Clyde FC's charitable foundation say they have suffered "immensely" after losing £30,000 in legal fees following a legal battle with an international footballer. Lauren Rabbitte, 24, walked out one day after the men's football club re-signed rapist David Goodwillie.
She subsequently took them to an employment tribunal over a row about wages. Lauren claimed she had been offered a role taking charge of the development of girls' and women's football and securing more sponsorship funding for the men's team.
However, the tribunal ruled that Lauren had in fact never been taken on as an employee but instead was a volunteer for the foundation. Despite her losing her case, Clyde FC Community Foundation has said the charity lost almost £30,000 in "irrecoverable" legal fees, reports Glasgow Live.
In a statement, they described the case as causing an "immeasurable distraction" that has set back the women and girls football programme "immensely". The Record reported yesterday on relations souring after she 'resigned' from her role on March 3, 2022.
That same day, the entire Clyde Ladies team quit the team in protest at the decision to re-sign Goodwillie, who was found by a civil court to have raped a woman in 2011. Ms Rabbitte said she had given up a £40,000-a-year role and turned down a full-time job with Edinburgh City after being approached by David Caldwell, who introduced himself as "head of sport" for Clyde FC.
However, the tribunal heard that Mr Caldwell had no role with the club at all and was not in a position to enter into any agreement on its behalf. Ms Rabbitte made further allegations of sex discrimination and harassment.
Findings from the tribunal outlined: "There was no obligation on the claimant to perform any work whatsoever. What she did, she did of her own volition. She did not receive and had no entitlement to, any wage or remuneration. There was no obligation on her to perform any tasks requested of her. Nor was there any obligation on the part of the Foundation to provide her with any work.
"In performing the functions she did, there was no control whatsoever. There was no supervision and no monitoring of what the claimant did. All of these factors point overwhelmingly to the absence of any employment relationship."
Clyde FC Community Foundation said: "On March 15, 2022, a nightmare began for The Clyde FC Community Foundation. Lauren Rabbitte, a former volunteer for the foundation lodged a claim against this charity and The Clyde Football Club CIC. The case centring on a wholly unsubstantiated claim that she had been offered, and had accepted, a full-time post by the football club and that the football club had failed to pay her over the five months prior to resigning from the foundation.
"Following the immeasurable distraction, damage to our community programmes, impact on our staff, and the loss of almost £30,000 in irrecoverable legal fees to defend a wholly unfounded and inexplicable assault on the reputation of our charity and our football club we have the opportunity to set some context.
"The foundation put time, energy, and trust into Ms Rabbitte as we sought to give her the opportunity to build an ambitious programme for the advancement of women and girls football associated with Clyde Football Club. That trust was betrayed on all levels, and far from advancing the game for women and girls, her actions have set us back immensely."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
