The women and girls’ teams at Raith Rovers want to completely distance themselves from the club following the signing of David Goodwillie, author Val McDermid has said.
The crime writer, who has ended her sponsorship and support of the club over the signing, said she has now pivoted to support the women and girls and help them rebuild their confidence.
She said they are having new shirts printed that do not have the Raith Rovers crest on them, and that the women’s team want to play their weekend fixture at a different ground in the town.
Tyler Rattray, captain of Raith women’s team, quit in protest after the Kirkcaldy club signed Goodwillie, who was found by a civil court to have raped a woman.
Ms McDermid says the women’s and girls teams were “appalled and horrified” by the signing.
She told BBC Woman’s Hour: “I’ve kind of pivoted towards the women and girls teams and my position now is to support them into rebuilding their confidence and their trust in themselves.
“They had a meeting last night and the upshot of that is, essentially, they want to completely distance themselves from Raith Rovers football club.
“They are currently, as we speak, having new shirts printed that don’t have the Raith Rovers crest on them.
“They are committed to playing their fixture on Sunday not at Stark’s Park, the Raith Rovers ground, but at another ground in the town, at the Windmill pitches.
“They are talking about changing the name of the club but that’ll obviously be something they have to discuss with Scottish Women’s Football, but they are adamant they no longer wish to be associated with Raith Rovers and that’s where I’m focusing my attention now to rebuild their club, and to circle the wagons round them.”
Raith Rovers signed Goodwillie despite a court ruling in a civil case in 2017 that he, and now retired player David Robertson, had raped a woman.
The two men were ordered to pay damages of £100,000 to the woman, but no criminal charges were brought against either of them.
The club has said the signing was “first and foremost a football-related decision”.
Ms McDermid said: “We have women and girls teams from aged under-10s right up to the women’s teams who are appalled and horrified at this signing.
“It’s just the wrong thing to do for the club. I think it sends all the wrong messages.”
