Livingston to go the way of the Gretna

[st mirren till i die]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/7396603.stm

Crooked fantasist Pearce Flynn has sold his stake to some dubious foreign investors. So will Livingston prosper under this new regime, or will the plan go tits up like the Dundee FC or Raith Rovers debacle.

Even worse could this spell the absolute end for Scotland's plastic diddy franchise (fingers crossed).

[Teso Dos Bichos]

*yawn*

[RichardL]

While not exactly approving of the way Livingston got a club, how on earth did Meadowbank Thistle, who were a Ferranti works team, get admitted to the league in the first place? It's almost as if the clubs voting them in wanted a club that'd be crap, no threat, and easy to get to.

And I speak as an ex-Ferranti employee myself.

[Red Sky]

Richard, the Scottish leagues - especially the SPL - reserve the right to make and break their own rules as they see fit. Don't even try and reason this one out. Gretna is a case in point. It's another example of our throwaway society in my view. ;)

I suspect something similar goes on in England but it doesn't make so many headlines.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

They were admitted when Third Lanark went tits up and they needed to restructure the league. The name change and the stadium move for requirements for league admission.

[Gordon EF]

While not exactly approving of the way Livingston got a club, how on earth did Meadowbank Thistle, who were a Ferranti works team, get admitted to the league in the first place? It's almost as if the clubs voting them in wanted a club that'd be crap, no threat, and easy to get to.

And I speak as an ex-Ferranti employee myself.

Ferranti Thistle would never have been admitted. It was the attraction of a '3rd team in Edinburgh' that got Meadowbank Thistle in. It never really worked out like that though.

[RichardL]

Richard, the Scottish leagues - especially the SPL - reserve the right to make and break their own rules as they see fit. Don't even try and reason this one out. Gretna is a case in point. It's another example of our throwaway society in my view. ;)

I suspect something similar goes on in England but it doesn't make so many headlines.The nearest we had was the so-called "old pals' act" where all the struggling clubs agreed to vote for each other when re-election came around, to make it very hard for any aspiring club to gain admission. Accrington Stanley famously folded mid-season in 1961/2 and got replaced by Oxford. The only other two clubs to fold since then were Aldershot and Maidstone, and they didn't get replaced as the football league had to make room for two clubs when the premier went from 22 to 20 clubs.

The most possibly dubious (certainly unfortunate) case of dodgy election results was when Altrincham missed out on election to the league by one vote in 1980. Two of the chairman who had promised to vote for them didn't vote. One just forgot to vote, and the other missed the vote after returning late from lunch.


By the way, what's the state of Gretna's owner these days? I assume he hasn't died, but is he recovering? Is he likely to ever recover? Will his advisors have to spend the next few months visiting him in hospital and inventing ficticious Gretna FC match results so they don't have to tell him they allowed his club to fold and the ground be sold off for housing?

[st mirren till i die]

And so it begins, Angelo lays out his plans in today's Sunday Mail.

Such highlights include...


Angelo said: "Our main aim is to get the club back to the level they were at when they won the CIS Cup and played in Europe.
"We want to make it possible for that to happen again.
"It's not good for Livingston to stay in the SFL - nor is it financially viable for us.
"We have to put a strong team together. If we have that the fans will come here again.
"Bringing in impressive names is fine but we need to find the perfect player for this club.
"If he's capable it's possible we could get a big signing.
"I know Dundee once bought Fabrizio Ravanelli but he has finished playing so won't be coming!"

and this tantalising gem





And Angelo warned Livi fans they could move from their home to a smaller stadium soon.
He said: "We'll take care of that after we buy the stadium. It's not possible to move right now but maybe in the future.



Shades of Raith Rovers/Dundee anyone?

[Gordon EF]

Doesn't sound good for Livingston.

[antifan]

It certainly doesn't. The team hasn't won a game in over a month and the owners are struggling to make the payroll. Now the players are threating to go on strike over unpaid wages.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/7858448.stm

[Teso Dos Bichos]

THE BOARD of Livingston Football Club would like to respond publicly to false claims made in various national press yesterday and today regarding players' January salaries.

Contrary to stories suggesting otherwise, the playing staff at the club have been paid on time this month.

Furthermore, at no point over the last 48 hours has the possibility of strike action by the playing squad been mentioned to the club's board or to the manager. Club chairman, Angelo Massone, made clear this afternoon that had any player made such a threat, he would have been disciplined by the club.

Supporters of Livingston FC are to be assured that everybody at the club - players, staff, management and directors - are fully focused on tomorrow's Irn-Bru Scottish First Division fixture with Ross County at Almondvale Stadium.

http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/news_300109_2.php

Which is what Livi fans already knew as Massone has already went on record in the past about wages and when they will be paid.

LIVINGSTON captain James McPake will leave the club in this transfer window after the club reluctantly agreed to allow the player to join Coventry City ahead of schedule.

James, 24, has spent eight years at the club after coming through the club's youth development system. Out of contract in the summer, he agreed a pre-contract agreement with the Coca Cola Championship side in December, but had looked set to remain at Almondvale for the remainder of the campaign.

After a fair offer from the Midlands club was made, and subsquent discussions between club chairman Angelo Massone and the player, the decision was taken to grant James his wish to leave the club early. James had expressed that he felt he could no longer give his 100% focus to playing for the team.

James will be in attendance at tomorrow's home match with Ross County, where he will first have a final meeting with Massone and club staff to say his goodbyes, before taking to the park to bid his farewell to the club's supporters.

Everyone at Livingston Football Club wishes James McPake the very best for his future career, and would like to thank him for his service to the club over the past eight years.

http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/news_300109_3.php

This is the cancer that has been causing all of the problems in an effort to force his move to Coventry early. Sadly said cancer has succeeded. It is obviously a blow to lose the best central defender in the league but the club simply cannot stand for such a cancer to be causing problems on the pitch, in the dressing room and to the press. Suffice to say the cancer will be leaving having paid a hefty fine for his disgraceful antics.

[antifan]

Which is what Livi fans already knew as Massone has already went on record in the past about wages and when they will be paid.
Yes, the Chairman has made it clear many time that the wages will be paid, as soon as they can round up the money to do so.



This is the cancer that has been causing all of the problems in an effort to force his move to Coventry early. Sadly said cancer has succeeded. It is obviously a blow to lose the best central defender in the league but the club simply cannot stand for such a cancer to be causing problems on the pitch, in the dressing room and to the press. Suffice to say the cancer will be leaving having paid his teammates' wages.
FYP

[st mirren till i die]

haha we offered livi over 100k for mcpake last window and they knocked us back, and now he's leaving for nowt in the summer.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

:rolleyes:

[st mirren till i die]

bump

Livingston's administrator has started making redundancies after owner Angelo Massone rejected an offer to sell his shares to prevent liquidation.
Massone had earlier told BBC Scotland that he did not believe that Donald McGruther would carry out his threat.
But McGruther said: "I am really saddened because obviously the message of the last four or five days has not sunk in. This is the end.
"I am having to dismiss staff, although that does not involve players as yet."
That would most likely come after Thursday's meeting between interim manager McGruther, from administrator Mazars, and the Scottish Football League, with the club officially going out of the business later that evening.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/8170558.stm

[antifan]

bump

[B]


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/8170558.stm
It's a sad situation, really.

[Gordon EF]

This guy Massone seems like a ********ing fruitcake. He bought the club for £1 and turned down a £25,000 offer for it. I don't know whether it's out of spite or stupidity but it's starting to look like the club really will go to the wall with Airdrie and Cowdenbeath having to make the step up a league, which isn't entirely fair on them either as both will be unprepared for going into a higher league, especially Airdrie I think.

[frasermc]

Livi saved from liquidation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/8174920.stm)


The SFL came good.

Massone turned up at the Hampden meeting on Thursday but was refused admission to the three-hour conference.

Glad to hear it.

[chillum]

Year ban for Livingston chairman (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8176359.stm)
www.bbc.co.uk

[HoopsBhoyInNC]

Livi saved from liquidation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/livingston/8174920.stm)


The SFL came good.

Massone turned up at the Hampden meeting on Thursday but was refused admission to the three-hour conference.

Glad to hear it.

Good, maybe they can figure how to get rid of his sorry a** with out giving him anything.