The most absurd and ridiculous piece of statement ever given by any football administrator will be something like this. But one won’t expect such callous statements from PFA chief Gordon Taylor. The player in the quote is Ched Evans, a 29 year old Welsh footballer who used to play for Sheffield United.
The striker has been convicted by court for raping a 19 year old girl in April 2012 and is serving a five year jail term. He was released by his club with immediate effect after almost 100,000 fans signed a petition to ban him. Bit in stark turn of events Gordon Taylor has welcomed the footballer to once again start playing professional football once he is done serving his prison term.
"I didn't know there was a law that said once you come out of prison you still can't do anything," Taylor said.
The PFA chief, speaking to the BBC's Sport Wales programme, added: "As a trade union we believe in the rule of law... besides that, he still wants to contribute to society.
"If he earns money he'll pay taxes, those taxes will go to help people who maybe can't get a job."
This can be termed as borderline shambolic behavior from an esteemed personality such as Taylor. Encouraging criminals especially, rapists to play professionally is not only bad for the game’s image but also sets a bad precinct for future generations.
Another footballer was accused of raping that 19 year old girl, he was Clayton McDonald, Evans’ teammate at Sheffield United but the player was given clean chit by the court. He was still released by Sheffield United and now ply’s his trade at port Vale.
The Welsh striker is pleading innocence and set to appeal to Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) aimed at quashing his conviction via his legal representatives, with a view to overrule the current sentence of rigorous imprisonment.
All we can say that it is still very much a testosterone dominated society with very little gender sensitivity and equality. Pity on those who endorse such views.