Eurosport - Sat, 08 Aug 14:14:00 2009
The start of the Scottish Football League was thrown into chaos after Livingston refused to play their Third Division fixture against East Stirlingshire.
The SFL relegated debt-ridden Livi from the First Division for breaching the league's insolvency rules.
The club have now decided to appeal that sanction and insist they will not play a Third Division fixture until their case is heard.
The appeal was lodged by interim manager Donald McGruther, who has been running Livi for the past fortnight.
McGruther, of administrators Mazars, was appointed by the Court of Session in Edinburgh after West Lothian Council took legal action to reclaim a £330,000 debt.
McGruther has been frantically attempting to negotiate the sale of the club to a consortium led by former Cowdenbeath owner Gordon McDougall, ex-Dumbarton chairman Neil Rankine and ex-Livi director Ged Nixon.
In a statement on Livi website, McDougall said: "We, the consortium, understand that the appeal submitted from the interim manager, Donald McGruther, has now been received and acknowledged by the Scottish Football League.
"Accordingly, Livingston Football Club remains a First Division football club at this stage and therefore is unwilling to fulfil a fixture in the Third Division.
"Before the appeal was lodged, Livingston Football Club informed SFL chief executive David Longmuir that they were able to fulfil the First Division fixture at Ross County on Saturday 8 August."
A separate statement from the consortium added: "From the consortium's perspective, we regret the need to take this step and the implications it could have on football people throughout Scotland, but we feel strongly that this action is entirely justified."
Comment 1 - 13 of 13
lmao lmao lmao lmao lmao
LIVI FC IS TOTALLY RUBBISH
n we all no it kick em oot blow em up the whole staduim needs to @#$% down=D we dont need it buld houses there instead =P
RANGERS CHAMPIONS YAAASSSSSSSSSSS
byron.rodriguez needs to learn how to spell its livingston not bloody livingstone dont you know football team names?
Steven E. Following on from your point, Im from Forfar. There are currently Montrose, Brechin, Forfar and Arbroath all from the same County. Wouldnt it make more sense that teams from this county amalgamated and made one team, thus creating a bigger club, with a bigger fanbase incorporating the funds from the land sales of the "other" three clubs? Could this example be carried out ibn other parts of Scotland? Any thoughts anyone?
kick Livingstone out of football altogether. they broke the rules by going into administration, and have to take their punishment. the other clubs in the league that are affected by livingstones actions should sue Livingstone for loss of income. They have now brought the game into disrepute by their actions and should face further financial penelties. enough is enough, throw them out
they are all crooks,when a fish goes bad,the rot starts at the head ! take note the guilty will be revealed !
ronnies got it spot on SFA are always putting teams down when they need help, its not livingstons fault they had a italian @#$% running them
you might as well run a league in scotland with 2 teams but the again that would be 2 to many
livingson are not above te rules the deserve all they get and by no playing tere game they will end up not playing in any league good
Theres Nowt like kicking someone when they are down it seems to me that when a club gets into difficulties they are given another kicking by the authorites. Instead of the Help they are desperate for.
Steven e has got it spot on. Junior players even get more money than 2nd and 3rd division teams. Clear out the dead wood indeed. Every one in the SFA who are looking after themselves.
A, take it your a livi fan, Livi were found to be in breach of the rules, therefor the action is appropriate, Same thing happened to Gretna. If this was the first time this has hapened to them, then you may have a case to moan, but this is the Second time in something like 5 yrs the have entered administration, others how have enter admin, have sorted there house out, From a personal point of view, we have too many teams and divisions, too many teams in the lower divisions with only a couple of hundred supporters at the games, taking money from Scottish football and not putting much back in... Junior football brings more fans to games than 2nd and 3rd division team, and to appoint some 1st division games as well, time to revamp the whole of scottish football, clear out all the dead wood, from top to bottom, and rejeuvinate our game
Well said A.
im sure the spl/sfa will have livi out by the end of the week ,as thats all they are good for . they are never there to help teams but always there to pick up debt or to fine teams. when any scottish teams travel into europe they do nothing to protect the fans and often point the blame at our own supporters.every other montrh people are killed in spain or italy but the sfa seam to think singing is more of a problem .they are just scared to point the finger at the big boys.
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