David Goodwillie: A divisive face in the crowd wrapped in a Raith Rovers’ jacket

There were no introductions to the crowd, no bow on the pitch with scarf held aloft in time honoured tradition, no interview over the old tannoy.

Instead, he sat among 1000 spectators dotted around two of the stands at Stark’s Park.

But his unacknowledged presence was everywhere.

The man whose signing sparked an unprecedented backlash stayed well out of the spotlight amid rumours of an emergency board meeting, and talk of a possible post-game sit-in protest.

The PA crackled into life with news that things would be different as the match night team operated off a skeleton staff - the closest to an acknowledgement that key volunteers had walked in protest and disgust at Goodwillie’s arrival; a signing branded by Val McDermid as “disgusting and despicable.”

The sole sign of dissent came when John McGlynn emerged from the tunnel before kick-off.

As he headed down the touchline there was the clear sound of booing from the main stand- and not just from a few people either.

There was applause too, but it was hard not to be pulled up at the sound of dissent as he headed to the sanctuary of the dug out.

That reception was in stark contrast to the warm applause which welcomed the team on to the pitch.

Message sent, it was game on, and Goodwillie and the utter chaos his signing has caused, was forgotten as Raith and Queen of the South served up a game to remind you how enthralling fitba’ can be.

Six goals, a missed penalty and a wall of noise from the fans as Raith pursued a late winner that remained agonisingly elusive. A game to warm you on the coldest of winter nights.

Come full-time, there was no sit-in, no-one gathered in time honoured tradition outside the blue door that leads to the dressing-rooms, tea room and boardroom.

The occasional, sole male voice hollered Goodwillie’s name into the night sky, but, by then, most fans were already down the stairs and into Pratt Street below the old L-shaped main stand. Outside, the photogs phoned in to say there was nothing to capture.

In the main stand sat Goodwillie, wrapped in a jacket with Rovers’ badge on it.

At the back, just in front of the announcer’s box was the seat reserved for Val McDermid, a lifelong fan, team sponsor, former director and whose family name adorns the away stand.

It remained empty.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FFP/V