Raith Against The Machine

For what it's worth, I don't think we'll get a response from McGlynn (or anyone else) that I personally find acceptable.

I'd refer you to my earlier diatribe about an apology interview with an appropriate plan of action moving forward. It's going to feel inadequate, but that's probably the nature of the beast now. He's not going to be sacked, because everyone more senior than him who's still in situ backed the deal (or negotiated it) too. I'd still like to see the resignations or terminations of the board members and CEO, incidentally. I think given their remit, their positions are untenable. Sim obviously has to remain the owner, there's no alternative, but he shouldn't be chairman any longer.

I don't think it applies, no. I know what you mean, and certainly two days ago I was as angry with McGlynn as I was with anyone, but the context of the good work he's done is relevant, particularly when it comes to his character, which is really what's in question here. As I detailed in yet another crushingly long post there, I think there's a path back for McGlynn, but it's a very specific one. This isn't "you won us a league so you get a free pass", this is "in light of more a decade's stellar service, you'll be afforded a chance to make things right". I left this part out of the last post because I think it probably does sail a bit close to what you're suggesting, but I'll try to word it as best I can. There's some small mitigation for McGlynn based on his remit, which is essentially to put out a winning football team. If he thinks Goodwillie is the best striker available, "for football reasons", that's probably a valid opinion. But the CEO and the owner have a remit to take into account wider factors, like financial and reputational damage (and that's just for run of the mill stuff, before you get into the clear ethical and moral dilemmas thrown up in this case). Now as I say, I don't think that particularly stands up here, but others might. For me, it'd be a bit like throwing a flaming rag around with your flatmate and then pointing the finger at him when the building burns down, because he's a firefighter. Yes, it's his job to stop fires, but the risk should've been blatantly obvious to you too.

I'd dearly love to be able to forgive John McGlynn and see him continue as the Rovers manager. I think he's one of maybe only two or three managers in the country where that's even a consideration, such is his standing and history with the club. But for that to happen, there needs to be a massive mea culpa. He's obviously not someone who's particularly comfortable in front of a camera, he never has been. I think it's abundantly clear that if he could be a football manager without ever having to give an interview, he'd bite your hand off. But this situation needs communication, and it needs transparency. It probably needs to start with a phone call to someone like Davie or Niall (and I've no idea if they'd welcome that, I'm not for a second trying to speak for them) for a personal explanation, and a request to come and film a sit down interview. I don't need an Australian cricket style tearful breakdown, that's the last thing I want to see, but for John McGlynn and Raith Rovers to move forward, there has to be a recognition of what's happened, and what's going to be different going forward. We need to hear why he thought it was a good idea (which, to be fair, we do already know), we need to hear that he recognises that it's not acceptable to minimise violence against women in the way this episode did, we need to hear an acknowledgement that he was wrong, an acknowledgement of the effect this must have had on Goodwillie's victim, we need an apology, and we need a commitment to improving to make sure this type of thing will not and cannot happen again. Someone on the K107 discussion, it might even have been Graeme himself, suggested that what McGlynn needed more than anything was to get back to football and get back to winning. That's his opinion and of course he's absolutely entitled to it, but I disagree. The transgressions have been too great, they have to be addressed directly. Only then can we move on.

Margie was phenomenal. I was dipping in and out but I heard her whole piece and it was excellent. A lot of emotion behind it, clearly, but she crystallised a lot of the key issues - from a POV that's as close to inside the club as we've had - in just a few minutes.

First effort was such a resounding success you thought it was worthwhile spending the time on a second, huh?

It's our own tanked up young teamers I'm concerned about, to be honest with you.

Grim.

In a very crowded field, Dean Brett is without a doubt the thickest person associated with Scottish football.

If I didn't want my mental health to be impacted by the repercussions of being a rapist, I simply wouldn't rape someone.

This is key. Hank Scorpio made a great point on the same subject, too. The various supporters groups should still establish the Fighting Fund that was mooted. The Supporters Fund, such as it was, is no longer a viable option for me. The club leadership cannot be trusted with our money, that much is clear. Let us take the money we were contributing, in lottery tickets and fund donations, and pool it under a shared supporters banner. That money can then be provided to the club as and when it is required, but no longer can that donation be made without caveats. It must be in exchange for a share in the club. It might only be 0.01% at a time, but so be it.

I don't imagine an anyone noticed, but I'm looking forward to reverting my avatar to "RRFC" rather than "RAGE". I don't want to come over all Michael The Geordie, but I'm really not a fan of Rage Against The Machine.

I think P&B rules mean you need to wait a month between name changes. This whole debacle has been so fast moving I've still got 28 days to go!

The club has been driven into a moral abyss at 100mph over the last two or three days. This morning's announcement is the first step in a long walk back. I don't know where I go from here. I'm still digesting this latest development, but I remain heavily conflicted. Choosing to boycott the Rovers was a decision that I'd only just stated to come to terms with, and I can only describe it as a loss. That's how it's felt. There is a huge, huge part of me that wants to put this whole debacle behind me and go back to watch the football team that I love. Someone else used the metaphor of a cheating spouse. That really chimed with me. The betrayal is one thing, but it also just came completely out of the blue. I trusted Raith Rovers implicitly. The leadership at the club made all the right noises and seemed to have the best intentions, and then this happened. I don't think I can go back. Not yet. Certainly not to home games. I'm really not sure I can go at all while John McGlynn is still in place. He has tarnished his reputation to a degree I honestly would not have thought possible less than a week ago. Further amends need to be made. I'd like to see a significant donation made by the club to an appropriate charity. I'd like there to be resignations from those who made the decision, and reinstatements for those who walked away, if they're willing to return. I'd like to see a new board, one that isn't just old, white men. I'd like to see evidence of education within the club on the effects of sexual violence and violence against women. Whatever happens, I won't be back at Stark's Park this season. Next season, right now, is up for grabs. The club are in complete control of whether or not I return. Ultimately, though, there will not be a rapist running out in a Raith Rovers jersey, and after the last few days, that's a bigger win for the supporters than any cup final or league championship.

I'm extremely disappointed in Kyle Benedictus' comments this morning, but I think it's very important to draw a clear distinction between decision makers and others. Benedictus, for all his faults, didn't ask for this. He's not in the same bracket as Sim, McGlynn, Macartney et al.

There are too many people who are choosing to be wilfully ignorant, and use the obfuscation in this case around criminal courts and civil courts to turn a blind eye. It's quite simple. If David Goodwillie (or any other footballer) sent a tweet that said "I believe a black person's life is worth less than a white person's life" or "I deny that the holocaust happened", he'd never play football again. It'd be clear cut. For reasons that are deeply ingrained in society, and probably to a greater degree in the retrograde world of football, violence against women isn't treated the same way. People don't condone it, generally, but they look to excuse it. They're prepared to hear "the other side of the story". And worse than that, they're prepared to imagine a theoretical other side of the story even when none exists. Do you think John McGlynn has read that judgement from the Civil case? Do you think Kyle Benedictus has? Have any of the neck tattooed idiots on Twitter? Of course they haven't. Because you can't read it and still hold those opinions. It removes the doubt. But they don't want to do that. They want to think "maybe it wasn't what's been said", they want to think that the events of the night in question were different, in a lot of ways that I won't dignify by listing here. And that's because of how society has treated women, and crimes of this type. It has to stop.

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Ach, grimly predictable that, but disappointing all the same. Can't help feeling that if the club still had a media team he'd have been advised to keep quiet on the subject. Stand-by for more of these hot takes from "good football men" as we head into the weekend. Half an hour into Sportsound the phrase "he's a professional" is going to make you want to scream.

I haven't laughed much in the last couple of days either, but this tweet just really got me:

Enjoy your rape apology football club. You deserve each other.

I'm a long way off being able to make memes about this, but you better believe that when I've calmed down in about 18 months I'll be doing a Mitchell and Webb look "Are we the baddies?" with John McGlynn's face superimposed on David Mitchell.

Look man, I don't know if you're thick as f**k or if you're at the wind-up. I suspect you think it's the latter but really it's the former. Either way, I haven't a clue what that post is supposed to mean. But the quality of debate here would increase exponentially if you just fucked off. So, gonnae?

Indeed there are. And it's all the more bizarre because it has absolutely no fucking bearing on anything.

Yes I'm sure the First Minister has a hard time staying relevant. I don't think her comment about the SPFL was particularly well thought through, but fucking Christ. I know some people are at the wind up, but others are clearly just total fucking morons.

Of course it's for each individual to decide what they're comfortable with, but personally, I will not watch a team with a rapist in it. So that's no Rovers games for me until he's gone. Once Goodwillie leaves, I can see me going to away games to cheer on the team. McGlynn's presence is a complicating factor, but I suspect he won't outlast Goodwillie now. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him leave when his contact expires at the end of the season. I can't put money into Raith Rovers while the current leadership are in place, though. No home games until Sim et al are gone.