Nixon vows to fight for Livingston's survival

Aug 13 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

GED NIXON has blasted the SFL for the decision to demote Livingston to the Third Division insisting league beaks haven’t followed their own rules and regulations.

Livi have lodged an appeal against the decision which is set to be heard today (Thursday) but even if the club lose their appeal Nixon has insisted that won’t be the end of the matter.

He said: “We were all flabbergasted by the decision as we expected a points deduction.

“The SFL gave us categoric assurances we would be playing First Division football this season. They even posted this on their own website following their meeting on July 31.

“There was still a discussion about possible penalties but they told us they wanted a bond based upon First Division fixtures, a business plan based upon being a First Division club.

“We had everything in place and have done everything they have asked us to do.

“As it stands the SFL are due to meet on Thursday (today), but in order for this to happen all of the member clubs have to pass a waiver.

“Normally these things take 21 days but that length of time would cause carnage so they are trying to bring it forward. “Coupled with the Scotland fixture you can see how difficult this is going to be but it is in everybody’s interests that it does take place on Thursday.

“The league made the ruling to demote us on Wednesday but the rules were quite clear that we had 10 days to appeal.

“We appealed on Friday and although it wasn’t lodged until the afternoon we made the SFL aware we were preparing an appeal on that basis.

“Surreal as it may sound but we could be sitting here until Friday (tomorrow) and still have the right of appeal.”

Livingston’s decision to appeal put the skids on a scheduled fixture against East Stirling and Nixon is adamant that Airdrie and Cowdenbeath should have also been given the weekend off before crucial votes are cast this week.

“There are 29 member clubs taking part in the vote but we feel Airdrie and Cowdenbeath should be removed from that for obvious reasons while we’d also argue Ross County and Arbroath should be out of the equation too,” insisted Nixon.

“Both of them won on Saturday and if they vote in our favour then they lose the points they gained on Saturday.

“It is a nonsense and these games should have never been played. Both Airdrie and Cowdenbeath also had players sent off and this is on the players records which cannot be expunged.

“Should we be unsuccessful in the vote then we have a right of appeal to the SFA which we would be looking to do.”

Nixon has warned that should Livingston be forced to remain in the Third Division then the club would have to cut their cloth accordingly.

He continued: “The difference between First Division and Third Division clubs revenues is monumental.

“We have player contracts which would have to be renegotiated but there will be some who won’t want to be here if we were in the Third Division.

“There are also some players we couldn’t afford to pay if we were in the Third.

“We wouldn’t require the same amount on non-playing staff jobs either if we were in the Third Division.”

The club should by today (Thursday) be under full ownership of the new consortium as Nixon revealed the takeover is in the final stages.

He added: “We’ve made commitments and taken great strides towards ownership of the club. “The sale and the share transfer should be completed by Wednesday which would put the club in the Livingston 5 consortiums hands.

“We have moved mountains to get to this point and we have already paid the staff and the players as we are that comfortable that we can take things forward.

“Some had outstanding wages from April but we paid everybody right up to date as it was the right thing to do as you can’t ask people to operate without wages.”

“We have to be given a fair opportunity to stand on our own two feet.

“There are clubs a lot bigger than us haemorrhaging money left, right and centre and they are effectively insolvent in the law of the land as they can’t meet their debts with their assets.

“It could mean three or four teams from the SPL and two or three from the First Division being sent down to the Third Division and that doesn’t follow suit.

“The manner the SFL have went about this they haven’t followed their own procedures and rules.

“It is what is right and what is just and the SFL have made error after error in this process.

“We aren’t the most popular club anyway but I dare say we will be even more unpopular after this process is over.

“But at the end of the day the real positive will be the league will have to look at the way they do business. This has to be resolved as speedily, hastily and properly but it has to be right.”