Val McDermid has called for a ‘clean sweep’ of the Raith Rovers boardroom in the wake of the David Goodwillie debacle.
McDermid, a former director at Stark’s Park, stated that some within Raith’s current hierarchy ‘don’t believe they are answerable to anyone’ during a withering assessment of last week’s events.
The renowned crime author announced she would cease her sponsorship of the club following the signing of Goodwillie, judged to have raped Denise Clair by a civil court in 2017.
Directors Bill Clark and Andrew Mill resigned after the transfer was confirmed, the Ladies team severed all ties with Raith and a swathe of volunteers have walked away.
The pressure — only exacerbated by an almost universally maligned statement seeking to justify the signing — resulted in a chastening U-turn and apology, signed by ‘Chairman’.
Said ‘Chairman’, John Sim, is yet to address the saga in any detail.
The same is true of his fellow directors.
And McDermid believes the positions of those in power at Stark’s Park are untenable.
“I want them to have a clean sweep of the boardroom,” said McDermid. “Start afresh and draw themselves back into the community.
“I’ve said about [David] Goodwillie this week, ‘the first step to rehabilitation is remorse’. I think that applies equally to the board. The club’s position has been woeful, embarrassing and disgraceful.”
She added: “There are people still in that boardroom who don’t believe they are answerable to anyone but themselves. That has to change.”
Supporter representation
McDermid was asked how, in her opinion, bridges can be built with an angry fanbase and the wider community.
“If they make the right commitments and demonstrate that they actually mean it when they say they are a community club; a family club,” McDermid suggested.
“But that will mean a lot of big changes and I don’t know if the present structure can contribute to those changes.”
McDermid has previously held a position on the Raith Rovers board and, indeed, successfully argued against pursuing interest in Goodwillie when she was a director.
On whether she would ever consider returning to a role within the club, she added: “There would need to be some very radical changes. It’s bad for my blood pressure to be on a board — I’m not very good at meetings!
“There would need to be much greater supporter representation in the boardroom.
“It shouldn’t just be about someone amassing enough shares, through whatever means, to run the club and own the ground the club plays in. That’s not good governance; it’s not good for the game.”
‘A change in attitudes’
McDermid was speaking in the aftermath of McDermid Ladies’ first match since cutting their ties with Raith Rovers.
The side was captained by Tyler Rattray, who stepped down as captain of Raith Ladies following Goodwillie’s signing.
McDermid Ladies displayed the name of charity Zero Tolerance on their jersey, with a further collection bucket for Rape Crisis Scotland filled by supporters on the sidelines.
“At no point have they [Raith Rovers] said anything about David Goodwillie’s victim,” McDermid continued. “At no point have they said anything in support of the women who attend the club regularly and take part in club activities.
“This is as much about the victims out there as it is about what Raith Rovers have done.”
She added: “I’ve seen contact from all over the world. From Taipei to Toronto, from New Zealand to New York.
“I think we are slowly getting to a point where people believe in zero tolerance to violence against women and sexual violence.
“This is not a little thing happening to a wee club in Fife. This is something that has touched a lot of people. A very strong statement has been made.”
Regulation debate
A conversation has now been sparked regarding whether regulation is required regarding who is able to play football under the banner of the Scottish FA and SPFL. Goodwillie made 176 appearances for Clyde and was their club captain prior last Monday’s deadline day departure.
SNP MP Hannah Bardell has spoken out to suggest there should be some form of ‘fit and proper person’ measure introduced for players.
“I think there needs to be an independent body which regulates the game, particularly which players can play,” McDermid continued. “We have the right to demand high standards from people in public life who take the money we pay at the turnstiles on a Saturday.”
Reflecting on one of the most tumultuous weeks in the history of Raith Rovers — the club for whom her father, Jim, discovered Jim Baxter — McDermid added: “I’ve been heartbroken.
“I shed a lot of tears earlier in the week. But I’ve also been uplifted and amazed by the support for the position I, and so many other people at the club, have taken.”
