Sam Stanton has opened up on the Raith Rovers heartache that led to him quitting Stark’s Park – amid a deluge of online abuse against his family.
Former Dundee United star Stanton has lifted the lid on how the past eight months became unbearable before his loan switch to League One pace-setters Arbroath.
Stanton, 30, claims he pleaded with the Fife club to deal with an alleged off-field incident that occurred in their Premiership play-off semi-final, second leg win over Partick Thistle in May 2024, which sparked the initial upset.
In the aftermath, the Edinburgh-born ace found it impossible to focus fully on giving his best for Rovers as hurtful internet abuse intensified and so jumped at the chance to join the Lichties.
Stanton said: “It’s been a very difficult few months for me personally and for my family.
“I went to the club to see if they could sort things out but I just felt like it wasn’t dealt with properly.
“It led to my family then being unable to attend games. That’s how bad it became.
“There was stuff happening and I was talking to the club to try and get it stopped.
“People were writing all sorts of things online and my family were getting all sorts of different abuse.
“But they don’t know the truth.
“Things have been said about me which have just added to things as well and that’s not been nice.
“It just got to a point where I couldn’t play for Raith anymore. My head wasn’t in it any longer.
“Overall, I had a really good three years there until this all happened.”
Stanton joined Raith in 2022 from Irish club Dundalk and the playmaker rates his time in Kirkcaldy as the most enjoyable he’s ever had.
He added: “I’m sad because I really enjoyed my time at Raith Rovers.
“It’s a real shame. I enjoyed my time there as much as I have done at any other club throughout my career.
“I felt I played some of my best football at Stark’s Park. I made a positive contribution over a sustained period of time.
“So I can leave with my head held high. As a professional player, that is the main thing from my point of view.”
Stanton drew parallels with the situation forcing Stuart Kettlewell to resign as Motherwell manager after he cited abuse from a section of the Fir Park fans as the catalyst for his surprising departure.
He said: “It feels pretty similar to that.
“It’s not good to see a manager leaving their job because of this kind of thing.
“I don’t know everything about Stuart Kettlewell’s situation but I just think it’s something that’s become ingrained in the culture of football.
“That sort of thing seems to be acceptable these days. But it’s not nice to see for sure.
“I think football needs to do more to give those involved in the game more protection and support.”
Stanton is now focused on playing a leading role in Arbroath’s quest to win promotion back to the Championship.
He said: “I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in my career.
“Arbroath have been doing well and I want to help them try and get promoted. That’s the main goal.
“They’re a great club. Everyone has been really welcoming and I want to do my very best for them.”
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