Sheffield United co-chairman Jim Phipps has described the club being forced into retracting their offer to allow convicted rapist Ched Evans to train with the Blades as a "defeat for principle.''
The Blades had originally agreed to a request from the Professional Footballers' Association to let their former striker use the club's facilities in order to aid his rehabilitation following his release from prison last month.
But after a public backlash that saw several club patrons resign from their roles and Sheffield Olympian Jessica Ennis-Hill request that her name be removed from a Bramall Lane stand should Evans be re-signed, Phipps admitted the Blades had no choice but to do a U-turn after the "influence of mob-like behaviour''.
He also claimed the patrons' actions and comments had "exacerbated the dragging of the club's name through the mud''.
United announced their decision to retract the offer to Evans on Thursday night, but Phipps insists the club stand by their view that footballers should be given the same right of rehabilitation as other offenders.
"The influence of mob-like behaviour has made it difficult to take the simple step of allowing Ched to train,'' he said. "I will acknowledge that our decision to not let Ched train is probably a decision that will make it harder for him to get on with his football career in the immediate future.
"The people who believe that Ched should be punished for the rest of his life might call that a victory. I think of it as a defeat for the principle that punishment under the justice system should be left to those that are authorised by law.
"It is not fair to treat a footballer differently, they should have a right of rehabilitation like everyone else. We are not ashamed of that view in the slightest.''
The decision to allow Evans to train with the Blades provoked considerable public outcry, with television presenter Charlie Webster, 60s pop star Dave Berry, musician Paul Heaton and Sheffield businesswoman Lindsay Graham all quitting their roles as club patrons. A petition against Evans rejoining attracted over 165,000 signatures.
But Phipps believes those speaking out against the Blades must take some of the blame for tarnishing the club's reputation.
"Sometimes I think those who call themselves fans of the club but who have handled the matter the way they have, have actually exacerbated the dragging of the club's name through the mud,'' he added. "But I am happy to accept my responsibility for having been prominent among those who ultimately agreed to the course of action we took.
"If the club's name has been dragged through the mud and I am somehow to blame for that then I accept responsibility, but I think this discussion we have had as a community has been difficult.
"All of those who have contributed to the discussion bear their share of responsibility if the club's name has been dragged through the mud. None of (the patrons) have asked to come back. There is nothing that I can do to heal the wounds between the club and the fans of this club.
"Amongst us as the Blades family this is not a moment to focus on the divisions that have been between us, but it is the moment in time where we say 'We're all Blades aren't we?'.
"It's over, this episode is at an end. We are moving forward as a football club and focusing on gaining promotion.''
The PFA issued a statement earlier in the day expressing its hope that Evans would be given an opportunity to return to action with another club, admitting it ''may ultimately be of benefit'' of both Evans and Sheffield United that he will be severing his ties with them.
Evans served half of a five-year prison sentence having been found guilty of rape in April 2012.
He has always denied raping the woman, saying the sex was consensual, but was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court.
An appeal against his conviction was rejected by three judges at the Court of Appeal in 2012, while following his release from prison, he uploaded a video on his website protesting his innocence and vowed to clear his name.