Fans called on to get behind Livi

Sep 10 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

LIVINGSTON chairman Gordon McDougall has urged the people of West Lothian to come out and support the club now that its future has been decided.

The Lions will play their football in the Third Division after their appeal to the Scottish Football Association failed, a decision McDougall believes will cost the club around £250,000 a year in lost revenue.

Livi will remain full-time next season as they aim to move up the leagues as quickly as possible.

And the chairman wants supporters to return to Almondvale for what he says is a fresh start for the club.

McDougall said: “What is uppermost in our minds is that the true Livingston supporters, and the people from West Lothian who may never have supported Livingston before, come along and support a team that is starting again.

“If ever we needed the support of the people of West Lothian, it’s now.

“I would plead with them to come out and support the football club.

“It’s a professional football club. We live off the commercial aspects and primarily off the gates. The ticket prices will be cheaper than the First Division, that’s for sure.

“We will do our best to make sure that the team on the park in time performs the way they want them to perform. There will be no financial problems.

“All the things that have happened in the past won’t happen again. This club will move forward now.”

Chief Executive Ged Nixon echoed the rallying call of the chairman and said the club’s aim would be to gain promotion to the Second Division at the first attempt.

“It is a bright new dawn for the club,” said Nixon.

“Hopefully things will work out for us on the field of play.

“We have a number of initiatives that we are looking at putting into place to involve the community with the club.

“Without putting pressure on the manager, with the players he has at his disposal, we should be in a position where they can compete at the right end of the table.

“We hope to be winning games on a regular basis and challenging for honours at the end of the season.

“But results will decide that.”