David Goodwillie has been banned from his own football club’s ground and the future of Clyde FC’s presence at Broadwood Stadium is in doubt after the local council stepped in to stop the controversial striker playing for the side.
The League One side confirmed on Tuesday that they have signed the 32-year-old, who was found by a judge in a civil case in 2017 to have raped a woman, on loan from Raith Rovers until the end of the season.
But North Lanarkshire Council, which owns Broadwood Stadium, has now banned him from entering the ground and told management that “Goodwillie must not be permitted access to the stadium, for any purpose, with immediate effect”.
A spokesman for the council warned: “Should Mr Goodwillie enter the stadium, we will consider the contract to have been breached and we will take immediate steps to terminate it.
“In addition, 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.”
Pressure on the club has been mounting since the signing, with Clyde Ladies players quitting in disgust and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking out against the move.
The women’s team said its general manager and secretary had resigned and players were “all in agreement that we no longer wish to play for Clyde FC”.
A statement added: “As a group of female footballers all we wish to do is play the sport that we love, but due to the current circumstances we are unable to do this.”
North Lanarkshire Council’s move will now mean it is impossible for Goodwillie to attend home games.
The authority wrote to Clyde FC on Thursday and said it was stepping in under a part of its contract which “entitles the council to refuse entry to the stadium to any individual on the grounds of undesirable behaviour”.
The spokesman added: “The council utterly condemns all and any violence towards, or abuse of, women. We offer a range of services to support women who experience abuse, through Rape Crisis Lanarkshire and Aura, and we would urge anyone in this position to make contact.”
The council said Goodwillie had “not expressed any contrition in relation to the rape which the court found he had committed in the civil action against him”, and that in re-signing the player “Clyde FC has not acknowledged that background or community concerns, instead choosing to focus on enabling Mr Goodwillie to play football”.
The council spokesman added: “We regret that this action is necessary. However, the council has a responsibility to the wider community to act, and to send a clear signal that abuse must not be tolerated.”
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