Livingston F.C. facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Livingston Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Livi, The Lions | ||
| Founded | 1943 (as Ferranti Thistle) | ||
| Ground | Almondvale Stadium, Livingston | ||
| Capacity | 9,713 | ||
| Owner | Opcco6 Ltd | ||
| Chairman | John Ward | ||
| Manager | David Martindale | ||
| League | Scottish League One | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish Championship, 9th (relegated via play-offs) | ||
|
|
|||
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish professional football team. They are based in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.
Livingston currently plays in the Scottish Championship. The club started in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle. This was a team for workers at the Ferranti engineering company. In 1974, the club joined the Scottish Football League and changed its name to Meadowbank Thistle. They played their games in Edinburgh. In 1995, the club moved to Livingston and was renamed after the town. Since then, they have played at Almondvale Stadium.
After moving to Livingston, the club had a lot of success. They moved up to the Scottish Premier League in 2001. They even played in the UEFA Cup in their first year in the top league. They finished third, behind famous teams like Celtic and Rangers. In 2004, they won the Scottish League Cup. However, the club faced money problems in 2004. They were 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! They won promotions two years in a row. They returned to the top league after winning the play-offs in 2018.
Contents
Club History: From Ferranti to Livingston
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. They joined the East of Scotland League in 1953. 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. This allowed them to play in the Scottish Qualifying Cup, which they won in 1973. Their first game in the Scottish Cup was in December 1972.
In 1974, a spot opened up in the Scottish Football League's second division. Ferranti Thistle was accepted into the league. They had to change their name because league rules did not allow company names. They also needed a better stadium. The local council offered Meadowbank Stadium. After a public vote, the club was renamed Meadowbank Thistle.
Meadowbank Thistle: Edinburgh Days (1974–1995)
The first manager, John Bain, had to quickly build a team. Meadowbank played their first game in the Scottish League Cup. They lost 1-0 to Albion Rovers. In 1983, the club moved up to the First Division. But they went back down to the Second Division in 1985.
In the 1986–87 season, Meadowbank won the Second Division championship. This meant they moved up to the First Division. They finished second in the First Division the next season. However, they could not move up to the Premier Division because of league changes.
The club, which was part-time, started to struggle. In 1993, it became a limited company. But they were moved down to the Second Division in 1993. They were moved down again in 1995. The chairman, Bill Hunter, said the club was in serious financial trouble. Many fans did not want the club to move or change its name. But in 1995, Meadowbank Thistle moved to a new stadium in Livingston. They changed their name to Livingston Football Club.
Livingston: A New Era (1995–Present)
Rising to the Top League
In their first season as Livingston, they won the Scottish Football League Third Division title in 1995–96. Three years later, in 1998–99, they won the Second Division championship. Another promotion came in 2000–01. They won 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 Celtic and Rangers. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. Manager Jim Leishman's team played well in the UEFA Cup. They beat FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein. Then they played SK Sturm Graz from Austria. It was a high-scoring game, with 14 goals over two matches! Livingston lost 8-6 on total goals. The club avoided being moved down the next season, finishing ninth.
After this, Jim Leishman became the club's director of football. Brazilian manager Márcio Máximo took over. He left after a few months. Davie Hay, Leishman's former assistant, then became manager. Under Hay, Livingston won their first national trophy in 2004. They won the League Cup by beating Hibernian 2-0 at Hampden Park. Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister scored the goals.
Financial Challenges and Relegation
The club's success did not last long. They faced serious financial problems in February 2004. It took until May 2005 for the club to get out of these problems. A new group, the Lionheart Consortium, took over. The new owner, Pearse Flynn, hired Allan Preston as the new manager. Preston's time started well with a 3-0 win. But the team did not win another league game under him. He was fired in November.
Richard Gough took over and helped the club avoid being moved down. They drew 1-1 with Dundee on the last day, which sent Dundee down instead. But Gough left, and Paul Lambert became manager. Lambert resigned in February 2006 after seven straight losses. John Robertson, a former player, took over. Despite his efforts, Livingston was moved down in May 2006. They had only 18 points that season, one of the lowest in SPL history.
Second Financial Crisis and Demotion
Livingston struggled in the First Division in 2006–07. John Robertson was removed as manager. Mark Proctor took over in May 2007. He and his assistant were fired in June 2008 after a disappointing season. Italian owners took over the club that summer. Roberto Landi became manager in June 2008 but was fired after five months. Paul Hegarty was then appointed.
In June 2009, the club faced a deadline to pay debt to the local council. They could not pay it. Livingston was put into administration (meaning a special person took control to sort out their money problems) in July 2009. This meant they could be moved down to the Third Division or even removed from the league.
The owner, Angelo Massone, at first refused an offer to buy the club. It looked like Livingston would close down. But a meeting with the Scottish Football League saved the club. New owners, Gordon McDougall and Neil Rankine, agreed to run the club. Massone sold his shares. Gary Bollan became the new manager. In their first game under the new owners, Livingston lost 3-0 in the Scottish League Cup to Albion Rovers, a team two divisions below them.
Climbing Back Up
Despite the new owners securing the club'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. Many feared the club would not survive. But the new owners continued their efforts. Livingston refused to play their first Third Division game. They were fined, but this was later overturned. Finally, they accepted their place in the Third Division.
On April 17, 2010, Livingston won the Scottish Third Division title! They drew 0-0 with Berwick Rangers, and their goalkeeper saved a last-minute penalty. They finished 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 in a row, earning them promotion back to the Scottish First Division.
Gary Bollan was sacked as manager in February 2012. John Hughes and John Collins took over. Hughes left in November 2012. Gareth Evans became manager but was sacked in February 2013. Richie Burke then took charge. Livingston finished fourth in the First Division in 2012–13. This was their highest league finish since being moved down from the SPL in 2006. Burke resigned in September 2013, and John McGlynn took over. He helped the club improve and avoid relegation.
However, Livingston struggled again the next season. McGlynn left in December 2014. Mark Burchill became manager. The club also faced more money problems. They had 5 points taken away by the league for not paying tax on bonuses. A former director tried to freeze the club's bank accounts, but he lost his court case. This saved the club from more financial trouble.
Livingston won the 2014–15 Scottish Challenge Cup in 2015, beating Alloa 4-0 in the final. With two games left, they were still at the bottom of the league. But they won their last two games to finish eighth. This meant they avoided being moved down!
In the 2015–16 season, Livingston was again fighting to avoid relegation. Burchill was sacked in December 2015. David Hopkin became manager. This time, they could not avoid relegation. Livingston finished ninth in the Championship. They had to play in the play-offs to stay up. They lost to Stranraer and were moved down to League One. This ended their five years in the second tier.
Back-to-Back Promotions
Despite being moved down, Livingston decided to remain a full-time club. David Hopkin stayed as manager for the 2016–17 season. Livingston aimed to return to the Championship. They won the league easily, securing the title in April 2017. They finished 19 points clear at the top!
Livingston continued their great form in the Championship in 2017–18. They were in the play-off spots after 20 games. They also reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup. This was their best League Cup run since 2005–06.
On April 21, 2018, Livingston secured second place in the Championship. This meant they would play in the Premiership play-off final. They faced Partick Thistle. Livingston won 3-1 over two games (2-1 at home, 1-0 away). This earned them a spot in the Scottish Premiership! It was their first time in the top league since 2006.
Life in the Top Flight
Livingston stayed in the top league in the 2018–19 season, finishing ninth. They did even better the next season, finishing fifth before the season ended early due to COVID-19. This was Livingston's first time finishing in the top six since 2001–02. In 2020–21, they finished sixth again. That season, the club also reached the Scottish League Cup final for the first time since 2004.
Team Colours and Badge
Livingston's main colours are amber and black. They have used these colours since the club started in 1943. The home kit usually has an amber top, black shorts, and amber socks. Sometimes the socks are black. In the past, they also used all-black home kits. A white and orange kit was used in the 2002–03 season. Away kits have used colours like white, black, purple, blue, and red.
The club badge has changed four times. The Ferranti Thistle badge was black and round. It had a football, a thistle (a Scottish flower), and a lion holding a Scottish flag. When the club became Meadowbank Thistle, the badge changed. It was a shield shape, mostly black with amber edges. It had a thistle with a football instead of a flower.
When the club moved to Livingston, the badge changed again. The thistle and football design was updated. A Latin motto, "Fortitier omnia vincit," was added. This means "Bravely conquers all." The current badge is a modern version of the Livingston badge. It still has most of the old features. The lion holding the flag was also brought back into the middle of the badge.
Club Sponsors
Between 1973 and 1995, Meadowbank Thistle had sponsors from small businesses. When Livingston started, Mitsubishi was the first major shirt sponsor. Then Motorola sponsored the club for four years. Motorola stopped their sponsorship in 2002.
In 2002, Intelligent Finance, a large employer in the area, became the main sponsor. They sponsored the club for five years. Smarter Loans sponsored the club in 2007–08. Then the IT company RDF signed a two-year deal. But they stopped after one year because of the club's money problems.
Local company Fasteq became the new main sponsor in 2009. After four years, Fasteq stopped. In 2013, Energy Assets became the new main sponsor for three years.
Home Stadiums
The club has had three main home grounds. As Ferranti Thistle, they first played in local parks. Then they moved to City Park in Edinburgh in 1969. In 1974, they moved to Meadowbank Stadium. This stadium was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Livingston now plays its home games at the Almondvale Stadium in Livingston. It is also known as The Home of the Set Fare Arena due to a sponsorship deal. The stadium can hold 9,512 people. It was built in 1995. The club moved to Livingston as part of the deal. The stadium is now owned by West Lothian Council, who rent it to the club.
The stadium has hosted games for Scotland's under-21, under-19, under-17, and women's teams. It also hosted one home game for Gretna FC. In 2011, there were talks about Livingston moving to a new stadium. This was because the council wanted to sell the current site to a supermarket.
Players
First-team squad
|
|
Notable Players
Many talented players have played for Livingston FC. Some have even played for their national teams!
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
- 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- Robbie Winters
Davide Xausa
Club Staff
Coaching Team
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | David Martindale |
| Assistant manager | Neil Hastings |
| First team coach | Brian Rice |
| Goalkeeping coach | Brian Potter |
| 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
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | John Ward |
| Chief executive officer | Dave Black |
| Chief commercial officer | John McIlvogue |
| Football operations manager and media officer | Jen Dodds |
| Honorary president | Gordon Ford |
Dave Black: From Ball Boy to CEO
Dave Black (born around 1988) became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Livingston in 2023. He started helping out at Livingston as a ball boy. Over the years, he took on many different jobs at the club. He sold match day programmes and managed the club's social media. In 2019, he became the Business Development Manager. Then, in 2023, he was named CEO. When John McIlvogue became the new owner in September 2023, Dave Black stayed in his role as CEO.
Managerial History
Livingston FC has had many managers throughout its history. Some managers have led the club for many years, while others have had shorter times in charge. These leaders help guide the team and make important decisions on the field.
- Key Managers (Livingston era):
* Jim Leishman (1995–1997, 2000–2003) * Ray Stewart (1997–2000) * David Hay (2003–2004) * Richard Gough (2004–2005) * Paul Lambert (2005–2006) * John Robertson (2006–2007) * Gary Bollan (2009–2012) * John Hughes (2012) * David Hopkin (2015–2018) * Gary Holt (2018–2020) * David Martindale (2020–present)
Club Achievements and Honours
Livingston has achieved a lot in its history! They were the first club in Scotland to win all three lower divisions. These were the Third Division (1995–96), Second Division (1998–99), and First Division (2000–01). This helped them rise to the Scottish Premier League in 2001.
Their most famous win was the Scottish League Cup in 2004. They won 2-0 against Hibernian at Hampden Park. This happened just six weeks after the club faced financial problems! Their most recent big win was the Scottish League One title in 2016–17.
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
* Runners-up: 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
* Runners-up: 2000–01
- Scottish Qualifying Cup (South): 1973–74²
¹ This includes wins when the club was known as Meadowbank Thistle (1974–1995). ² This includes wins when the club was known as Ferranti Thistle (1943–1974).
Other Honours
- Reserve League Cup: 1998–99, 2000–01
- Reserve League West: 2000–01
- SPFL Reserve League 2: 2018–19, 2019–20
- 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
Club Records
- Biggest Win: 8–0 against Stranraer in the Scottish League Cup, August 4, 2012.
- Biggest Home Win: 7–1 against Clyde, December 14, 2009.
- Biggest Defeat: 0–8 against Hamilton Academical, December 14, 1974.
- Biggest Defeat as Livingston: 0–7 against Hibernian, February 8, 2006.
- Most Consecutive Wins (Livingston era): 9 wins in 2016–17.
- Most Appearances (Livingston era): Scott Pittman (372 games).
- Most Goals in a Season (Player): 27 goals by Liam Buchanan (2016–17).
- Most Goals in a Season (Team): 80 goals (2016–17).
- Most Points in a Season: 82 points (2010–11).
- Record Home Attendance: 10,112 fans against Rangers, October 27, 2001.
- Record Fee Paid for a Player: £200,000 for Lyndon Dykes from Queen of the South (2019).
- Record Fee Received for a Player: £2,000,000 for Lyndon Dykes from Queens Park Rangers (2020).
European Football Record
Livingston has never lost a home game in European competitions! They have played in a UEFA club competition once. They finished third in the Scottish Premier League in 2001–02. This earned them a spot in the UEFA Cup for the next season.
They started in the qualifying round against FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein. Livingston won on the away goals rule after a 1-1 tie. In the next round, they played against Austrian team SK Sturm Graz. They lost 8-6 on total goals. They lost the first game 5-2 in Austria. They won the second game 4-3 at Almondvale. Barry Wilson scored two goals against Sturm Graz. This makes him Livingston's top scorer in European competitions so far.
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | Qualifying round |  FC Vaduz |
0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 (a) |
| First round |  SK Sturm Graz |
4–3 | 2–5 | 6–8 |
Images for kids
-
This chart shows Livingston's league positions each year since they joined the League.
-
Livingston defending a corner kick against Gretna at Almondvale Stadium in 2007.
-
Almondvale Stadium, Livingston
In Spanish: Livingston Football Club para niños
- Relocation of professional sports teams
- Works team
