Unanimous agreement will be required from David Goodwillie, Raith Rovers and Clyde if the striker’s loan move to the Bully Wee is to be annulled.
Clyde stated on Thursday evening that they were ‘in the process of terminating the loan agreement with Raith Rovers for David Goodwillie’.
However, all relevant paperwork has already been ratified and processed to make Goodwillie a Clyde player until June.
As such, all the three parties — Goodwillie, Clyde and Raith Rovers — must agree to rip up the loan deal.
Scottish FA registration guidelines state that the loan must continue ‘unless the terms and conditions of the temporary transfer of registration contain provision for the early termination and/or all parties otherwise agree that the temporary transfer should be terminated early.’
It is believed that there are no special get-out clauses.
Even if the loan deal is scrapped, Goodwillie would be left in limbo until the Scottish FA’s registration window opens in the summer.
But he could still represent a club outwith the SPFL structure, whether that is further down the Scottish pyramid or in a foreign league.
Stadium ban
Goodwillie, branded a rapist by a civil court judge in 2017, re-joined the Bully Wee on Monday evening — and his return sparked an immediate backlash.
The entire playing squad and general manager of Clyde’s women’s team severed ties with the club in protest, while MSP John Mason stated that he was “disappointed and angry” with the decision.
However, the situation escalated on Thursday when North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) — the owners of Clyde’s home ground — prohibited Goodwillie from entering the premises.
A statement confirmed: “Should Mr Goodwillie enter the stadium, we will consider the contract to have been breached and we will take immediate steps to terminate it.”
New home?
NLC also declared that they will not continue their lease agreement when it expires at the end of next season, effectively presenting Clyde with the prospect of being without a home ground.
They continued: “We have informed Clyde FC that the council intends not to renew the lease with the club when the contract for the use of Broadwood Stadium expires in May 2023.”
Ill-fated move
Goodwillie was Clyde captain prior to the contentious move to Kirkcaldy, scoring 109 goals over five years.
Raith paid a fee to be in the region of £50,000 for his services on January 31.
But widespread anger, condemnation and a swathe of resignations forced Raith into a swift U-turn.
Chairman John Sim confirmed that Goodwillie would not play for the club and stated ‘we will enter into discussions with the player regarding his contractual position’.
Manager John McGlynn later apologised for his part in the signing.
Goodwillie remains contracted to Raith Rovers until May 2024.
Should they be unable to find a permanent buyer for the former Dundee United and Scotland striker, they will face the challenge of releasing him by mutual consent.
