David Goodwillie: Council chief threatens to kick membership from dwelling floor in the event that they signal rapist footballer
A council chief has threatened to kick a soccer membership from its dwelling floor if it agrees to signal rapist footballer David Goodwillie.
Goodwillie, and fellow footballer David Robertson, have been dominated to be rapists in a 2017 civil case.
The pair, who’ve by no means confronted a legal trial over the allegations, have been ordered to pay £100,000 in damages after a decide dominated they raped a girl at a property in West Lothian following an evening out in January 2011.
However, Glasgow United FC fielded the 34-year-old former Scotland striker in a pleasant towards West of Scotland Premier Division facet Pollok earlier this month – sparking condemnation from Rape Crisis Scotland.
The group branded the transfer a “bad decision that sends entirely the wrong message”.
Now, Glasgow City Council chief Susan Aitken has warned that the membership might lose its council-owned Greenfield Football Centre dwelling if it indicators the striker.
In a press release, launched by the authority, she stated: “David Goodwillie has been found, in court, to be a rapist.
“However, in additional than 12 years, he has by no means as soon as proven any form of contrition or regret.
SNP’s Susan Aitken
“Any membership that indicators him is making a really clear assertion about its perspective to the protection of ladies and women – each in sport and in its group.
“It would be an outrageous decision, wholly at odds with how community facilities like Greenfield should be run.
“I’ve requested officers to take a look at the council’s settlement with Glasgow United and made it clear that I’m prepared for the town to stroll away.”
Goodwillie has seen several football club contracts collapse due to public outrage over the case, but was spotted playing for ninth-tier side Glasgow United FC in a friendly match last Wednesday.
A club spokesperson previously told BBC Scotland that Goodwillie “deserves an opportunity” and that he wants to be “left in peace and be allowed to play the sport he loves”.
Earlier this month, Goodwillie stated he was an “innocent man” in an look on the podcast Anything Goes with James English.
He additionally stated he needs to maneuver on together with his life.
He stated: “I’m an innocent man. I still say to this day, I’m walking about free, I’m not on the sex offenders’ register, I’ve not got any charges for this, I don’t even have a criminal record any more.”
The former Dundee United, Blackburn, Aberdeen and Plymouth participant added: “I’ve cleaned up my act and I’ve tried to be a better person.”
Goodwillie stated that he couldn’t absolutely keep in mind the evening of the incident as he was drunk, however stated: “This case wasn’t violent, this was three people drunk, having consensual sex, what was happening in front of me was normal, she was talking, laughing, joking, joining in.
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“So for her to say she will be able to’t do not forget that, it is arduous for me to dwell with as a result of I’m pondering if I might solely present you the best way you have been appearing, we had no concept that you simply have been going to get up within the morning and never keep in mind this.”
Goodwillie was playing for English club Plymouth at the time of the civil court judgment and left “by mutual consent” just days after the ruling.
Two months later, in March 2017, he signed for Clyde despite fierce criticism of the club’s decision to give him a deal.
He played for the Cumbernauld-based club for almost five years, becoming club captain, before Raith Rovers moved to sign him in February last year.
Following widespread opposition to the transfer, together with from crime author Val McDermid, a fan of the membership, Goodwillie was launched from his contract with out enjoying a match.
A 12 months later, there was an analogous state of affairs when Northern Premier League facet Radcliffe responded to criticism by cancelling Goodwillie’s contract a day after he scored a hat-trick on his debut towards Belper Town.
And Australian second-tier facet FC Sorrento additionally adopted go well with, asserting final month they’d cancelled his contract after the news of Goodwillie’s impending arrival was met with a social media backlash.