Scottish club Raith Rovers criticized after it signs striker who was ruled to have been a rapist by a judge in a civil case

By Ben Morse, CNN

Updated 0930 GMT (1730 HKT) February 2, 2022

David Goodwillie joined Raith Rovers from Clyde. He's pictured after missing a penalty for Clyde on May 14, 2019 during a Scottish League one playoff final.

(CNN)Scottish football club Raith Rovers is facing outrage from fans and from within its own organization for signing striker David Goodwillie, who in 2017 was ruled in a civil case to have raped a woman along with a former teammate.

Raith announced it had signed the 32-year-old Goodwillie on Monday to a contract until the end of the 2023-24 season. Goodwillie had been with Clyde and other teams since the 2011 incident. In response to the criticism the club faced for the signing, Raith Rovers released a statement which said in part: «Please be assured that as a community football club we fully acknowledge this signing has divided opinion amongst our loyal fans and commercial stakeholders; we aim to rebuild that trust.»While acknowledging the gravity of what happened ten years ago, as a club we fully support and encourage rehabilitation, and many factors influenced our signing. But first and foremost, this was a football related decision."A general view of Raith Rovers ground Stark's Park on July 5, 2016 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.Read More'Gutting'But the signing is having negative effects within the organization and the wider world. Tyler Rattray, captain of Raith Rovers' ladies' team, has announced her intention to quit the club.«After 10 long years playing for Raith, it's gutting I have given up now because they have signed someone like this and I want nothing to do with it!» Rattray said on Twitter. «It was good being captain of Raith while it lasted.» CNN has attempted to contact Goodwillie and David