The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Jack Burton]

Basically all this started with high profile members of Raith Rovers making their feelings known about this man signing for their club. The media picked up on it from there. 
The reason the media didn't pick up on anything before is the fact that he was completely accepted at Clyde by all club officials, supporters and sponsors. There was no fuss , hence no story. 

There was some backlash when he signed for Clyde albeit on a much smaller scale. There was a petition to have his contract cancelled and some fans withdrew their support. Clyde basically just took the same line as Raith and just doubled down on their position.

Even in 5 years things have fair progressed with Me Too etc. and with Raith having some celebrity fans with a big Twitter following it's garnered much wider media attention. The transfer going through the same day as the Mason Greenwood story broke will have made it big news as well.

When he signed for Clyde the biggest fan we had to come out against it was an MSP. If he had signed for Clyde now then I think there would have been much more media attention.

I wasn't happy he signed for Clyde and wouldn't have signed him but have still being going to the games which I know makes me a bit of a hypocrite.

I don't think most Clyde fans have even bothered to read the court findings otherwise I would like to think they wouldn't come out with the stuff they do. His actions and behaviour were utterly appalling.

[CALDERON]

I won't be posting on this forum for the forseeable about Raith Rovers.  The past few days have been heart breaking and I genuinely don't know where my beloved club goes from here.

It's been a blast folks.

[RiG]

It would be great if (the minority of) folk could stop acting like there was no outcry when Goodwillie joined Clyde. The Chairman had to defend the signing, the signing was publicly criticised by John Mason MSP, Jamie Greene MSP and numerous others, some fans called for a boycott and the story was picked up by national press with Rape Crisis Scotland slamming the move as well.

Just because you never heard any outcry about the signing back in 2017 doesn't mean that there wasn't any.

Edited February 2, 2022 by RiG

[kingjoey]

40 minutes ago, SuperSaints1877 said:

Out of interest what was your fans feelings towards him when he played for the Dons between 2014-2016?

Looking at the timeframes. He was charged by Police with rape in 2011, but Crown refused to take it forward blaming lack of evidence. The survivor was awarded criminal injuries damages in 2013. Those perpetrators tried three times to buy her silence, but she wanted justice which she finally got. 

“United star Goodwillie, who denies the accusation, was investigated by police and the Crown Office dropped charges five months later but the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority awarded Ms Clair £11,000 – the highest award possible – after accepting she was raped.” November 2013.

I wasn’t happy that he was playing for us, but at the time he had been found guilty of nothing. I don’t think that there was any strong feeling against him due to that.

[Gaz]

4 minutes ago, RiG said:

It would be great if (the minority of) folk could stop acting like there was no outcry when Goodwillie joined Clyde. The Chairman had to defend the signing, the signing was publicly criticised by John Mason MSP and Jamie Greene MSP, some fans called for a boycott and the story was picked up by national press with Rape Crisis Scotland slamming the move as well.

Just because you never heard any outcry about the signing back in 2017 doesn't mean that there wasn't any.

This and the "he wasn't convicted in a court of law!" as well.

A civil court *is* a court of law.

[Cardle is Magic]

4 minutes ago, RiG said:

It would be great if (the minority of) folk could stop acting like there was no outcry when Goodwillie joined Clyde. The Chairman had to defend the signing, the signing was publicly criticised by John Mason MSP, Jamie Greene MSP and numerous others, some fans called for a boycott and the story was picked up by national press with Rape Crisis Scotland slamming the move as well.

Just because you never heard any outcry about the signing back in 2017 doesn't mean that there wasn't any.

You actually have creeps more upset at the reaction to the signing than the signing itself. They’ll think up any excuse to not be seen as “woke”.

[Ro Sham Bo]

I really hope that whenever and however we come out of the other side of this sorry mess, that those of a Rovers persuasion who feel they can no longer support the club find a way back. 

Whatever the club looks like when that day comes, you'll be needed. 

[Tattie36]

7 minutes ago, RiG said:

It would be great if (the minority of) folk could stop acting like there was no outcry when Goodwillie joined Clyde. The Chairman had to defend the signing, the signing was publicly criticised by John Mason MSP, Jamie Greene MSP and numerous others, some fans called for a boycott and the story was picked up by national press with Rape Crisis Scotland slamming the move as well.

Just because you never heard any outcry about the signing back in 2017 doesn't mean that there wasn't any.

Also the world is, thankfully, a different place than it was even 5 years ago. The attitude towards rape is still in the dark ages with some folk but it’s going in the right direction.

[jagster]

1 hour ago, Zen Archer (Raconteur) said:

I remember this thread when we were tying to get a bloke from Inverness and back for 10/6

Yip. Booked the bus tickets but taking them as a loss. Won’t be giving your BOD any of my cash unless things change. Given to your fundraising instead 

[lichtgilphead]

1 minute ago, kingjoey said:

I wasn’t happy that he was playing for us, but at the time he had been found guilty of nothing. I don’t think that there was any strong feeling against him due to that.

As far as I recall, he had lost the initial civil case at the time that he signed for Clyde, but had said that he intended to appeal. (Obviously, he also lost the appeal)

[kingjoey]

2 minutes ago, lichtgilphead said:

As far as I recall, he had lost the initial civil case at the time that he signed for Clyde, but had said that he intended to appeal. (Obviously, he also lost the appeal)

He lost the civil case in January 2017 and I think he signed for Clyde a couple of months later.

[San Starko Rover]

1 minute ago, jagster said:

Yip. Booked the bus tickets but taking them as a loss. Won’t be giving your BOD any of my cash unless things change. Given to your fundraising instead 

Can’t blame you pal, they don’t deserve your cash. 

[SuperSaints1877]

11 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

I wasn’t happy that he was playing for us, but at the time he had been found guilty of nothing. I don’t think that there was any strong feeling against him due to that.

There was a lot of details about the rape allegations when your club signed him. Seems as though you may want to go back and check. He had also been involved and convicted of three separate assaults. 

https://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php?/topic/213162-the-famous-aberdeen-season-202122/page/17/

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by SuperSaints1877

[strichener]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

The Sturgeon thing:

My first thought when I heard her comments was well that's a daft thing to say, the SPFL have no place getting involved and anyway he's already been playing for Clyde for several years.

But then I thought about it and adjusted my head - football doesn't have to work the way we've designed it. History is littered with middle aged white dinosaurs like me being barriers to progress because we've patted women on the head and told them oh you can't do such-and-such because the world we've designed doesn't work that way.

Another world is possible. I'm not trying to decry Raith's 100% responsibility for the current incident by saying the authorities should somehow have saved us from ourselves and had rules in place to make the signing impossible. But I'm coming round to the idea of supporting any moves that would block it, either by law or through the SPFL's own rules.

It'd be quite straightforward to do as well, given that the Disclosure / PVG scheme already exists. All you'd need to do is make professional football above an agreed level of the game to be a profession that requires PVG clearance, given that the job - merely by playing, quite apart from other external engagement - necessarily involves a level of community engagement.

Goodwillie's civil case would not show up on a disclosure.

2 hours ago, Left Back said:

This would be a minefield.

Being a footballer does not necessitate community engagement or interaction with groups deemed vulnerable.  It happens but it’s entirely down to the clubs/players trying to engage the community.

A convicted rapist could be doing all manner of jobs which would involve more definite contact with females than being a professional footballer.

Goodwillie is not a convicted rapist.  A judge has stated that on balance of probability he did rape the girl but that is not the same as a conviction.

I wouldn't welcome him at my club  it as with some of the Raith fans here, I wouldn't take attending games as an endorsement of the guy.  Clubs are bigger than individuals, be that players, managers, board or fans.

Edited February 2, 2022 by strichener

[Sergeant Wilson]

Just now, strichener said:

Goodwillie's civil case would not show up on a disclosure.

Goodwillie is not a convicted rapist.  A judge has stated that on balance of probability he did rape the girl but that is not the same as a conviction.

I thought it depended on the level of check.

Matters of character and records of engagement with police and services could appear. Maybe a neighbour dispute that involves a few police visits or the antisocial team would show up, even if there was no formal charges.

[Left Back]

2 minutes ago, strichener said:

Goodwillie's civil case would not show up on a disclosure.

Goodwillie is not a convicted rapist.  A judge has stated that on balance of probability he did rape the girl but that is not the same as a conviction.

I’m aware of that.  I was making the point that having to be vetted for criminal convictions to be a footballer is a bit nonsensical.

[Yoss]

4 minutes ago, strichener said:

Goodwillie's civil case would not show up on a disclosure.

I'm not sure you're right there, given that he was reported and investigated. Non-conviction information can also be included on PVGs, though I'll admit I'm a bit vague on the full detail of what.

(That was largely a response to the Ian Huntley case, where there had been several reports about him but none had resulted in convictions.)

[zicoromaines]

Quite interesting that the last time we played Clyde at Broadwood on 19thOct’19 there is a 17 page thread on here filled with the usual suspects who post on here as Raith supporters constantly about how they are looking forward to it, ticking Broadwood off the list, best place to drink beforehand?

Not one single mention of anybody not wanting to go and pay Goodwillie’s wages that day, jolly old time had by all it seems lol

[jagster]

3 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

Can’t blame you pal, they don’t deserve your cash. 

You were all so friendly and helpful I was really looking forward to it Maybe some time in the future who knows 

[Kingsmills]

A senior Court of Session judge heard all of the evidence that would have been put before a criminal court, including defence evidence from Mr Goodwillie and his witnesses and found DW to be a dishonest and unreliable witness and came to the view that he had committed rape.

Goodwillie appealed that decision and was unsuccessful in his appeal.

David Goodwillie is a rapist. There is no legal barrier to him playing professional football but I would be horrified if my club had signed him.

I have no idea what the majority of the Stark's Park board were thinking, or indeed the manager but they should at least have the decency now to drop any pretence of being a 'community club'.