Football club told they'll be evicted from ground if they sign convicted rapist
A Scottish football club could lose its home ground if it signs striker David Goodwillie.
The 34-year-old former Scotland international was found in a civil case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in 2017 to have raped a woman.
Goodwillie - who continues to protest his innocence - played as a trialist for Glasgow United - of the West of Scotland Football League, the country's ninth tier - in a friendly last week. Now the city council is threatening to ban the club from the Greenfield Football Centre in Shettleston if he makes a permanent move.
In a statement on Glasgow City Council’s official Twitter account, leader Susan Aitken said: "David Goodwillie has been found, in court, to be a rapist. However, in more than 12 years, he has never once shown any kind of contrition or remorse.
David Goodwillie is a former Scotland international (Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)“Any club that signs him is making a very clear statement about its attitude to the safety of women and girls – both in sport and in its community. It would be an outrageous decision, wholly at odds with how community facilities like Greenfield should be run.
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"I’ve asked officers to look at the council’s agreement with Glasgow United and made it clear that I’m ready for the city to walk away.”
However, Glasgow United have responded to Aitken, saying: "David Goodwillie has never been charged for this offence. He has no criminal record and has never appeared on any offenders' register. How can he show contrite or remorse for something he staunchly claims he did not do."
The club spokesperson added: "We play home matches at our own ground nearby like we have for the last 120 years.
"We do a lot of work in our community helping those in need and this is only an extension of that work. We could easily walk away from this like every other club before us but we won't. We are supporting David with his mental health and will continue to do so.
"This witch hunt has gone on for far too long and the use of any person's life as a political football is unacceptable."
Goodwillie and his former Dundee United teammate, David Robertson, were judge to have raped Denise Clair in a civil case.
The two men, who have never faced criminal charges in relation to the allegation, were ordered to pay damages of £100,000 to Ms Clair, who waived her right to anonymity.
Goodwillie left Plymouth Argyle by mutual consent in the wake of the court ruling, and duly spent almost five years at Clyde, despite criticism of the club's decision to offer him employment.
Subsequent moves to Raith Rovers, Northern Premier League Radcliffe and Australian outfit FC Sorrento have all collapsed in recent times amid fierce criticism.
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