Oldham sponsor cuts ties ahead of Ched Evans 'imminent signing'

OLDHAM ATHLETIC ARE poised to offer Ched Evans a return to professional football with an announcement expected to take place on Thursday.

The League One club are in talks over a deal to sign the 26-year-old Welsh striker, who was released from jail last October after serving half of a five-year prison sentence for rape, despite local outcry against the move.

“There will be no statement on Wednesday about Ched Evans, but hopefully on Thursday there will be,” an Oldham spokesman told British newspaper The Guardian.

British media reports claim that Evans has agreed personal terms with Oldham, who are currently 14th in English football’s third tier.

Over 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on Oldham not to sign Evans, while sponsor Verlin Rainwater have cut ties with the club ahead of Evans’ “imminent signing.”

“We would like to take this opportunity to make clear that we feel that Mr Evans should be able to lead a life without further punishment after serving his sentence, although our feelings remain the same that this should not be within the public domain where his previous behaviour may influence the next generation,” director Craig Verlin said in a statement.

British Prime Minister David Cameron waded into the debate on Tuesday, warning clubs to “weigh their decisions very carefully” before attempting to sign the former Wales international.

Evans’s former club Sheffield United allowed him to train with them last year at the request of British players’ union the Professional Footballers’ Association.

But they withdrew their offer in November after a backlash from fans, sponsors and club patrons, with over 165,000 people signing a petition against it.