EPL side Sunderland fans have been "urged to boycott matches" after the club announced it will continue to play Adam Johnson, according to Rumsby & Edwards of the London TELEGRAPH. The club has "decided not to suspend" the England int'l despite him being "charged this week with three offences of sexual activity" with a 15-year-old girl. Sunderland initially suspended Johnson shortly after he had been arrested and questioned about the alleged offense, but "decided to lift it following an appeal" from the player and the Professional Footballers' Association. As Johnson "has not been found guilty, there is no legal reason why he cannot continue to work" and the club has "decided not to suspend him, even though his presence is potentially divisive." Sunderland's decision has been "met with fury by leading anti-rape campaigners." Jill Saward, the first rape victim in the U.K. to waive her legal right to anonymity, said, "Particularly in cases where he's exposed to children, in any other situation like that, it would be the norm to suspend him. The fact that the football club aren't doing so, I think sends a very poor message." She also "hit out at the English football's governing bodies for not intervening in such cases." Saward: "The Football Association should definitely put a code of conduct in place. But what we've seen from the FA often is actually even less support for stopping sexual crimes than some of the clubs." Adidas "refused to criticise" the club, saying that it would "liaise closely with them and the player's management pending the outcome of the court case" (TELEGRAPH, 4/24). In Dublin, Damian Spellman reported Sunderland Manager Dick Advocaat has "insisted it was not a difficult decision" to include Johnson in his squad. Asked if it was a difficult situation for a coach, Advocaat replied, "No, because the club made a statement about it and I stay behind that, and we will wait and see what the future will bring. He still has to come in, but in principle if he feels okay, then he will be a member of the squad" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 4/25). In London, Louise Taylor reported in a "guarded, carefully worded comment" of its own, the PFA issued a "tacit reminder that 'innocent until proven guilty' remains a central tenet of English law while maintaining a somewhat neutral position" on the issue. It said, "Given that it is an ongoing legal matter it would not be appropriate to comment specifically on the case. However, we would emphasize that, just like any other individual, Adam is entitled to a fair hearing" (GUARDIAN, 4/24).
