Livi at risk again

Aug 6 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LIVINGSTON are again in danger of going to the wall after it emerged the consortium, who looked like they had saved the club, hinted they would walk away if the SFL beaks slap them with a points deduction or even relegation.

The Lions looked to be Liv-ing the dream again last week when Scottish Football League chiefs helped haul the club back from the brink of the abyss but as the Courier went to press the club were anxiously awaiting a decision on any sanctions to be imposed.

The SFL were meeting (yesterday) to consider either relegating the club, slapping a points deduction or hitting them with a fine for entering the liquidation process.

The debt-ridden club looked to be on the road to nowhere last week when the then chairman Angelo Massone refused to relinquish control despite warnings from interim manager Donald McGruther, of administrator Mazars.

But, following a nerve jangling three-hour meeting with the SFL’s management committee at Hampden last Thursday, a rescue package led by former Cowdenbeath owner, Gordon McDougall, former Dumbarton chairman, Neil Rankine, and Ged Nixon of the Livi For Life Supporters Trust was rubber stamped.

Since then the saga has taken a fresh twist with the new board admitting they could walk away, effectively sentencing the club to death, if they are hammered further by league chiefs.

The new look Livingston board, who will be chaired by McDougall, were forced to dig deep into their pockets to put up a substantial bond of £720,000 as a safety net to ensure the club fulfil their fixtures and the other clubs in the First Division won’t be out of pocket if the Lions fail to complete the campaign.

And on Friday it seemed as if the Lions rebirth was complete when Massone finally agreed a deal to quit the club after the new consortium upped their offer for his shares to £50,000.

However, as the club were summoned back to Hampden yesterday (Wednesday) to learn their fate, Nixon who has been named Chief Executive of the new Livi board, admitted the consortium could walk away if they are dumped from the First Division.

He said: “The SFL last Thursday gave us a clear indication that we were to prepare to play in the First Division next season. We were then asked on Friday to prepare and submit a business plan by noon on Monday which we did based upon competing in the First Division.

“The value of the bond is the equivalent figure of 18 away games at the highest grossing First Division club and everything has been geared towards First Division football but now it has been suggested we might be demoted.

“Our plans have all been geared towards First Division revenue and turnover while our playing pool is also of First Division size and standard and if we were relegated our finances might not stack up.

“We have been working around the clock and we feel by setting the bond at that value then that should be the penalty.

“A points deduction makes it onerous on top of the bond which effectively relegates us anyway.”

The mood around Almondvale is a far cry from last week when Nixon praised the SFL for granting the club a new lease of life.

Speaking to the Courier last week Nixon praised the Scottish Football League admitting: “We were more than pleasantly surprised with how receptive the league were with us. We were grilled, understandably so given this club’s record, about the reasons to give us another chance.

“But fortunately Gordon and Neil were there and boast decades in Scottish football which carries a lot of clout but there are still miles of stuff to be sorted out.

“This club has been given an unbelievable chance to get its name back. It is difficult to argue that we deserve it and everyone of us has to roll our sleeves up.”

An impassioned speech by West Lothian Council leader Peter Johnson was described as a key factor in the SFL granting Livingston another chance at the meeting and he insisted the council were fully dedicated to ensuring West Lothian retains a senior football team.

Johnson said: “West Lothian Council are absolutely committed to working with the club to ensure a sustainable future for a strong community football club based at Almondvale.

“Whilst we cannot use public money to sustain Livingston Football Club we will do everything in our power to work with the club to promote a sustainable future for them.

“We are encouraged that we now have credible, reliable people potentially coming into the club to take over that we believe we can work with on that basis.”

But now just one week on the club are said to be standing on the brink of the abyss again.

However, Nixon hopes the SFL give the club the nod to continue their preparations for the First Division campaign which is due to kick-off on Saturday.

He added: “All we want is something to play for in the First Division.

“We want to play for ninth place in the league and the performance and result at Albion Rovers tells us it is going to be a long and hard season regardless.

“I understand the SFL are not punishing us but punishing the club and we accept they have defaulted.

“However, the hurdles and hoops they are asking us to jump through are getting bigger and bigger every day.

“We hope commonsense prevails but ironically all the good work the league did last week is in danger of being undone now.”