David Goodwillie signing could be devastating for women’s football, Raith warned

Signing David Goodwillie has “tarnished” the reputation of Raith Rovers and could have “devastating consequences” for females in the sport, the chief executive of Scottish Women’s Football (SWF) has warned.

Aileen Campbell said the Kirkcaldy Championship club had made a “badly misjudged” decision signing Goodwillie, 32, who was found by a civil court to have raped a woman.

The controversial signing has already seen the club lose its main sponsor, with author Val McDermid – whose name is on the club’s shirts and on one of its stands – withdraw her support.

Tyler Rattray, the captain of Raith’s women’s team, has also quit in protest, along with others at the club, while former prime minister and Raith Rovers fan Gordon Brown has made clear he does “not support” Goodwillie’s signing.

It is a badly misjudged decision by the club and we as an organisation are particularly concerned about losing more women from the game,

An online petition has been set up calling for the player to be removed from the club and to “ensure that future signing decisions can continue to be family-friendly”.

Ms Campbell, a former communities secretary in the Scottish Government said Raith’s decision to sign Goodwillie had been a poor one.

She told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme the move “sends the wrong signal, message, to society and particularly to women”.

She added: “The fact that the women’s club has lost its captain as a result of this is devastating, that would be a devastating consequence to lose women from the game as a result of this poor decision.”

Raith Rovers Football Club: Remove David Goodwillie from Raith Rovers and re-establish the team as a family club - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/k58YHG59yx via @UKChange