Raith Rovers will not play David Goodwillie and are now in discussions over ending his contract after a furious backlash against signing the striker.
The Scottish Championship club have been heavily criticised since bringing the 32-year-old to the club on the last day of the transfer window earlier this week.
Goodwillie escaped criminal prosecution alongside then Dundee United team-mate David Robertson after they were accused of rape in 2011.
But their victim successfully claimed £100,000 from them in a civil action at the Court of Session in 2017 after a judge ruled they had raped her.
Yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called on Scottish football to step in and take action against Raith Rovers but now the club have admitted they 'got it wrong'.
In a statement on behalf of their chairman, John Sim, they said: 'I firstly want to apologise wholeheartedly to our fans, sponsors, players and the wider Raith Rovers community for the anguish and anger caused over the past few days.
We got it wrong.
Raith Rovers will not play David Goodwillie (pictured left playing for former club Clyde in 2020) and are now in discussions over ending his contract after a furious backlash against signing the striker.
The Scottish Championship club have been heavily criticised since bringing the 32-year-old to the club on the last day of the transfer window earlier this week. Yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured right) called on Scottish football to step in and take action against Raith Rovers but now the club have admitted they 'got it wrong'
Goodwillie (pictured in the stands during Raith Rovers' recent game against Queen of the South) escaped criminal prosecution alongside then Dundee United team-mate David Robertson after they were accused of rape in 2011.
But their victim successfully claimed £100,000 from them in a civil action at the Court of Session in 2017 after a judge ruled they had raped her
In a statement on behalf of their chairman, John Sim (pictured), they said: 'I firstly want to apologise wholeheartedly to our fans, sponsors, players and the wider Raith Rovers community for the anguish and anger caused over the past few days.
We got it wrong.'
'In reaching our original decision, we focused far too much on football matters and not enough on what this decision would mean for our club and the community as a whole.
'Over the past couple of days, we listened carefully to the fans who have got in touch and I'm very grateful for their honesty.
'As chairman, as a board and as a management team, we have all learned a hard but valuable lesson.
'This very unfortunate episode is something that we all bitterly regret and we are now wholly committed to making things right.
'I can therefore confirm that, following a meeting of the Raith Rovers board, the player will not be selected by Raith Rovers and we will enter into discussions with the player regarding his contractual position.
'We share a desire to do what is best for our club and will be doing everything in our power to regain the trust and confidence of the Raith Rovers family.'
It comes after the boss of Scottish Women's Football (SWF) Aileen Campbell yesterday warned the club's signing of Goodwillie would have 'devastating consequences' for females in the sport and the club has 'tarnished its reputation'.
Scottish Women's Football chief executive Aileen Campbell (pictured), former Communities Secretary, described the signing as a 'badly misjudged' decision today
Goodwillie's signing was heralded by Raith - but fans and others have turned against them
Tyler Rattray, captain of Raith's women's team, also quit in protest, while former Prime Minister and fan Gordon Brown made clear he does 'not support' Goodwillie's signing.
Val McDermid, the best-selling Scottish crime writer who had been a lifelong fan and a key financial backer for the Kirkcaldy club, also withdrew her support.
Today McDermid, whose name is on Raith Rovers' shirts and one of their stands, said the club's U-turn was a 'victory of sorts'.
In a statement posted on Twitter, she said: 'I welcome this (unsigned) statement from Raith Rovers.