A council chief has threatened to kick a soccer membership from its residence 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 prison trial over the allegations, have been ordered to pay £100,000 in damages after a choose 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 in opposition to West of Scotland Premier Division aspect 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 may lose its council-owned Greenfield Football Centre residence if it indicators the striker.
In a press release, launched by the authority, she mentioned: “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 sort of contrition or regret.
“Any membership that indicators him is making a really clear assertion about its perspective to the protection of girls and ladies – each in sport and in its neighborhood.
“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 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 mentioned he was an “innocent man” in an look on the podcast Anything Goes with James English.
He additionally mentioned he desires to maneuver on along with his life.
He mentioned: “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 mentioned that he couldn’t absolutely bear in mind the night time of the incident as he was drunk, however mentioned: “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 laborious for me to dwell with as a result of I’m considering if I may solely present you the best way you have been appearing, we had no concept that you just have been going to get up within the morning and never bear in mind this.”
Goodwillie was playing for English club Plymouth at the time of the civil court judgment and left “by mutual consent” simply days after the ruling.
Two months later, in March 2017, he signed for Clyde regardless of fierce criticism of the membership’s determination to offer him a deal.
He performed for the Cumbernauld-based membership for nearly 5 years, changing into membership captain, earlier than Raith Rovers moved to signal him in February final 12 months.
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 taking part in a match.
A 12 months later, there was an analogous state of affairs when Northern Premier League aspect Radcliffe responded to criticism by cancelling Goodwillie’s contract a day after he scored a hat-trick on his debut in opposition to Belper Town.
And Australian second-tier aspect FC Sorrento additionally adopted go well with, saying final month they’d cancelled his contract after the information of Goodwillie’s impending arrival was met with a social media backlash.
Source: information.sky.com”