Ched Evans deal with Oldham Athletic falls through

Ched Evans will no longer sign for Oldham Athletic, according to reports.

The League One side’s deal to bring in the convicted rapist has apparently fallen through after several sponsors parted ways with the club.

Oldham were preparing to sign Evans later this week, before sponsor ZenOffice threatened to pull out of their contract.

A senior board member told BBC Sport that the deal was off due to “enormous pressure from sponsors and threats to staff and their families”.

Other sponsors Domino’s and Verlin Rainwater had already announced their decision to part ways with the club, following news that Evans had agreed terms.

The club had been met with growing pressure to cancel the deal after tens of thousands of people signed a petition calling for Evans to be turned down.

Politicians including David Cameron and Ed Miliband had also voiced their concerns about any potential deal.

Evans is currently searching for a new team after being released from prison in October. He had served half of a five-year sentence for rape.

Sheffield United had allowed the footballer to train at the club, but retracted its offer following a negative reaction from patrons, sponsors and fans.