David Goodwillie’s stint at an Australian football club has lasted less than a day after seeing his contract torn up following backlash from fans. On Wednesday morning, Perth-based side Sorrento FC announced the arrival of the former Premier League star, who was found by a UK civil judge to have raped a woman.
‘David was scheduled to arrive in Perth within the next week to commence playing with the club for the remainder of the 2023 NPLM season,’ the statement said. ‘The arrangement was non-commercial in nature. ‘The club has informed David of its decision and apologises to anyone in our football and broader community that may have been caused offence by his signing.’
A statement on Facebook lauded Goodwillie’s arrival, saying he’s ‘a player with real quality and experience.’ However, mere hours later, the club has made a U-turn and confirmed that the 34-year old will not play for them. The Facebook post has since been deleted.
In 2017, a civil court judge found that Goodwillie and his former Dundee United teammate David Robertson raped a woman in 2011 and the pair were ordered to pay £100,000 – roughly $200,000.
Scottish club Raith Rovers also copped severe backlash after signing him in September 2022, with club sponsor and author Val McDermid criticising the move, as did former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Goodwillie has maintained his innocence and no criminal case was ever brought against him. He has struggled to find a club in recent years, with English non-league side Radcliffe FC apologising for what they called a ‘significant misstep’ in signing Goodwillie earlier this year, and released him after just one game.
Fans rallied against the signing and several board members resigned, while the club’s women’s side quit in protest. North Lanarkshire Council, the owners of Rovers’ stadium, banned him from playing home games.
Goodwillie has played in England’s top flight with Blackburn Rovers, as well as the Scottish Premiership with Dundee and Aberdeen.
