Meaningless PR: Denise Clair on Raith Rovers owner resigning as chairman after signing the player who raped her
Victim dismisses club’s move as pressure builds on SFA
The woman raped by David Goodwillie yesterday dismissed the resignation of the Raith Rovers chairman months after he signed the player as a “meaningless PR stunt.”
John Sim, who is owner of the Kirkcaldy club, stood down after he oversaw the signing of Goodwillie from Clyde. The transfer prompted outrage – led by best-selling novelist and lifelong Raith Rovers fan Val Mcdermid – and, facing a wave of condemnation, Sim later admitted “we got it wrong” as the club said Goodwillie would never play.
Yesterday, Denise Clair said he should never have been signed in the first place and claimed Sim’s continuing influence within the club meant his standing down as chairman was a “meaningless PR stunt” intended to protect the club’s image.
The Scottish Championship side had been savaged for the signing, with critics including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, while suffering the resignations of directors and senior staff. The club’s women’s team also severed ties. Ms Clair said: “People should see this for what it is, a PR stunt. If they had replaced the chairman with one of the directors who did the right thing after Goodwillie was signed then it might have meant something. But this? It means nothing.
“There is not a single thing to suggest Raith Rovers understand signing Goodwillie was an atrocious misjudgment and that’s because there are men in position of influence at that club who still don’t understand why it was so appalling.”
After Goodwillie lost his appeal, the Scottish Football Association reviewed the case and decided there would be no action taken against the two footballers ruled rapists in court.
Ms Clair said that decision sent a clear signal to senior clubs: “Why should Raith Rovers think it’s wrong to sign Goodwillie when the SFA believes that raping someone doesn’t bring the game into disrepute? If that doesn’t, what does?”
Shadow Sports Minister Sue Webber has now written to
Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell asking him to explain and revisit that decision.
She said: “The SFA really must review their decision from 2018, as it sits uncomfortably with the court ruling in the civil case involving David Goodwillie.
“I have written to the SFA requesting that they review this decision and if they refuse I will expect a full explanation as to why not.”
In 2017, Goodwillie and his former Dundee United team-mate David Robertson were ruled by a civil court judge to have raped Ms Clair.
Goodwillie continued to play for Clyde despite the ruling but his continuing career in senior football came under renewed focus after he signed for Raith Rovers in January.
The former Scotland international was loaned back to Clyde a month later but North Lanarkshire Council – owners of Broadwood – then banned Goodwillie from Clyde’s stadium.
Meanwhile, Steven Macdonald will take on the chairman role at Raith Rovers after three years as a board member at Stark’s Park.