I don't think an immediate U-turn is likely, according to this statement released
at 1700 this evening. Doubling down, describing it as a "footballing decision", and basically a Patel-esque
"I am sorry that you feel that way" response. It's a genuinely awful statement.
Context: Raith are run by a board of six. Two of that board resigned today after a discussion on whether to sign the player or not was carried by 4-2 at a board meeting.
Today Raith are trending on twitter as "Rape Rovers", two high profile and wealthy shirt sponsors have cut ties with the club, the Womens' Team captain has left with immediate effect, they have haemorrhaged volunteers at all levels including the chair of the Raith Rovers Community Foundation and the Supporters' Liaison Officer. Many more volunteers of lesser standing (but no less vital to the running of the club) have chucked it- including the matchday announcer. Lifelong supporters have vowed never to return until this individual has gone- and he has signed a 2.5 year contract. Senior politicians including Nicola Sturgeon have commented adversely on what the transfer says about how seriously gender violence is viewed in Scotland, and how much further there is for the country to travel on this.
Unfortunately, people looking for ethics, principles and unimpeachable morality are looking in the wrong place if they are looking for it in professional football, There are absolutely none. Raith Rovers want to be promoted to the Premier League and have made the callous calculation that signing someone adjudged by a civil court to be a rapist outweighs the risks of (presumably they expected much less) public outrage.
David Goodwillie is a rapist. He was ordered by a civil court to pay £100,000 to his victim, and appears to have tried to weasal out of that by declaring bankruptcy. For the last five seasons he has been playing part time for Clyde, and most thought that he would end his days at that level, with the stench of disgrace surrounding him; allowed to play the sport that could have made him enough money for several lifetimes, but never ever allowed to feature at that level where that money's paid, again. In every game I have seen him play in as a fan of an opposing team, he got dog's abuse. He is one of the rare individuals that has few if any redeeming features.
In recent times, apparently, he has been chuntering about moving on, and that, earning a measily 1k. per week for training twice a week and playing at the weekend, he "cannae afford a decent motor". His deal at Raith will likely see him earn maybe 50% more than that. Raith also paid a transfer fee of £50,000. Bluntly, there is no cheap way of undoing this awful decision now the ink is dry on the contract.
A minority argue that cases like Goodwillie should be allowed to rehabilitate and re-build their lives. However, access to rehabilitation depends on sincere remorse being shown for the crime committed, repentance, and perhaps some mentoring in the community for young men based on what he had learnt on the journey away from committing this type of crime. He still insists no rape took place, despite the civil court judgement. Without repentance and remorse, no rehabilitation. He shows no awareness whatever of the seriousness of the crime committed or the damage done to the victim's life, let alone taking any responsibility for what he and another did.
This decision has sadly shown that a lot of football's recently acquired "wokeness" is little more than performative branding. I love football and it is a big part of my life; I go to a game every Saturday and reading and thinking about it is a big part of my leisure time. Football at the level I watch is normally run by very good people who can't do enough to grow and build what is a focused community organisation. But I can understand fully why many people who are not interested in football or who indeed actively dislike the sport will see in this a further example of it's short-termist degeneracy and socially myopic character.
Raith Rovers will pay a very heavy price for this and deservedly so. I feel very sorry for many loyal supporters who have been put in an impossible position by the club's stewards whose dark ages attitudes towards the seriousness of this crime will mean they are absent from something that's a passion for a long time- if indeed they ever return. Strangely they drew 3-3 tonight with Queen of the South, a team whose pink away short supports the White Ribbon campaign, an organisation focusing on raising awarness of and combatting violence against women.
Normally such a game would be attended by about 1.400 but the attendance is not yet published.
For all the bleakness of this announcement today, there are still really good people in football. Fans from clubs across Scotland have raised nearly £7,000 in 12 hours for Scottish Rape Crisis, as ameans of expressing disgust at this and soldarity with women who have been subject to rape & abuse by the likes of Goodwillie.
This will run & run. The only way for a quick fix is for 1. the Raith board to resign 2. the manager who pushed through this signing, to follow 3. the club to be taken over by a community group whose first job will be to dispense with Goodwillie's services. A battle will now likely take place for control of the club.
I'm not a Raith fan but it has been a thoroughly depressing day for someone who loves the Scottish game. Of course football is a trivial matter really, set against the hurt, anguish and damage caused to the victimes of rape and sexual abuse. The positive is that such a reaction to this dreadful decision, from supporters across the board, their expressions of disgust & outrage, and solidarity with victims, couldn't have been imagined a few years ago.
www.raithrovers.net
