(Reuters) -Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged the Scottish Professional Football League to take action over Raith Rovers’ signing of striker David Goodwillie, who in 2017 was ruled in a civil case to have raped a woman.
The signing has caused a furore, with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and best-selling crime writer Val McDermid – both lifelong supporters of the Kirkcaldy club – among those also weighing in with criticism.
Goodwillie and former Dundee United team mate David Robertson were ruled by a civil court judge to have raped a woman after a night out in 2011 and ordered to pay her 100,000 pounds ($135,590) damages.
No criminal case was ever brought against Goodwillie or Robertson after the Crown Office deemed there to be insufficient evidence. He maintains his innocence, saying they had consensual sex.
“It would be appropriate for the SPFL to take action,” Sturgeon said on Wednesday. “We have to recognise footballers are role models and young boys and girls look up to footballers so there is a responsibility on football clubs to make sure those role models are positive.
“We are talking about a football player who in a civil court was found to have raped a woman, who as far as I’m aware, has never shown any remorse or reflection and I think that sends a really damaging message,” Sturgeon said.
“I think it tells us that while we talk about the importance of tackling sexual violence and abuse of women, we have an awful long way to go to make zero tolerance of sexual violence as a reality.”
Former prime minister Brown also condemned Goodwillie’s signing.
“I have always supported Raith Rovers but I have told Raith Rovers that I cannot support this signing,” Brown said.
“I condemn rape and all violence against women. Because of the number of recent examples across football, I urge the football authorities to set out a policy to address cases of violence like this.”
McDermid withdrew her sponsorship of the Scottish Championship club following its decision to sign Goodwillie, while Raith’s women’s team captain Tyler Rattray also quit the club in protest. McDermid was a shirt sponsor and also had a stand named after her.
“The thought of the rapist David Goodwillie running out on the pitch at Starks Park in a @RaithRovers shirt with my name on it makes me feel physically sick,” McDermid said.
Raith said on Tuesday the club said signing Goodwillie was “first and foremost… a football related decision”.
Goodwillie was signed on Monday from Clyde on a permanent deal until the end of the 2023-24 season.
“While acknowledging the gravity of what happened ten years ago, as a club we fully support and encourage rehabilitation, and many factors influenced our signing,” a club statement said.
“The club has carefully considered our position as a Community Club and we completely respect the differing views among fans and stakeholders.”
Raith drew 3-3 with Queen of the South on Tuesday night. The visitors wore a pink strip in support of a campaign to end violence against women, the Daily Record reported. Goodwillie did not play.
($1 = 0.7375 pounds)
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Angus MacSwan )
