Gordon McDougall is pouring his heart into Livingston FC

Dec 17 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

GORDON McDOUGALL is pouring a lot more than just his cash into the future of Livingston Football Club.

He is also ensuring the club is awash with the blood, sweat and tears of genuine hard graft.

The Livi chairman has never been afraid to muck in when it is needed.

But in recent weeks the now 64--year-old has reached new levels of dedication for the club he helped salvage from the brink of liquidation.

When Livi’s league clash with Albion Rovers hit the skids due to a downpour he was the first out on the sodden Almondvale turf with a fork trying to make the park playable for the match

And just last week he injured his ribs while perched in a cherry picker some 80 feet off the ground helping maintain the floodlights at the stadium.

But McDougall is adamant he wouldn’t have it any other way at Almondvale.

“It’s always been my way and it’s not something I make a fuss about as I prefer just to go and get on with things,” said McDougall.

“I muck in along with everyone else at the club.

“I am happy to help with most of the odd-jobs here but that is what we have to do at a club like this if we are to survive.”

The chairman then explained why he suffered his rubs injury.

He said: “We’ve had some floodlight issues recently and I’ve had to get on with things.

“I was up in a cherry picker but that’s not unusual for me and is something I have been doing for years.

“Unfortunately due to leaning on the side of the cage and being caught underneath my ribs I was left a bit sore.

“But our wonderful physio here at Livingston had a look at me and I’m feeling much better.”

It was towards the end of last season as Livi were spiralling downwards at an alarming rate with matters off the pitch that McDougall decided that he had to take action and come to the rescue of the West Lothian club.

McDougall was sitting on the board of Dunfermline as a non-executive director when it looked as Livingston were set to tumble into the abyss.

He admits the football fan in him watched with horror as former owner Angelo Massone looked to be leading the club to their demise as debts mounted and bills went unpaid.

So he resigned from the Pars board and began to look into helping mount a rescue package for the club.

He found an ally in local businessman Ged Nixon, now the club’s Chief Executive, and former Dumbarton owner Neil Rankine .

As a result the Livi 5 consortium was born.

The consortium wrestled control of the club from Massone and thought they were planning another season on the First Division.

But the SFL dropped a bombshell on the club and their new owners by demoting them to the Third Division - a harsh penalty for the people who did everything they could to ensure the club had a future.

McDougall admits this was a bitter pill to swallow but he reckons the club have coped well with the demotion.

He continued: “Dunfermline was just a place for me to go after 20 years at Cowdenbeath.

“I enjoyed my time there but it was mostly just turning up on a Saturday which is not my idea of football and I’m glad to be more hands on again.

“Once the relegation issue had been settled I think we’ve recovered reasonably well.

“It is important to separate the football side of things from matters off the field and we are working hard to make the facilities we have at Almondvale work for us.

“We’ve started very well on the pitch but people will say we should do as we are a full-time team.

“The supporters have been excellent and for us to have over 1500 here last week was magnificent.

“The object is to keep increasing those numbers but unfortunately football is a win based sport and if you aren’t winning your supporter numbers often go the other way.

“I feel there is a finite number we can achieve in the Third Division and the Second as well, which I don’t see having much of a difference in quality from the Third, as people want to see First Division football.

“Assuming we can win the league or at least earn promotion then we feel we could have a decent year next season.”

McDougall also urged Livi fans to head to Almondvale for their Hogmanay bash.

A handful of top-team stars are expected to attend for the traditional Scottish-style celebrations over the bells.

So if you fancy a night of foot-tapping, partner swinging, hip shaking ceildih capers then Almondvale is the place for you.

There will be a live ceilidh band performing at the event which begins at 7pm and runs on until late.

Tickets are available from the club at the excellent price of £35.