[St Charles Owl]

I suspect that this thread has pretty much run its course now, as there really isn`t a lot left to say; and that`s probably a good thing.

However, I was talking to my son about this last night. He`s a Forest fan ( I know; I blame the parents as well) so has no axe to grind either way. However, more to the point he`s also a lawyer. He read through the posts on this thread and cringed at one or two of them. He made a couple of points that I thought I`d pass on, for what they`re worth.

1. We have a law of libel in this country; he`s of the opinion that - given that under the law Ched Evans is currently an innocent man - one or two of the posts are sailing pretty close to that particular wind.

2. Now that the case is going for retrial, it is once again `sub judice`. Apparently `contempt of court' also comes into play in these circumstances if anything is said in a public forum - which this is - that could be considered prejudicial to either side or an attempt to sway the outcome of the new trial.

I doubt very much whether any Court of Law is going to take our ramblings sufficiently seriously to consider them relevant in either case, but I just thought I`d mention it.

While legally you are correct, as you say there would be no reprocussions to anything so far said on here. I do know that during the original trial and subsequent appeals a couple of the Blunts boards were warned to pay attention to what was being posted for this same reason, but I am not aware of any legal action as a result. And having read a few of those at the time, if they didn't get prosecuted with the vile stuff they were posting at the time, then we will not even get noticed!!!

[Lord Snooty]

What's your lawyer son think about Evans' friends naming the victim on social media?

[St Charles Owl]

What's your lawyer son think about Evans' friends naming the victim on social media?

IIRC that is one of the items the Blunts board were warned about more than anything else.

[Devongone]

Ched Evans is disturbing enough, but SaltergateBorn ........... you gave the world a Forest fan! Wnat's your son's legal opinion on that? Surely that can't have been allowed. Didn't it create an anomaly in the space-time continuum?

But then it answers one question ....... where do Forest fans come from ............ Even Stephen Hawking has been pondering that one.

[SaltergateBorn]

I must not only plead 'guilty as charged', m`lud, but ask for another case to be taken into consideration. My other son also follows Forest, so on that basis I am doubly guilty.

However, before you don the black cap and pass sentence may I please be allowed to make a plea in mitigation?

My elder son (the lawyer) was born in Kings Mill Hospital in Sutton-in Ashfield in 1978, at which time my wife and I lived in Mansfield Woodhouse. Before you condemn me entirely for allowing the perversion of his directing his footballing allegiance to the City Ground, can I ask Your Worship to consider WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE COULD HAVE BEEN!! It truly brings me out in a cold sweat whenever I think about it. Surely, my refusal to allow the unnatural abomination of my first-born turning out to be a M*******d fan should earn me some credit in the eyes of the Court.

By the time my son started to take an interest in football in the mid-1980s, we had moved to Bedford and for some reason that, at this distance in time I cannot recall, decided to follow West Ham United. This allegiance was strengthened when we moved to the East London / Essex area in 1986. Little brother, who by that time was also starting to take an interest in things football-related, decided for some reason - again, I recall not what - to declare an allegiance to Liverpool.

As you may not be surprised to learn, this situation was not a happy one in that it was not at all conducive to a peaceful family existence. Finally, growing weary of the continuous arguments of increasing ferocity, I grabbed them both by the scruff of the neck and told them that they were going to have to start supporting the same club or mother or I (or both) were going to have a nervous breakdown. I must also admit to a slightly more mercenary motive; I was getting thoroughly teed off with having to buy different replica shirts every birthday and / or Christmas and thought that I might be able to save a bit of dosh if I could just buy one for big brother and he could then pass it on to little brother when he grew out of it. Unworthy of me, I know, but there you go.

I was eventually able to persuade them; again I can`t recall exactly how but I have no doubt that bribery of some sort was involved.

Now for the choice of club. As it happened, big brother was starting to fall out with West Ham - they`d probably lost a couple of games - but wasn`t prepared to take on Liverpool. He apparently suggested to little brother, unbeknown to me, that he really ought to support his hometown team, and on the basis that Bedford, where no. 2 son was born, didn`t have a league team would he go along with that? Amazingly - no doubt either more bribery or threat of physical violence was involved - little brother agreed so they came to me with that proposal and asked whether they could have a look at the map to see what was the nearest team to where big brother was born. That was when the cold sweats started.

I distinctly remember holding open the map and refusing to let it go until they made their decision, on the basis that I had my thumb strategically placed to cover a certain town that shall not be named. If supporting Chesterfield, like Dad, was not acceptable (and kids of that age at that time did did NOT go along with Dads; it really wasn`t cool), then on the grounds that there were only 2 league teams in Nottinghamshire (???!!!), it would have to be either Forest or County. Presumably on the basis that Forest were doing better than County at the time - they usually were, to be fair - they were chosen.

And there, m`lud, I rest my case. I stand before you in the dock with head bowed and hope that Your Worship will take pity on this miserable sinner and show mercy when you pass sentence.

[Devongone]

You kept your thumb over part of the country when your sons were choosing which team to support! Which other aspects of their education did you maim in this way?? He studied law because presumably you kept your thumb over geography history and latin when he was making his Ucas choices? Has he even now realised that Mansfield uuuugh exists? Which prompts an interesting philosophical question, if he is unaware of Mansfield paaaaah's existence does it actually exist?

SaltergateBorn I'm afraid you do need to go to re-trial. You had the opportunity to unson yourself when you tricked them into becoming Forest fans. You didn't do that and now they are forever going to be hoping for a Trevor Francis goal and a 1-0 win. How can you live with yourself?

[spireitematt]

Ernie Moss's daughter has said she will not be taking her daughter to matches.

Also apparently HTM have had there signs taken down from the main stand and apparently Rubicon won't be sponsoring anymore but it sounds like there sponsorship has come to an end and nothing to do with signing. So we have to look for two new sponsors.

[bluepooch]

When Ched starts banging them in(For want of a better phrase) they ll be back in their droves.
For every person that throws the dummy out and stops going there'll be one that ventures down to the Proact out of curiosity if nothing else.

[spireitematt]

It's about morals and principles or don't you have any?

[bluepooch]

I have morals and id like to think im a pretty rational person who wouldnt get too emotional about us signing an innocent man in the eyes of the law .