Raith Rovers announce rapist striker David Goodwillie 'will not be selected to play'

David Goodwillie, who was found by a judge in a civil case in Scotland to have raped a woman, will not be selected to play by his new club Raith Rovers, said the Scottish club’s chairman John Sim, who also apologised “wholeheartedly” to fans.

The announcement appears to be a shocking u-turn from the Scottish Championship club, who had defended signing Goodwillie.

Fans disowned the club following the striker's arrival, with author Val McDermid withdrawing her sponsorship.

The striker was found by a judge in a civil case in 2016 to have raped a woman in 2011.

Rovers’ decision to hand him a two-and-a-half-year contract on Monday prompted a ferocious backlash and led to several supporters and key personnel withdrawing their backing of the club.

A statement released on Thursday and attributed to chairman John Sim read: “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. We got it wrong.”

Raith confirmed that they would look to cancel the signing of Goodwillie, who was bought for an undisclosed fee from cinch League 1 side Clyde.

The statement continued: “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.

“We share a desire to do what is best for our club and will be doing everything in our power to regain the trust and confidence of the Raith Rovers family.”

The statement acknowledged that Raith had put football ahead of morals by signing Goodwillie.

It continued: “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.

“Over the past couple of days, we listened carefully to the fans who have got in touch and I’m very grateful for their honesty.

“As chairman, as a board and as a management team, we have all learned a hard but valuable lesson.”

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