Livingston F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Livingston Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Livi, The Lions | ||
| Founded | 1943 (as Ferranti Thistle) | ||
| Ground | Almondvale Stadium, Livingston | ||
| Capacity | 9,713 | ||
| Owner | Calvin Ford | ||
| Chairman | Calvin Ford | ||
| Manager | David Martindale | ||
| League | Scottish League One | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish Championship, 9th (relegated via play-offs) | ||
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Livingston Football Club, often called 'Livi' or 'The Lions', is a professional football team from Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. They play in the Scottish League One league.
The club started in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a team for workers at the Ferranti engineering company. In 1974, they joined the Scottish Football League and changed their name to Meadowbank Thistle, playing in Edinburgh. In 1995, the club moved to Livingston and was renamed after the town. Since then, Livingston has played its home games at Almondvale Stadium. After moving to Livingston, the club had a lot of success. They were promoted to the Scottish Premier League in 2001 and even played in the UEFA Cup that same year. They also won the Scottish League Cup in 2004. However, the club faced money problems in 2004 and was moved down to a lower league in 2006. In 2009, they had more financial trouble and were moved down to the Scottish Third Division. But Livingston fought back, winning two promotions in a row and returning to the top league after winning the 2017–18 Scottish Premiership play-offs.
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Club History: How Livi Started
Ferranti Thistle: The Early Years (1943–1974)
The club began in 1943 as Ferranti Amateurs. It was a team for employees of the Ferranti engineering company. They first played in an amateur league in Edinburgh. In 1948, they became Ferranti Thistle and played in local welfare leagues. In 1953, they moved to a more senior league, the East of Scotland Football League. During this time, they won the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup in 1963. In 1969, the club moved to the City Park ground in Edinburgh.
In 1972, the club joined the SFA, which allowed them to enter the Scottish Qualifying Cup. They won this cup in 1973. Their first match in the Scottish Cup was on December 16, 1972, against Duns.
In 1974, a spot opened up in the Scottish Football League's second division. This happened because another club, Third Lanark, had closed down. Ferranti Thistle was chosen to join the league. However, their name, Ferranti Thistle, was not allowed because of rules against obvious company sponsorship. Also, their home ground, City Park, was not good enough. The local council offered them Meadowbank Stadium, a modern stadium built in 1970. After a newspaper campaign to find a new name, Meadowbank Thistle was chosen. This name was approved, and the club was ready for the new season.
Meadowbank Thistle: A New Name (1974–1995)
The first manager of Meadowbank Thistle, John Bain, had little time to build a team. Meadowbank played their first official match in the Scottish League Cup, losing 1–0 to Albion Rovers. In 1983, the club was promoted to the First Division. But they were moved back down to the Second Division at the end of the 1984–85 season.
In the 1986–87 season, Meadowbank won the Second Division championship. This meant they were promoted to the First Division. They finished second in the First Division the next season. However, they could not be promoted to the top league because of changes to the league structure.
The club, which was part-time, started to struggle. It became a limited company in 1993. Soon after, at the end of the 1992–93 season, they were moved down to the Second Division. Meadowbank was moved down again in 1994–95. They finished near the bottom of the Second Division. Because a new Third Division was created, they were relegated. After this, Chairman Bill Hunter said Meadowbank was in serious financial trouble and might close. Many Meadowbank fans did not want the club name to change or the team to leave Edinburgh. But in 1995, Meadowbank Thistle moved to a new stadium in the new town of Livingston. They changed their name again, becoming Livingston Football Club.
Livingston: The Modern Era (1995–Present)
Rising Through the Ranks
In their first season as Livingston, they won the Third Division championship in 1995–96. Three years later, in 1998–99, they won promotion again as Second Division champions. Another promotion followed in 2000–01. The club became champions of the First Division and moved up to the Scottish Premier League (SPL). This was only six seasons after moving to Livingston.
Livingston's first SPL season, 2001–02, was very successful. They finished third in the league, behind only Celtic and Rangers. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. Jim Leishman's team played well in the UEFA Cup. They beat FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein on away goals after a 1–1 draw. Then they played SK Sturm Graz from Austria. It was a high-scoring match with 14 goals over two games. Livingston lost 8–6 on total score and did not make it to the next round. The club avoided being moved down the next season, finishing 9th.
After this season, manager Jim Leishman became the club's director of football. He was replaced by Brazilian manager Márcio Máximo. Máximo resigned after only a few months. Leishman's former assistant, Davie Hay, took over. Under Hay, Livingston won their first national trophy in 2004. They won the League Cup by beating Hibernian 2–0 at Hampden Park. The goals in the final were scored by Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister.
Financial Troubles and Relegation
The club's success did not last long. They faced serious financial problems in February 2004. It took until May 2005 for Livingston to get out of these problems. A new group, the Lionheart Consortium, took over. The new owner, Pearse Flynn, decided to fire Davie Hay. He wanted a younger manager and hired Allan Preston. Preston's time as manager started well with a 3–0 win. But the club did not win another league game under him. He was fired in November, with the club at the bottom of the SPL.
Richard Gough took over and helped the club avoid relegation on the last day of the season. A 1–1 draw with Dundee meant Dundee was moved down instead. But Gough did not want to stay as manager. Former Celtic player Paul Lambert became the new manager. On February 11, 2006, Lambert resigned after seven straight defeats. Livingston was still at the bottom of the Scottish Premier League. He was replaced by former player and coach John Robertson. Despite his efforts, Livingston was moved down for the first time in May 2006. They only got 18 points that season, which was a very low record.
Back to the First Division and More Problems
Livingston did not play well in the 2006–07 First Division. John Robertson was removed as manager in April 2007. Mark Proctor became his successor in May 2007. He hired Curtis Fleming as his assistant. But both were fired in June 2008 after a disappointing season.
Livingston was taken over by Italian owners in the summer of 2008. They hired Roberto Landi as head coach in June 2008. He and his assistant were fired in December 2008 after only five months. Paul Hegarty was appointed manager a few days later. Hegarty was suspended in April 2009, and his contract ended.
John Murphy was appointed head coach in June 2009. On the same day, the club faced a deadline to pay debt to West Lothian Council, who owned Almondvale Stadium. When the debt was not paid, legal action was taken. Livingston was put into administration in July 2009. This meant they could be moved down to the Third Division, lose points, or even be removed from the Scottish Football League completely.
In July 2009, it looked like the club would close down. The owner, Angelo Massone, refused an offer for the club. But a meeting with the Scottish Football League saved their future. They agreed to let new owners, Gordon McDougall and Neil Rankine, run the club. The next day, Massone sold his shares to the new owners. John Murphy returned to his old role as goalkeeping coach. Former player Gary Bollan became the club's new manager. In their first game under the new owners, Livingston lost 3–0 to Albion Rovers in the Scottish League Cup. Albion Rovers was two divisions below them.
Moved Down to the Third Division
Even though the new owners paid a large sum to secure Livingston's future, the Scottish Football League made a big decision. On August 5, 2009, they moved Livingston down to the Third Division. This was because the club had broken rules about financial problems. The club's administrator, Donald McGruther, was worried. He said it could be "the death knell of Livingston Football Club." Gordon McDougall, one of the new owners, said it made things "very, very difficult." People feared the club could not survive in the Third Division because they would lose a lot of money.
However, the new owners continued with their plan to take over the club. They appealed the decision. As a result, the club refused to play their first Division Three game against East Stirlingshire on August 8, 2009. They were threatened with losing points, but instead, they got a £3,000 fine. This fine was later removed after another appeal. On September 7, 2009, a further appeal was rejected, and the club finally accepted playing in the Third Division.
Winning Titles and Moving Up Again
On August 15, 2009, Livingston started their Third Division season at home against Montrose. They won comfortably 2–0. On April 17, 2010, Livingston won the Scottish Third Division title. They drew 0–0 at home to Berwick Rangers. Their goalkeeper, Roddy McKenzie, saved a penalty in the last minute to make sure they won the title. The Lions finished the season with 78 points, 15 points ahead of the second-placed team.
The next season, on April 9, 2011, Livingston won the Second Division title. This was their second title win in a row. They were promoted back to the Scottish First Division after a 3–0 win over Stenhousemuir. On February 9, 2012, Gary Bollan was fired as manager after two and a half years. Nine days later, John Hughes became manager and John Collins became director of football. However, on November 13, 2012, Hughes left the club.
Gareth Evans became manager, but he was fired in February 2013. Collins then resigned. On March 25, 2013, Richie Burke was appointed manager. Livingston finished the 2012–13 season in 4th place in the First Division. This was their highest league finish since being moved down from the SPL in 2006. On September 12, 2013, Burke resigned. John McGlynn took over. When McGlynn started, Livingston was at the bottom of the Scottish Championship with only 1 point. His leadership helped the club improve. They even had a chance to get into the promotion play-offs. McGlynn was given a longer contract in January 2014. Livingston finished in 6th place in 2013–14.
However, Livingston struggled the next season and were in danger of being moved down again. McGlynn left in December 2014. Mark Burchill replaced him as manager. The club also faced money problems again. They lost 5 points for not paying tax on bonuses. There were fears the club would go into administration for a third time. But these fears ended in April 2015. Livingston won the 2014–15 Scottish Challenge Cup, beating Alloa 4–0 in the final. With two games left, Livingston was still at the bottom of the league. But they won their last two games, including a 1–0 home win against Queen of the South. This amazing comeback meant they finished in 8th place and avoided being moved down.
Livingston struggled again in the 2015–16 season. Burchill was fired in December 2015. David Hopkin became manager. But this time, they could not avoid relegation. Livingston finished 9th in the Championship. This meant they had to play in the Championship Play-Off to stay in the league. They played Stranraer in the semi-final. Livingston lost the first game 5–2. In the second game, Livingston won 4–1 in regular time, sending the match to extra time. But Stranraer scored two more goals in extra time, winning 8–6 on total score. This meant Livingston was moved down to League One, ending their five years in the second tier.
League One and Back-to-Back Promotions
Even after being moved down, Livingston decided to remain a full-time football club. David Hopkin stayed as manager for the 2016–17 season. Livingston aimed to get back to the Championship. They won the league easily and secured the title in April 2017. Livingston finished 19 points clear at the top of the league.
Livingston continued their strong form in the Championship in 2017–18. They were in the play-off spots, tied for 3rd place after 20 games. The club also reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup. They lost a close game 3–2 to Hibernian. This was the first time they reached this stage of the League Cup since 2005–06.
On April 21, 2018, Livingston secured second place in the Championship. They won 3–0 against Brechin City, who had already been moved down.
Livingston then played in the Premiership play-off final against Partick Thistle. Livingston won 3–1 on total score, winning 2–1 at home and 1–0 away. This earned them a spot in the Scottish Premiership. It was their first time in the top league since 2006. Partick Thistle was moved down to the Championship.
Back in the Top Flight
Livingston stayed in the top league in the 2018–19 season, finishing 9th. They did even better the next season, finishing 5th before the season ended early due to COVID-19. This was Livi's first time finishing in the top 6 since 2001–02. In 2020–21, they finished sixth again. That season was also special because the club reached the Scottish League Cup final for the first time since 2004.
Team Colors and Badge
Livingston's main colors are amber and black. They have used these colors since the club started in 1943. The team's uniform usually has an amber top, black shorts, and amber socks. Sometimes, the socks have black details. In the early Ferranti Thistle days, the uniform had amber and black hoops. Later, solid amber shirts, black shorts, and amber socks became the usual home kit. In recent Livingston years, the club has also used all-black home uniforms. A white and orange kit was used during the 2002–03 season. White, black, purple, blue, and red have mainly been used for the away uniforms.
The club's badge has changed four times. The Ferranti Thistle badge was a black circle. It had three symbols: a football, a thistle, and a lion holding a Scottish flag. When the club became Meadowbank Thistle, a new badge was made. It was shaped like a shield, mostly black with an amber edge. The main part of the badge was a thistle, with a football replacing the flower. When the club moved to Livingston, the badge changed again. The thistle and football design was slightly different. A big change was adding a Latin motto, "Fortitier omnia vincit," which means "Bravely conquers all." The current badge is a modern version of the first Livingston badge. Most of the features are still there. The current badge also brought back the lion in the center.
Team Sponsors
| Years | Kit Maker | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–1998 | Russell Athletic | Mitsubishi |
| 1998–2001 | Motorola | |
| 2001–2002 | Jerzeez | |
| 2002–2004 | Intelligent Finance | |
| 2004–2007 | Xara | |
| 2007–2008 | Nike | Smarter Loans |
| 2008–2009 | Macron | RDF Group |
| 2009–2010 | Umbro | Fasteq |
| 2010–2011 | Erreà | |
| 2011–2012 | Umbro | |
| 2012–2013 | Adidas | |
| 2013–2014 | Energy Assets | |
| 2014–2015 | Joma | |
| 2015–2016 | Krafty Brew | |
| 2016–2017 | Tony Macaroni | |
| 2017–2018 | FBT | |
| 2018–2019 | ||
| 2019–2020 | Nike | Phoenix Drilling |
| 2020–2021 | ||
| 2021–2023 | Joma | |
| 2023–2024 | Emtez | |
| 2024– | Livi Self Storage |
During the Meadowbank Thistle years (1973-1995), the club had various shirt sponsors, mostly from small local businesses. Mitsubishi was the first major shirt sponsor for Livingston for the first three seasons. Then, Motorola sponsored the club for the next four years. However, Motorola stopped their sponsorship in 2002.
In 2002, Intelligent Finance, a large employer in the West Lothian area, agreed to a two-year sponsorship deal. They extended their sponsorship for three more years, making it a total of five years.
Smarter Loans became the club's main sponsor for the 2007–08 season. After that, the IT company RDF signed a two-year deal. But they stopped their sponsorship after only one year because of the club's financial problems. Local company Fasteq became the new main sponsor in 2009 after the new owners arrived. After four successful years, Fasteq ended their sponsorship. Livingston then looked for new shirt sponsors for the 2013–14 season. Local business Energy Assets was confirmed as the new main sponsor with a three-year deal in June 2013.
Home Stadiums
The club has had three main home grounds. As Ferranti Thistle, they first played in local parks. Then they found a home at City Park in Edinburgh in 1969. In 1974, they moved to Meadowbank Stadium, which was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Livingston currently plays its home games at the Almondvale Stadium in Livingston. It is also known as The Home of the Set Fare Arena because of a sponsorship deal. The stadium can hold 9,512 people. It was built in 1995 by Meadowbank Thistle and the Livingston Development Corporation. As part of the deal, Meadowbank Thistle moved to the town and changed its name to Livingston. When the Livingston Development Corporation closed, the stadium's ownership went to West Lothian Council. The council has rented the stadium to the club ever since. The stadium has hosted matches for Scotland's under-21, under-19, under-17, and women's teams. It also hosted one home game for Gretna when they had problems with their own stadium. In April 2011, it was suggested that Livingston might move to a new stadium about a mile away. This was because West Lothian Council was thinking of selling the current stadium site to a supermarket.
Team Players
Current First-Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Famous Players
Many players from Livingston F.C. have played for their national teams. Here are some of them:
Neil Alexander
Efe Ambrose
Guillermo Amor
Marvin Andrews
Dylan Bahamboula- Scott Bitsindou
Ciaron Brown- Mark Burchill
Eugène Dadi- Murray Davidson
- Graham Dorrans
- Rab Douglas
- Lyndon Dykes
- Declan Gallagher
Esmaël Gonçalves- Danny Griffin
- Leigh Griffiths
Wes Hoolahan- Darren Jackson
Hassan Kachloul- Brian Kerr
- Paul Lambert
Steve Lawson
Mariusz Liberda
Stuart Lovell
Luiyi de Lucas- Chérif Touré Mamam
- Stevie May
- Jamie McAllister
- Grant McCann
- Ryan McGowan
- David McNamee
- Marc McNulty
- James McPake
Dolly Menga- Kenny Miller
- Lee Miller
Michael Nottingham- Harry Panayiotou
Marko Rajamäki- John Robertson
- Maurice Ross
Mohammed Sangare
Matija Sarkic- Steven Saunders
- Robert Snodgrass
Goran Stanić- Anthony Stokes
Gábor Vincze
Theodore Whitmore- Danny Wilson
- Robbie Winters
Davide Xausa
Club Staff
Coaching Team
| Job | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | David Martindale |
| Assistant manager | Neil Hastings |
| First team coach |  Marvin Bartley |
| Goalkeeping coach | Brian Potter |
| Head of football operations | Brian Rice |
| Head of academy | George Cairns |
| Analyst | Sam Donachie |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Alex Webb |
| Sports therapist | Andy MacKenzie |
| First team masseuse | Colette Miller |
| Kit manager | Stephen Sproule |
Source
Club Leaders
| Job | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  Calvin Ford |
| Vice-chairman | Neil Hogarth |
| Chief executive officer | Dave Black |
| Football operations manager and media officer | Jen Dodds |
| Honorary president | Gordon Ford |
Who is Dave Black?
Dave Black (born around 1988) has been the CEO of Livingston since 2023. Dave started helping out at Livingston as a ball boy. He then took on many different jobs at the club, from selling match day programs to managing the club's social media. He became Business Development Manager in 2019 and then CEO in 2023. When John McIlvogue became the new owner of Livingston in September 2023, it was announced that Dave Black would continue as CEO.
Manager History
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¹ Managers between 1974 and 1995, when the club was known as Meadowbank Thistle.
c Caretaker managers (fill-in managers).
p Player managers (played and managed at the same time).
Club Achievements
Livingston has had a lot of success in its history. They were the first club in Scotland to win all three lower divisions (Third Division in 1995–96, Second Division in 1998–99, and First Division in 2000–01) on their way to the Scottish Premier League in 2001.
Their most famous trophy win was the Scottish League Cup in 2004. They won 2–0 against Hibernian at Hampden Park. This was only six weeks after they faced serious financial problems. Their most recent honor was winning the Scottish League One title in the 2016–17 season.
In 2015, Livingston also won the Scottish Challenge Cup. They beat Alloa Athletic 4–0 in the final at McDiarmid Park.
Major Trophies
- Scottish League Cup: 2003–04
- Second Place: 2020–21
- Scottish First Division (2nd tier): 2000–01
- Scottish Second Division/League One (3rd tier): 1986–87¹, 1998–99, 2010–11, 2016–17
- Scottish Third Division (4th tier): 1995–96, 2009–10
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2014–15, 2024–25
- Second Place: 2000–01
- Scottish Qualifying Cup (South): 1973–74²
Youth Team Success
- SFL Under 19 Youth Division: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
- SFL Under 19 Youth League Cup: 2008–09
- SFL Under 17 Division: 2011–12
- SFL Under 17 Youth League Cup: 2010–11
¹ This includes honors won between 1974 and 1995, when the club was known as Meadowbank Thistle.
² This includes honors won between 1943 and 1974, when the club was known as Ferranti Thistle.
Club Records
- Biggest win: 8–0 vs Stranraer, August 4, 2012
- Biggest home win: 7–1 vs Clyde, December 14, 2009
- Biggest defeat: 0–8 vs Hamilton Academical, December 14, 1974
- Biggest defeat as Livingston: 0–7 vs Hibernian, February 8, 2006
- Most wins in a row (Livingston era): 9 – 2016–17 season
- Most games played (Livingston era): Scott Pittman (372 games)
- Most goals in a season (player): 27 – Liam Buchanan (2016–17)
- Most goals in a season (team): 80 – (2016–17)
- Most points in a season: 82 – (2010–11)
- Record home crowd: 10,112 vs Rangers, October 27, 2001
- Highest transfer fee paid: £200,000 for Lyndon Dykes (Queen of the South, 2019)
- Highest transfer fee received: £2,000,000 for Lyndon Dykes (Queens Park Rangers, 2020)
Playing in Europe
Livingston has never lost a home game in European competitions! They have played in a UEFA club competition once. The club finished third in the Scottish Premier League (behind Celtic and Rangers) in the 2001–02 season. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup the next season.
They started in the qualifying round and played against FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein. Livingston just barely won, drawing 1–1 on total score but moving on because of the away goals rule. After drawing the home game 0–0, Óscar Rubio scored the important away goal. In the next round, they played against Austrian team SK Sturm Graz. They lost 8–6 on total score. They lost the first game 5–2 in Austria. But they won the second game 4–3 at Almondvale. Barry Wilson scored two goals against Sturm Graz. This makes him Livingston's top goal scorer in European competitions so far.
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Total Score |
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| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | Qualifying round |  FC Vaduz |
0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 (away goals) |
| First round |  SK Sturm Graz |
4–3 | 2–5 | 6–8 |
See also
In Spanish: Livingston Football Club para niños
