Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: chat

Feminism: sex and gender

Original poster

Val Mcdermid

91 replies

Meceme · 01/02/2022 16:29

Val Mcdermid has been a life long supporter and major sponsor of Raith Rovers football club. Today she severed her connection and withdrew support in protest at the club signing a player previously found guilty of rape in a civil case. The police had previously not prosecuted as they felt there was not enough evidence.

Sorry I dont know how to do links but the story is easily searchable.

Standing up against violence against women.

OP posts:
Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 02/02/2022 18:56

I have been really heartened by the response to this. I posted a few days ago about how sick and tired I am of working with women and girls who have been abused. Not sick of them, obviously, but sick that it is still happening. So to see the outcry, that fans have set up a just giving page and raised 7K for charities that support victims of sexual abuse, the public statements, and the womens team walking away is amazing. I hope it keeps building. It finally feels like a different kind of response. It would be great to see fans boycotting games, I guess we will have to see about that. But the fact he managed to be in at Clyde shows how much things have changed recently.

unstitching · 02/02/2022 19:24

What’s the donation page please?

meditrina · 02/02/2022 19:51

Article about the donations page

www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/2966082/raith-rovers-rape-crisis-scotland-fundraiser/

I'm not linking the actual page, because the page itself is not linked directly to the charity, and I don't want to fall foul of MN rules that ban the promotion of giving pages that are not direct to charity. But the newspaper article, and the many others like it, shouid tell you lol about what's going on

The total had more than doubled since the article was written, and is now just shy of £10k

Wheresmywoolyjumpers · 02/02/2022 20:35

Can other clubs refuse to play against them?

IKeptYouLikeAnOath · 02/02/2022 20:57

Not without a fine I wouldn't have thought. And serious rage from the opposition fans, who shouldn't have their season tickets wasted due to RR's poor decision making.

Be interesting to see if the idea is in the water though!

margotsdevil · 02/02/2022 21:11

I feel like I possibly must know some of you... or at least as a friend of a friend...

I'm a Raith supporter. My DH did boycott the game last night (never thought I'd see the day that he missed a game voluntarily) although as a season ticket holder they've got his cash 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm not a season ticket holder at the moment (have been previously) but won't be back at a game until this is resolved. I'm appalled.

AnguaResurgam · 02/02/2022 21:28

@Wheresmywoolyjumpers

Can other clubs refuse to play against them?
No
ArthursSeat · 02/02/2022 21:36

I find Nicola Sturgeons response a bit bizarre as he has been playing at Clyde for the past 5 years but she didn't call for the SFA to intervene there. Why on earth not if it's something she feels so strongly about.

IKeptYouLikeAnOath · 02/02/2022 22:50

To be fair nobody was outraged that he played for Clyde. I think the new signing came at a bit of a watershed moment in UK society, with women's rights under so much pressure, Sarah Everard, the leaked Met police texts yesterday, three England-based football players awaiting rape trials, etc, etc, etc ad infinitum.

We've had it with how much men truly hate us.

meditrina · 03/02/2022 06:46

Article from when he joined Clyde in 2027 - including condemnation from MSP. It was initially for a year.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39495940

The other man found to be a rapist alongside him retired from football.

Sexnotgender · 03/02/2022 08:38

@IKeptYouLikeAnOath

To be fair nobody was outraged that he played for Clyde. I think the new signing came at a bit of a watershed moment in UK society, with women's rights under so much pressure, Sarah Everard, the leaked Met police texts yesterday, three England-based football players awaiting rape trials, etc, etc, etc ad infinitum.

We've had it with how much men truly hate us.

I really admire your optimism. I thought “me too” was a watershed moment. Women’s rights are going backwards at a bloody alarming rate now though.
IKeptYouLikeAnOath · 03/02/2022 10:30

Oh I'm not optimistic that actual fundamental change will happen. I'm glad that we are more vocally and visibly demanding safety, but I equally have no expectation that it will be delivered.

In the meantime I'll just keep being absolutely fucking furious about almost everything Angry

meditrina · 03/02/2022 11:16

I've just had a SKY news pop up saying that he will be leaving the club

Club chairman's statement includes 'We got it wrong'

ArthursSeat · 03/02/2022 11:16

Well that's Goodwillie leaving Raith, just need the board to follow

tigger1001 · 03/02/2022 11:18

@meditrina

I've just had a SKY news pop up saying that he will be leaving the club

Club chairman's statement includes 'We got it wrong'

Just saw this.

Good news but do think the reputation of the board is shot

IKeptYouLikeAnOath · 03/02/2022 11:19

Apparently theyve all learned a hard and valuable lesson.

I should fucking hope so.

Val McD for Chairman!

ArthursSeat · 03/02/2022 11:22

I really can't see how they can repair the damage of the statement they put out on Tuesday evening

RavenclawDiadem · 03/02/2022 11:26

She might be standing up for women here, but she’s also best mates with and a just supporter of Nicola Sturgeon who has passed legislation making it a crime to think that trans women are male.

IKeptYouLikeAnOath · 03/02/2022 11:55

Yes, agree her stance on biological reality is in question, but she would still be a step forward from the board that's in place as of now.

GroggyLegs · 03/02/2022 12:20

www.raithrovers.net/52477/chairman-update-david-goodwillie.htm

At the risk of 'never being happy' that statement is SO weird.

It takes the time to assure us they will discuss the contractual position with the player (who GAF?) but at no point acknowledges anything about understanding who was so fucked off (women) and acknowledging why we felt that way (because rape is abhorrent and unforgivable).

They literally state they just want to do what's the best for the club, which is what got them in this mess in the first place. It's only about the football.

No doubt I'll be told "But they apologised, what more do you want".

Weclome · 03/02/2022 12:26

@GroggyLegs I totally agree.
I've already seen friends saying all is ok they've apologised, we'll be back on Saturday,
These are the same folk, quite rightly, saying that Goodwillie should never been forgiven. To me it's a matter of morals and for the board to think it was ok to sign him shows me their morals are just as questionable.

tigger1001 · 03/02/2022 12:37

I agree @GroggyLegs

He's still, currently, a player with the club who now is likely to be given all his contractual wages etc but not play. The boards decision is not only abhorrent in the first place, has cost them sponsorship (no guarantee they will go back to the club) and cost the club financially.

Don't see how any member of the board who agreed to this signing can stay.

Their reputation as a family/community based club is in tatters

IKeptYouLikeAnOath · 03/02/2022 12:49

Yes, families wages will still be going to Goodwillie via ticket prices. That's the corner they've backed themselves in to. They can fuck off with their mealy mouthed false apologies.

meditrina · 03/02/2022 14:20

I hope they are looking tomsee his they canpme to make such a bad mistake, and will learn from it.

I hope it is an object lesson to other clubs

I hope it tells younger players that it is wrong to be a creep, and that being one has serious consequences.

Even though there will be contractual obligations (such as pay) to be sorted out, it means that he won't be playing or training, so women can feel safer on the premises and families can take their DC to spectate, knowing they won't be cheering a rapist.

It wouid of course have been better if the situation had never arisen. But as it did, thus is a good solution

Weclome · 03/02/2022 16:12

@meditrina, they may not have to cheer him on but unfortunately they will still be paying his wages for a long time to come.
Even with the pathetic apology today the financial ramifications of this bring the downfall of RR,
Some supporters may be happy to go back and forgive and forget but I don't know if sponsors will be as quick to have their name associated the club