friday and Saturday night. This case would pass through the courts largely unnoticed but for the football connection, yet that connection is all it has taken for football tribalism to take effect; and some of the very worst aspects of it at that.

Those in charge at Sheffield United FC have dealt with the matter very well. At the minute you cannot say this reflects badly on the club, but now we have the danger of a negative media frenzy thanks to the actions of a vocal minority. As we hit the most important stage of the season, with our destiny in our own hands, the wheels are in danger of coming off. The playing staff have clearly been affected and Danny Wilson and Frank Barlow have a big task re-focusing their minds for Saturday. Whichever way you look at it, a friend and colleague of the team is now in prison. It will affect them as a group and as individuals. However, as fans we are not personally touched by this, yet so many seem keen to inject themselves into it when it isn’t necessary.

Therefore, for the next two weeks, can we please focus on what is important. That is United securing the points required to ensure we achieve what a majority fans would never believe was achievable at the start of the season, automatic promotion We started the season a divided club following the appointment of Wilson, we now end the season a potentially divided club thanks to the off pitch actions of one of our players.

The Sky cameras will be focused even more firmly on United and the supporters on Saturday. A spotlight intensified by the ferocity of comments from some of our support alongside the reported tweets of current and former players. Please don't let yourselves down. Please don't let the club down.

The focus on Saturday should be on the players, Danny Wilson and our club; nothing else. We are Sheffield U-N-I-T-E-D, although at times over the last 3 days, we have felt anything but. Let’s stand together this Saturday evening - we owe it to ourselves.