Kennedys will continue sponsoring Sheffield United's stand despite the club allowing a convicted rapist to train with it.
Ched Evans was convicted of rape in 2012 after he interrupted a teammate having sex with a woman and joined in. She was deemed too drunk to consent and Evans was sentenced to five years. His contract with the club was terminated, but he is now training with the team in what is being seen by some commentators as his first step towards rejoining the club. While he's paid his dues under the rule of law, 157,000 have signed a petition asking the club not to employ him. One club patron, TV presenter Charlie Webster, said, "He's not just going into a job...we cheer him on as a role model and he's influencing the next generation of young men who are currently still making their decisions on how to treat women and what sexual mutual consent is". She has ended her involvement with the club in protest, along with fellow patron Lindsay Graham.
However Kennedys, which sponsors a stand at Bramall Lane stadium called "Kennedy's Kop", is standing firm. When RollOnFriday asked if it would terminate the deal because Ched was back on the pitch, it said "our understanding is that the club hasn’t yet made any long-term decision about Mr Evans. So, at this stage, it is a matter for the club".
Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has said that her name must be removed from the stand if Evans returns to the team permanently. But Kennedys has suggested that it would continue to sponsor the Kop. Using the latest hairsplitting technology, the firm explained that it "does not sponsor ‘the Club’ or it’s ‘players’ - our sponsorship agreement is as official stand sponsors”. Which means "as such, we do not have plans to alter our sponsorship arrangement".
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Ched Evans was convicted of rape in 2012 after he interrupted a teammate having sex with a woman and joined in. She was deemed too drunk to consent and Evans was sentenced to five years. His contract with the club was terminated, but he is now training with the team in what is being seen by some commentators as his first step towards rejoining the club. While he's paid his dues under the rule of law, 157,000 have signed a petition asking the club not to employ him. One club patron, TV presenter Charlie Webster, said, "He's not just going into a job...we cheer him on as a role model and he's influencing the next generation of young men who are currently still making their decisions on how to treat women and what sexual mutual consent is". She has ended her involvement with the club in protest, along with fellow patron Lindsay Graham.
However Kennedys, which sponsors a stand at Bramall Lane stadium called "Kennedy's Kop", is standing firm. When RollOnFriday asked if it would terminate the deal because Ched was back on the pitch, it said "our understanding is that the club hasn’t yet made any long-term decision about Mr Evans. So, at this stage, it is a matter for the club".
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Kennedys taking a stand, yesterday |
Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has said that her name must be removed from the stand if Evans returns to the team permanently. But Kennedys has suggested that it would continue to sponsor the Kop. Using the latest hairsplitting technology, the firm explained that it "does not sponsor ‘the Club’ or it’s ‘players’ - our sponsorship agreement is as official stand sponsors”. Which means "as such, we do not have plans to alter our sponsorship arrangement".