Raith Rovers double down on David Goodwillie signing after women’s team captain resigns

Raith Rovers has come under extreme backlash after announcing the signing of David Goodwillie, a player found in 2017 to have raped a woman.

In the wake of the news, Rovers women's team captain Tyler Rattray has resigned, and the club's shirt sponsor has also withdrawn her support in protest. 

Val McDermid — the shirt sponsor, best-selling crime author, and long-term fan of Raith — has slammed the club for its "disgusting and despicable" decision.

Goodwillie and former teammate David Robertson were accused of raping a woman, Denise Clair, on a night out in 2011. Goodwillie was charged but not prosecuted, on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

After Clair took civil action against the footballers in 2016, they were both ruled to have raped her and ordered to pay £100,000 in compensation. 

Goodwillie and Robertson denied the events took place and appealed against the ruling, but they were unsuccessful. Robertson retired from football shortly after the case concluded.

Raith Rovers announced the signing of Goodwillie on a two-and-a-half year deal earlier this week and was met with immediate backlash. 

Rattray, the former women's team skipper, responded to the club's social media post to confirm her departure from the club. 

"After 10 long years playing for Raith, it’s gutting I have given up now because they have signed someone like this," she wrote, stressing she wants "nothing to do" with the situation.

"It was good being captain of Raith while it lasted."

McDermid echoed Rattray's sentiment and described Goodwillie as a "stain on the club", admitting it was heartbreaking for her and many other fans. 

The Fife-born author became her girlhood club's shirt sponsor back in 2014 and also has a stand named after her at