Fife footballer Tyler Rattray, who led her team’s exit from Raith Rovers over the signing of David Goodwillie, has won an award for confronting the club.
The former captain of Raith Rovers’ women’s side, now McDermid Ladies, quit after news of the controversial signing broke.
After securing sponsorship from lifelong Rovers fan Val McDermid, who also renounced her support for the club, the team, led by Tyler, rebranded in her honour.
She has now been recognised at the Scottish Women’s Football Awards, with judges recognising her “leadership” in confronting Raith Rovers as she picked up the Val McDermid Award.
The club sparked outrage and a wave of resignations after signing striker David Goodwillie, who a civil court branded a rapist in 2017.
Tyler, who found herself at the centre of a media storm after announcing she would leave the club, said the McDermid Ladies team was now determined to move forward.
The player had been associated with the club for 10 years when she quit, a decision which won plaudits from many including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Tyler told The Sunday Post: “All we are is a group of girls who like playing football. That was what was important to us.
A standing ovation for Tyler Rattray, winner of the inaugural Val McDermid Award #SWFAwards pic.twitter.com/r4nARDxFwo
— The Sunday Post (@Sunday_Post) June 4, 2022
“I didn’t want to leave Raith Rovers but I had no choice. When I heard the news that day, I left on the spot. Now, though, it is all about us as a team and what we represent.
“We are role models for other young girls who are coming through and that is what we want to focus on.
“That and being the best possible team that we can be. We were all unanimous about this and we want to move forward now in our own right.
‘We did what we felt was right’
“We did what we felt was right and now it is all about us as a team and building strong foundations for the future.”
Crime writer Val McDermid told the newspaper Tyler deserved the award after taking the “really big step”.
“It has been stressful, particularly for Tyler.
“I am no stranger to the media interest, but for someone like Tyler I think it would have been incredibly unsettling. She showed a lot of courage.”
She also told how she was initially reluctant for the re-branded women’s side to take her name.
They were all together on this thought that I was out on a limb on my own”
Val McDermid
“I had said it wasn’t appropriate as it was not about me but rather it is a movement.”
She added: “I discovered later that Tyler had explained the name was an expression of solidarity. They were all together on this and they had one another’s back and thought that I was out on a limb on my own.
“I was very proud and humbled by that and they have gone forward in that spirit. The energy and enthusiasm they have shown has been tremendous.”
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