Raith Rovers will attempt to rip up rapist David Goodwillie's contract after admitting they were wrong to sign the striker.
Goodwillie, 32, was ruled to be a rapist in a civil trial in 2017 but continued his footballing career at Clyde.
He signed for Raith Rovers on Deadline Day despite the club being aware such a move would provoke anger amongst its fanbase.
Since then both the Kirkcaldy side's home and away shirt sponsors have walked away while two directors quit the board and the women's team distanced themselves from the club.
The club initially doubled down on its stance as Goodwillie watched the 3-3 draw with Queen of the South, but has now performed a U-turn and will not select the forward.
"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," read a statement from the club's chairman John Sim.
"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."
Goodwillie and fellow footballer David Robertson were accused of rape in 2011 but did not face a criminal trial due to a lack of evidence.
In civil proceedings, the burden of proof is on the balance of probabilities as opposed to criminal proceedings where it has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
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Robertson retired from playing but Goodwillie joined Clyde where he fired the club to promotion from League Two.
Reports in December linked him with a move to Raith Rovers which sparked a backlash led by author and home-shirt sponsor Val McDermid..
But when the club landed a plum tie against Celtic in the Scottish Cup, they ploughed the expected proceeds into a move for Goodwillie.
He is understood to have cost the club a fee of £50,000 having signed a two-and-a-half-year deal.
McDermid, who also sponsors the away stand at Raith's Starks Park home, said: "I welcome this (unsigned) statement from Raith Rovers. It's a victory of sorts for the hundreds of people who MAKE the club who were appalled at the board's original decision and who were not afraid to speak out.
"But it's just the first step on a long road back. The same people who made the decision are still in charge. Those who love and value the club are still on the outside, they need to be on the inside, shaping the future for the community."
