Amazing how people choose to ignore this as he is good at football or something.
Most don't choose to ignore it. In this case, there is the claim on this forum that the clipped audio is almost 100% proof of his guilt, like otherwise unexplained DNA under a victims fingernails, video of an act or a confession to lawyers. Not to say he’s innocent (although he should be presumed innocent in the eye of the law), but the logical argument here doesn’t hold that the CPS would have full confidence in his conviction with just the content of the tapes, like they would for other types of evidence.
So they then listen to the official CPS statement where it was specifically mentioned that new evidence emerged and have taken the club at its word that a fuller account explains his behaviour to an extent that they would allow him back.
They then realise that:
- we are a football club, not a kangaroo court
- we are part responsible for his upbringing
- we should ensure his partners wishes are respected
- he’s clearly committed some discretions even if they aren’t the ones he was accused of (it was made clear in the club statement), but many people believe rehabilitation is better than punishment with teenagers. A concept members of probably every other football club gets
- from an economic and football sense this is a zero sum game. His value is lower now than ever. We lose fifty million of his value to our rivals, but have to replace him with a player probably worth 100m in today’s money to get someone equivalent. The same rivals perhaps that are playing players accused of the same crimes.
The rationale case for him to stay will win eventually. But it’s a shame our football side has to lose out in the interim. There will be discontent and threats by those wishing to make a point, sure, but given the same fans have cheered players who have revealed greater crimes to their lawyers, we all know they’ll be short lived.