Rovers owner - pr*ck

[SanguinePar]

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/3201782/john-sim-raith-rovers-david-goodwillie/

Quote

In an exclusive interview with Courier Sport, the Rovers owner has expressed his sympathy for Goodwillie and described the backlash to his signing as ‘appalling’.

The former Scotland striker, branded a rapist by a civil court judge in 2017, joined Raith on January 31.

The Fifers paid a fee in the region of £50,000 and handed the player a contract until 2024.

Sponsor Val McDermid walked away from the club, directors Bill Clark and Andrew Mill resigned and the Ladies team severed all ties with the club. A swathe of volunteers also quit.

And Rovers were forced into a chastening U-turn, loaning Goodwillie back to Clyde a month later.

“I’m appalled by the reaction to it and, initially, my reaction was, ‘well, if he can’t play for the club, let’s close the club’,” said Sim. “I didn’t think it was fair.

“The guy has been playing at Clyde for years. He’s been coaching, been their captain and won player of the month awards.

“Surely you need to move on and let the guy pick up the pieces.

“How much do you punish someone? Since I’ve been knee-high to a grasshopper, I’ve believed in forgiving but not necessarily forgetting.

“I feel for David, and I feel for his wife and daughter.”

‘There are 41 other football teams’

Sim does wield that power.

He is the majority shareholder of the football club. He also runs Stark’s Park Properties Ltd, the separate entity which owns Rovers’ stadium. Sim’s control is, for all intents and purposes, absolute.

Nevertheless, he is keen to point out that the decision to sign Goodwillie was a collaborative one.

“There were seven people involved in the decision-making process and I was the chairman,” he continues.

“Could I have vetoed it? Yes. But you’ve got to back your people; the management team, the CEO and the people on the ground. Whatever people may think of me, I’m not a dictator.”

As such, many believed — and many still do — there should be consequences for those who voted in favour of Goodwillie’s signing: Steven MacDonald, commercial director Tom Morgan, company secretary David Sinton and Sim.

MacDonald has just succeeded Sim as chairman.

Susan Simpson has joined the board but Sim contends that has nothing to do with the Goodwillie debacle. It is a case of building a better HR infrastructure.

“I don’t think the board did anything wrong,” Sim continues, in spite of the public apologies made by the club.

“In retrospect, it might have been easier to do things differently. But I back my people, not Val McDermid or anyone else.”

For those disillusioned, angry fans who still feel unable to attend matches at Stark’s Park, Sim’s message is brusque.

“I respect their judgement — and there are 41 other football teams,” he continues.

A somewhat unfeeling attitude towards lifelong supporters, this reporter suggests.

“I’ve supported Raith Rovers all my life too, so why can’t we support Raith Rovers and accept that we have differing opinions?”

Fake News

Sim describes talk of a Goodwillie-related financial black hole as ‘fake news’.

He claims the club are in a healthier position in terms of sponsorship than they were prior to the controversy.

Nevertheless, having publicly declared they will not field Goodwillie, Rovers are now faced with the prospect of annulling his contract — a costly proposition — or finding a buyer.

‘Sympathy’ “I think we need to think about what he wants,” continues Sim. “As I understand it, because of the strain this has put on his wife and daughter, he doesn’t want to play in Scotland.

“But he wants to play football — so he will play somewhere. At the moment, Clyde are paying part of his wages.

“Firstly, legal obligations are legal obligations. Secondly, we’ve got two estimates in for immediate repairs to the North and South Stands coming in at £600,000.

“Paying one player isn’t a big deal in the big scheme of things.”

Asked whether any thought had been given to the well-being of Goodwillie’s victim, Denise Clair — not mentioned in any of Rovers’ public statements — he continued: “I am sorry she went through what she went through.

“I have sympathy for her. Both of them have paid dearly. If I could help her, I would, just as I’d try to help him.”

Seriously?

[SanguinePar]

Interesting that Sim appears to acknowledge Goodwillie's guilt here in a number of occasions.

Incredible that he continues to perpetuate the myth that Goodwillie has been punished.

Appalling that he equates the suffering of Goodwillie's victim and Goodwillie's own (supposed) suffering.

And insane that he suggests Rovers fans who are not happy should find a new club.

What an ar*ehole.

[Al k]

Unreal

[parsforlife]

It’s incredible, how the **** he throught that’s how to address things after months of absence, completely dismissed a huge percentage of his clubs fanbase.

I know our board like acting nicely nicely to the SFA/SPFL but we should make a point that guys like him are unwelcome in our stadium regardless of their director status.

[Teuchter]

Any person still attending Starks Park now is not only supporting the team.

Let us not forget McGlynn’s role in this.

 

[Superally]

Shameful, bloody shameful

[GEW35]

Cast your eyes over on the Raith Fantalk forum and you’ll find the vast majority of posters are very firmly in support of this man and his odious views. Anybody showing dissent is very quickly shot down in flames. So much for their community values.

[The Roy Barry Fan Club]

Leaving aside the dubious morality of his views, the messages to any Rovers fans who disagree with him are

1. It's my club and my property. If you make life difficult I will consider winding the club up.

2. If you think the Goodwillie signing was plain wrong, then find another club to support. 

3. The placatory public comments are just a veneer. This is what the owner really thinks.

4. We can get along just fine without a bunch of volunteers, our women's team and our most high profile sponsor.

Apart from the bizarrely out of touch morality, it is just poor business to alienate a substantial proportion of your fan base. 

 

 

[SanguinePar]

35 minutes ago, GEW35 said:

Cast your eyes over on the Raith Fantalk forum and you’ll find the vast majority of posters are very firmly in support of this man and his odious views. Anybody showing dissent is very quickly shot down in flames. So much for their community values.

To be fair to Rovers fans, the ones on the Scottish Football subreddit are unanimously appalled by this statement.

[Number Eleven]

There are so many things that I find abhorrent about this statement but the fact he thinks that the rapist has suffered as much as the victim is completely beyond belief.
 

His mind must be a very dark place and it puts any quibbles we might have with the wording of club statements into perspective.

[Piracy]

Goodwillie was supposed to pay the victim of his crime £100,000.

The bas*tard never paid a penny to the lassie. As far I'm aware he's never apologised. 

Imo, regarding crimes, rape is up there close to child abuse. I don't think I personally can find any level of forgiveness for any individual who has been found guilty of either or similar. 

[Fifes Elite]

Read the article yesterday. I have no idea why he has done that interview, I have no idea what his goal was. He sounds angry.

 

Absolute madness and you can tell he doesn't like locally to speak to people in and around KDY

Edited April 16, 2022 by Fifes Elite

[SoorPloomPar]

Next season I'd like to see every Championship club wear an all pink strip with a rape charity as their shirt sponsor in one of their fixtures against the Rovers, preferably in a televised match.  The shirts could then be auctioned off and the proceeds given either to Goodwillie's victim or a rape charity.  If any opponents outwith the Championship in the various cup competitions want to take part them so much the better.

[GG Riva]

On 15/04/2022 at 22:35, The Roy Barry Fan Club said:

Leaving aside the dubious morality of his views, the messages to any Rovers fans who disagree with him are

1. It's my club and my property. If you make life difficult I will consider winding the club up.

2. If you think the Goodwillie signing was plain wrong, then find another club to support. 

3. The placatory public comments are just a veneer. This is what the owner really thinks.

4. We can get along just fine without a bunch of volunteers, our women's team and our most high profile sponsor.

Apart from the bizarrely out of touch morality, it is just poor business to alienate a substantial proportion of your fan base. 

 

 

Oh to see ourselves as others see us. I don't want to sound all sanctimonious and judgemental, but isn't there something seriously psychologically wrong with anyone who is so out of step in their thinking?

[SoorPloomPar]

2 minutes ago, GG Riva said:

Oh to see ourselves as others see us. I don't want to sound all sanctimonious and judgemental, but isn't there something seriously psychologically wrong with anyone who is so out of step in their thinking?

I wholeheartedly agree with you GG, the whole interview sounds like Donald Trump on steroids.  I don't believe for one minute that their sponsorship income has improved and as for " If I could help her, I would, just as I’d try to help him " well he definitely could help her if he chose to - even if it was just keeping his puss shut.