A rape scandal like this could only happen in the oh-so toxic world of football

AT WIMBLEDON last year, a male tennis player with three convictions for assaulting other men and a civil case against him for rape (in which his female victim was paid £100,000 compensation) played in the tournament.

Known to all as ‘the Rapist tennis Player’, his sins are no secret but nobody cares because he is entertaining. the crowds all cheered when he won matches.

Asked to comment, a spokesman for the All england Club said: ‘What’s the problem? He is a terrific player. We don’t see an issue here.’

Hold it right there. You are correct. there is no Rapist tennis Player and none of the above happened. And it is hard to imagine it could in the world of professional tennis, or indeed in cricket, rugby or athletics.

Would a man with assault and rape charges against him really just carry on with his career, without even a whisper of official dissent? no. it could only happen in the toxic world of football.

there has been uproar at Raith Rovers FC because the Kirkcaldy-based team signed a striker called — in a blow to nominative determinism — david Goodwillie.

in 2011 the 32-year-old striker, known as the Rapist Footballer, was accused of raping a woman and although there was insufficient evidence for a criminal trial, she was awarded a five-figure sum by the Criminal injuries Compensation Authority.

later she won damages in the civil case she brought against him, after turning down a six-figure sum from his lawyers to settle out of court.

this did not deter Raith from signing him as ‘he is a proven goalscorer’, a spokesperson said.

Silly me. imagine thinking there might be a moral dimension here.

the same attitude was prevalent when Goodwillie signed for Clyde FC in 2017.

‘david is the first guy to admit he made mistakes that night,’ sighed a club spokesman, despite the player never publicly expressing regret or remorse.

And his criminal record for assault didn’t deter other clubs that had signed him in the past, including Crystal Palace, Aberdeen and blackburn Rovers.

Can you imagine that happening in any other sport? me neither.

His case echoes those of others who have committed crimes and been allowed back into the game.

Craig thomson at Hearts was allowed to stay on after being found guilty on two counts of indecent behaviour towards underage girls over the internet because the club said there were ‘sufficient mitigating circumstances’.

one wonders what on earth those circumstances were — perhaps ‘we need him for the first team’ featured prominently.

it was only when the mothers of the victims complained, then the club’s sponsors threatened to withdraw, that the club finally booted thomson out.

much the same thing happened at Raith this week, when it took furious women to show the club the error of their entrenched ways. Raith Rovers women’s captain tyler Rattray resigned in protest, while bestselling crime novelist and team sponsor Val mcdermid withdrew her support.

the club now say they are not going to field Goodwillie and have expressed regret at their actions. but it seems too little, too late.

Football is supposed to be ‘the beautiful game’ but to the casual observer like me, it seems full of ugliness today; of endemic cheating from kick-off to final whistle.

Players exaggerate their injuries, rolling on the pitch as if they were gasping their last to gain tactical advantage. they pinch as many yards as they can when taking a throw-in, they aggressively besiege the referee if a decision goes against their team.

it is not gamesmanship, it is just dishonest. the object is to cheat and get away with it.

And if there is no honour on the pitch, perhaps we should not expect too much honour off it. there is certainly never a shortage of scandal.

A DRIVER who heroically rammed his car into a knife killer in Maida Vale, London, states movingly: ‘I hope... a message has been sent to society: should you see an evil, it is a duty upon you to stop it with your hands. If you cannot, then you should stop it by speaking out; if you cannot, at the very least you should hate it with your heart.’

FOLLOWING allegations this week of sexual assault, manchester United have dropped striker mason Greenwood until further notice, while nike has suspended its relationship with him. if he is charged and found guilty, what awaits him? is his football career over?

not if some clubs have their way, especially the more desperate ones, farther down the food chain. Supporters of criminal footballers argue that the men have been punished for their crimes, have a right to make a living and deserve redemption, like anyone else.

Yes, people make mistakes. but for professional footballers, surely different rules apply. it’s just too much to accept a man like Goodwillie being lionised by impressionable young fans; that they might be cheering on a rapist or criminal sends out a terrible message.

With great privilege comes great responsibility, whether at Raith Rovers, manchester United or any other club.

Some things are so wrong, they can never be made right. And sometimes it takes a woman to point that out.