Raith Rovers say they will not select David Goodwillie and have entered into talks to terminate his contract following a backlash from supporters.
Goodwillie, who was ruled to have raped a woman in 2016 by a judge in a civil case, re-joined the club on deadline day. Goodwillie did not face any criminal prosecution.
However, in a statement released on Thursday, the board confirmed he will not be selected amid widespread anger from fans and a number of resignations across the club, including the captain of the women’s team.
“I firstly want to apologise wholeheartedly to our fans, sponsors, players and the wider Raith Rovers community for the anguish and anger caused over the past few days,” chairman John Sim said.
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“We got it wrong. In reaching our original decision, we focused far too much on football matters and not enough on what this decision would mean for our club and the community as a whole.
“This very unfortunate episode is something that we all bitterly regret and we are now wholly committed to making things right. I can therefore confirm that, following a meeting of the Raith Rovers board, the player will not be selected by Raith Rovers and we will enter into discussions with the player regarding his contractual position.”
Crime author Val McDermid, who was the club’s main sponsor, withdrew her backing earlier this week.
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Senior political figures, including Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown – a lifelong Rovers fan – also condemned the signing.
Rovers initially said it was “first and foremost a football related decision” to sign the 32-year-old and hailed him as a “proven goalscorer”. In response, many fans threatened to boycott matches and launched a campaign on behalf of Rape Crisis Scotland which has raised over £11,000 at the time of writing.
Sim said the club are now “wholly committed to making things right”, adding that they want to “regain the trust and confidence of the Raith Rovers family”.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/ELfRK6z1k
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