With sponsors jumping ship every other minute, Oldham Athletic's strange determination to get Ched Evans signed appears to be waning.
Yesterday, they signalled their intention to sign the striker and convicted rapist, with the chairman adamant that he deserved a second chance. Three major sponsors, including Nandos, withdrew financial support from the club over the decision.
The story was accompanied with talk that wealthy businessman Karl Massey, the father of Evans' girlfriend Natasha and the man behind the Evans' controversial website, was going to step in and cover the losses in sponsorship revenue Oldham would suffer from signing the player.
However, now Sky Sports and Channel 4 News are reporting that the deal is off. It seems the negative PR associated with signing Evans means that he is now virtually unemployable.
An Oldham official told Dan Roan of the BBC that threats made to staff and their families played a part in the cancelation of the deal.
Oldham board member tells us deal to sign Ched Evans is OFF due to "enormous pressure from sponsors and threats to staff and their families"
— Dan Roan (@danroan) January 8, 2015
BREAKING: Sky Source - Oldham deal to sign Ched Evans is off #SSNHQ — Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) January 8, 2015
