Raith Rovers has apologized for the controversial signing of David Goodwillie and announced that the player will never represent the club again. The signing drew widespread criticism after the player was ruled to be a rapist in a civil court in 2017. The main sponsor of the club withdrew their support after the signing and an online petition was started for the removal of the player.
“I firstly want to apologize wholeheartedly to our fans, sponsors, players, and the wider Raith Rovers community for the anguish and anger caused over the past few days,” Raith Rovers said in a statement after the removal of David Goodwillie. “We got it wrong. 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.”
“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,” the statement added. “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.”
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