Twenty thousand people have signed a petition urging Oldham Athletic to pull out of a move for Ched Evans.
Ched Evans
Evans has been struggling to get back into football after being released from prison at the back end of last year, but had appeared to have been given a lifeline.
Oldham Athletic showed interest in the striker over the weekend and were believed to be getting ready to make him a deal. However, it looks like the deal may have stalled after a public outcry.
A petition has been signed by 20,000 and sponsors Verlin Rainwater Solutions have hinted that they would end their link with the club if the convicted rapist were signed.
The club is believed to be holding a board meeting today to discuss the matter and an announcement is expected tomorrow. The club have yet to official comment on the story and their position.
This is not the first time that Oldham Athletic has signed a controversial figure after signing Lee Hughes back in 2007. Hughes was brought on board by the club after he was released from jail for causing death by dangerous driving.
This is the second time that a potential return to football has been thrown into turmoil by public outcry. Sheffield United - Evans' former club - offered the striker the use of their facilities to train after his release from prison and there was some talk about him returning for the club. However, the club did a U-turn when over 160,000 people signed a petition in protest.
And Labour leader Ed Miliband has waded into the latest debate saying he would not sign Evans. Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, he said: "He hasn't shown remorse and I wouldn't take him on."
Evans was released from prison back in October after he served two and a half years of a five-year sentence for rape of a nineteen-year-old woman back in 2011.
However, the case is due to be reviewed by the Criminal Case Review Commission as Evans has always maintained his innocence. For now, his footballing career is still uncertain.