Radcliffe, the Northern Premier League, let go of former Scotland striker David Goodwillie after realizing they had made a "major blunder" in signing him
Although David Goodwillie played for Radcliffe FC on Tuesday night in the Northern Premier League, he has since left after the club conceded they made a "major blunder" in signing the forward.
Goodwillie, who had signed a short-term contract with the team from the seventh tier of English football, was found guilty of rape in a civil action in 2017. This came six years after he was first accused of the crime.
After a judge concluded that Goodwillie raped a lady in a West Lothian apartment in 2011, he was not charged with a crime but was sentenced to pay £100,000 in damages.
Against Belper Town on Tuesday, Goodwillie found his way onto the Radcliffe lineup sheet and scored a hat trick in a 4-2 victory.
His resignation was announced alongside an apology from the organization for recruiting a player of his age.
In a statement, the team said, "As a club, we have always been about second chances and have been a part of many players' and staff members' recovery along that road, we've always offered people an opportunity to improve their life and found support in this attempt."
The same reasoning was used when David Goodwillie was presented to the club, but it is now quite evident that this was a major blunder and that our due diligence should have been considerably more thorough. Although the team has been successful when signing players with questionable pasts, this time, it was a case of "too far, too fast."
After eight months of signing with the club and not making an appearance, Goodwillie left Raith Rovers in September 2022 after the Kirkcaldy club received a ferocious backlash from club sponsor Val McDermid, fans, Rape Crisis Scotland, and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
After he arrived at Stark's Park, several board members and club volunteers resigned, and the women's team decided to rebrand under a new name.
The 33-year-old did play one trial game for Livingston United in November, the ninth level of Scottish football, and he scored twice, but he was never used again.
Goodwillie has played for multiple clubs, including Dundee United, Blackburn Rovers, and Aberdeen, and has earned three Scotland caps.
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