Former professional footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans was released from prison just over a week ago, after serving just two and a half years of a five year sentence. Since he release so much has been said and written that even high-brow shows like the BBC’s This Week have discussed the case. Life- long Sheffield united fan and journalist Charlie Webster appeared on the show urging the club not to re-sign the former striker.

On day time favourite loose women, Judy Finnegan felt a backlash after seemingly defending Evans. In a vile twist her own daughter Chloe Madeley received threats on social media site Twitter following the airing of the show. I’m not suggesting this is representative of the people supporting Evans claim that he was wrongly accused, but it certainly raises more questions about the moral attitude of some individuals.

In this country we pride ourselves on the old adage that a man is assumed innocent until proven guilty. This is the only way to run a free society otherwise there could simply be a free for all with men and women making false accusations every time they want to wreck somebody’s life. We must defend this ideal. Some might say that it is equally important that once someone is convicted and has paid the price that they are allowed rehabilitation and have a right to restart their life. In many cases it is a major contributor in preventing reoffending.

Ched Evans was found guilty and was sent to prison.

He has always maintained his innocence and continues to do so. It is therefore unreasonable to expect the man to apologise for the rape, at least until his appeal has run its course. His appeal is largely based it seems on the fact that the teenage girl was a willing if drunken participant.   

His new defence team are said to be confident they can overturn the verdict. Until their confidence becomes reality, their client was tried and found guilty of a disgusting crime and is at present a convicted rapist and the lady in question is the victim of that crime. it is therefore wholly innapropriate to publicly call into question her morals.Shortly before his conviction I wrote an article called oh Lord where art thou, in which I talked about my childhood experience of meeting my own sporting hero, Keith Edwards.

When I was 10 year old, I somehow managed without the aid of the internet to find out where Mr Edwards lived. My friend and I turned up unannounced at his door, posters in hand, hoping that he might sign them for us. Not only did he sign them, he invited us into his home, apparently oblivious of the intrusion of his privacy, and made us feel very special. It is a memory that has stayed with me vividly to this day. Although it didn’t seem so at the time, (and probably wasn’t then) but what happened that day was to him no doubt, part of his job. He was a role model. He was worshipped by thousands of men, women, boys and girls and along with that adoration comes responsibility.

Like being a politician, or a film star, or a radio presenter, being showered with the privileges and opportunities that celebrity status brings you, being a professional sportsman demands that you act in a fit and proper manner.

Let’s assume for a nanosecond that Evans’ claims of innocence are found to be true. Let’s assume that the lady involved invited him and his friend (also a footballer), to have sex with her in a hotel room. Evans had a girlfriend and also had an army of impressionable fans that sought to emulate his behaviour. He not only had a responsibility to his family, his girlfriend and his fans he had a duty to his drunken victim, a duty to behave in a manner that the position bestowed upon him demanded. He failed.

Were Ched Evans a school teacher he would not be allowed to continue teaching. If he were a policeman he would not be allowed to serve again. Some would argue that he isn’t in contact with vulnerable people but my experience and his own show that clearly being a footballer potentially brings the vulnerable public to your door. For this reason I would urge not just Sheffield United to ignore his talents on the field but I would urge all clubs to ignore Ched Evans. I’m not saying he should never be allowed to earn a living again. I’m not suggesting he hasn’t been punished already. Whether I think the sentence given was light or indeed strong is irrelevant. The fact is that a convicted rapist is not a fit and proper person that should be allowed to be adored by fans singing his name and wearing his name on their backs. If he finds employment in anonymity and is allowed to continue the rest of his life working in a mundane 9-5 normal job then fair enough.

Times have changed, and sadly most right minded parents would not let their children knock on a stranger’s door without a chaperone like I did over 30 years ago, but nor would I want my children to respect a man that behaves like Ched Evans did.