The head of the Professional Footballers' Association has apologised for comparing convicted rapist Ched Evans' situation to the Hillsborough disaster.
The comments made by Gordon Taylor led to calls from Liverpool fans for the PFA chief executive to resign.
Mr Taylor was speaking in a radio interview after Oldham Athletic confirmed plans to sign Evans had collapsed.
"He (Evans) would not be the first person or persons to have been found guilty and maintained their innocence and then been proved right," Mr Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"If we are talking about things in football, we know what happened, what was alleged to have happened at Hillsborough.
"And it's now unravelling and we are finding it was very different to how it was portrayed at the time - indeed by the police at the time.
"He's in a very difficult situation because he's been put through a wringer and the minute you show any sympathy for Ched everybody will say 'Well, what about the other parties concerned?'
"And that's why I'm making the point that nobody's forgetting them."
Amid widespread criticism, Mr Taylor returned to the airwaves to apologise.
"The last thing I intended to do was to upset anybody connected to the Hillsborough case," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"I've long been a supporter of them (the Hillsborough families) so if that's the impression they got, it's a totally wrong one and I'm very sorry for that."
Social media users were quick to condemn Mr Taylor's initial comments.
Paul LFC Foreman posted on Twitter: "Expect nothing more than a P45 for #GordonTaylor in the morn from @PFA absolutely disgusting comments not even comparable #JFT96."
Liverpool-based singer Pete Wylie said: "@PFA @LFC should withdraw the players from all activity-including playing-until Gordon Taylor apologises AND resigns+takes Evans too #JFT96."
Oldham Athletic's deal to sign Evans collapsed after staff, sponsors and fans suffered "vile" threats, the football club said.
The League One outfit had come under increasing pressure to turn its back on Evans with tens of thousands of people signing an online petition.
The club's main sponsor ZenOffice also threatened to pull out if they signed him.
After the deal fell apart, the former Wales international issued an apology "for the effects that night in Rhyl has had on many people, not least the woman concerned".
However, he maintained he had consensual sex with the 19-year-old in a hotel room in 2011.
"Finally, it has been claimed that those using social media in an abusive and vindictive way towards this woman are supporters of mine," he added.
"I wish to make it clear that these people are not my supporters and I condemn their actions entirely and will continue to do so."
The victim has reportedly changed her identity and moved house a number of times after abuse on social media.
Evans has been unable to find a team since being released from prison in October having served half of a five-year sentence.
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