The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Scary Bear]

19 minutes ago, Dunning1874 said:

I mean, yes, you'll literally be contributing to his wage. That doesn't mean you support what he did, but it means you're willing to turn a blind eye to it and decide it's less important than his footballing ability.

Rapist and paedos walk among us. I don’t particularly think that’s a good idea but society does so I go along with that. I pay my taxes, some of which no doubt benefit these types.

This rapist kicks a football and has done for years in the lower leagues. I don’t want to support him and in the short term I am happy to go along with the majority in terms of whatever verbal protest there is. Something has to happen to show the club just how badly they have fucked up. I am incredulous that Rovers have signed him after the furore when it was mentioned last year. 

That said, I have been supporting the club for years and they seem to regularly do something to self destruct every 5 years or so. This is just the latest episode. 

[R12ATH]

Surely if you are Goodwillie and had any remorse at all for what happened why would you want all this brought back up again and in the public eye again? Stay at Clyde, keep head down and keep rebuilding your life back while demonstrating remorse and regret. He could have rejected the move just the same but the offer should never have been on the table in first place. Shame on anyone at the club who sanctioned this. 

Now the victim will be re living this over and over again and back in the news.. 

Our main sponsor gone

Fan base alienated

Community football programs in tatters

The feel good factor at our club now gone.

The hard work done by all to get us where we are last 4 to 5 years undone in an instant.

 

 

 

[Gaz]

I said this on the Falkirk thread, but the really worrying thing from a societal point of view is how many folk online supporting him and saying "he did nothing wrong, he was just on a lads' night out" are from the late teens / early twenties sleeve tattoo brigade.

[101]

4 minutes ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

I don’t think ‘moral dilemma’ is the right wording, but I do think it’d be a difficult decision. If it were Thistle, I don’t think I could go while he was there, but I’d be giving up a huge part of my life and something that matters a lot to me. Regardless of the morality, that’s tough.

It’s still the right thing to do though. 

It's often difficult to do the right thing.

[The Moonster]

10 minutes ago, cameron2000 said:

Rape is clearly one of the most atrocious crimes out there, but remember it was a civil court. Just out of interest how can someone earn forgiveness from something like that? 

Is this a serious question? Just because it's a civil court doesn't mean Goodwillie can't show remorse for the things they found him guilty of. I think a lot of people who defend him haven't actually read the court case. His actions were dispicable. 

[Oberon43]

27 minutes ago, mizfit said:

Goodwillie was on trial at us not long after our 2014 cup win. From memory he went to Aberdeen instead, but I always remember being very uneasy at us potentially offering him a contract, and that was before the civil case.

Can’t see where the board have decided this is a worthwhile investment, but it’s certainly moronic.

I’m looking for a new club to support and Saints are the nearest. May God have mercy upon my soul! 

[Scary Bear]

20 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

Man, what a mess this is. Went to sleep before this was announced last night but woke up during the night and actually checked my phone to see if anything had come of it.

And there it was.

I just don't understand what McGlynn and the board are thinking here. Even from a solely football perspective there are question marks over this deal given his age, but when you consider the baggage that comes with it, it's just utter, utter madness. Especially given the backlash a few weeks ago.

Then you read posts from lifelong supporters saying they won't be back, and see sponsors withdrawing from the club. How can we press the self destruct button like this? I can't say enough how sad it is that people have been put in this position.

I've no intention of stopping going, but the whole situation is deeply uncomfortable. Going to the football is supposed to be a release, not some horrible moral dilemma.

Lastly, there's the announcement last night, with no acknowledgement at all of the issues this would cause. Utterly pathetic.

Totally scunnered by us doing this.

 

Utter, utter madness is right. It’s turned us into a circus, as you can see from this thread.

Self-destruction is what we do. It’s never far from our door.

[Broken Algorithms]

Leaving aside the wrongs and well, wrongs of the moral issue, you have to wonder about the decision-making of a board that didn't even think to run this past their main sponsor, who might not want to have their personal brand associated with a fucking rapist. 
I suspect the reason they didn't consult is that they wouldn't have liked the answer, which tells you everything you need to know. 

Aside from Val, a woman who has willingly chucked money into the financial abyss of a regional lower league SPFL club for sponsorship, we also have a fans director on board. I emailed him when the rumours first came to light and made my views clear and encouraged other fans with concerns to do the same.

The fans rep came back and said he'd been inundated with responses opposing the move and said he'd raise them with the board.

I'm fully aware that the club were approached to address the rumours but our management and CEO refused to discuss it.

So here we are. It isn't just Val who we've ignored. The club have basically taken every email from fans opposing the move and chucked them in the bin.

I'm pretty certain that the club have felt that fans were posturing and that we'd "see the light" when the deal was done. I can almost guarantee they'll moan about how people need to get behind the team and management "showing ambition" after providing long term deals to the likes of Ethan Ross, Sam Stanton and Jamie Gullan.

Last night I cancelled my supporters fund contribution. I'll not be spending any money on Rovers while he's at the club. They'll undoubtedly whine in the press when it hits them in the pocket, but then they shouldn't have been so monumentally ignorant to not listen to the supporters.

[SanStarko]

Well we've really adhered by these statements with signing Goodwillie.  "maintain and develop a healthy, vibrant and well-respected football club in Kirkcaldy"

Fucking shambles.

 

[Its not only a game]

5 minutes ago, R12ATH said:

Surely if you are Goodwillie and had any remorse at all for what happened why would you want all this brought back up again and in the public eye again? Stay at Clyde, keep head down and keep rebuilding your life back while demonstrating remorse and regret. He could have rejected the move just the same but the offer should never have been on the table in first place. Shame on anyone at the club who sanctioned this. 

Now the victim will be re living this over and over again and back in the news.. 

Our main sponsor gone

Fan base alienated

Community football programs in tatters

The feel good factor at our club now gone.

The hard work done by all to get us where we are last 4 to 5 years undone in an instant.

 

 

 

Actually feel for many of the fans here. The anger will not go away. I can see him banging in 10-15 goals and can you imagine the divide amongst the support when they see his name on the back of the teams shirt?

[1320Lichtie]

11 minutes ago, lichtiekev said:

You wonder what was going through the manager and board members heads when they agreed on this,

Not very much but I suspect they’re well out of touch. It even felt like they tried to sneak the news out last minute and after all the furore happening elsewhere in Scotland with some huge transfers it’s like they potentially thought the timing of announcing it might’ve meant it was forgotten about quite quickly  

[RiG]

7 minutes ago, Gaz said:

I said this on the Falkirk thread, but the really worrying thing from a societal point of view is how many folk online supporting him and saying "he did nothing wrong, he was just on a lads' night out" are from the late teens / early twenties sleeve tattoo brigade.

"He made a few mistakes when he was a young boy, but in my opinion we all made mistakes. He is a man now, a father and a husband that deserve respect and a great welcome. I wish him all the best and as a fan and former player. I am delighted for the club to secure a top striker."

[Highlandmagar]

17 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

I’ll get working on my resignation letter, chop up my season ticket and sit here looking sad.

 

You can be sad watching Kelty Hearts cruising towards promotion. 

[19QOS19]

Rape is clearly one of the most atrocious crimes out there, but remember it was a civil court. Just out of interest how can someone earn forgiveness from something like that? Seems to me like a murderer has more chance of earning that long-term.

Does it not count unless it's a criminal court?

[Shadwell Dog]

I think in all seriousness though you surely have to try and seperate the institution that is Raith rovers from the management, board and current custodians.  It's them that have made this decision.  A boycott of the club whilst goodwillie, mcglynn and the board is one thing but stopping supporting the club itself and saying you'll never be back whoever's in charge is another thing altogether. I wouldn't get on at anyone for doing the former but still supporting the club itself and returning at some future point. 

 

[Gaz]

A good amount of fans on here and especially on Twitter need their hard drives checking.

[Sergeant Wilson]

27 minutes ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

I've no intention of stopping going, but the whole situation is deeply uncomfortable. Going to the football is supposed to be a release, not some horrible moral dilemma.

 

Where in that do you demonstrate a moral dilemma?

Will you wring your hands a wee bit harder and shake your head in disapproval at the Directors Box?

[LowerLeagueFC]

2 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

I think in all seriousness though you surely have to try and seperate the institution that is Raith rovers from the management, board and current custodians.  It's them that have made this decision.  A boycott of the club whilst goodwillie, mcglynn and the board is one thing but stopping supporting the club itself and saying you'll never be back whoever's in charge is another thing altogether. I wouldn't get on at anyone for doing the former but still supporting the club itself and returning at some future point. 

 

agree with this, the players, the management team and the board all come and go but the club remains even after all these people are gone.

[jamamafegan]

[Sergeant Wilson]

2 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

I think in all seriousness though you surely have to try and seperate the institution that is Raith rovers from the management, board and current custodians.  It's them that have made this decision.  A boycott of the club whilst goodwillie, mcglynn and the board is one thing but stopping supporting the club itself and saying you'll never be back whoever's in charge is another thing altogether. I wouldn't get on at anyone for doing the former but still supporting the club itself and returning at some future point. 

 

I know you sneaked in with comps when the Falkirk board did something you didn't  like. So strength of conviction isn't high on your priorities. You'd  be first on the park had he scored for Falkirk.