Ever the Optimist Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 So if Livingston have indeed withdrawn from the league, how much do you think we could buy the stadium for. After alll it is a bit of a white heffalump now for WLC. And as WLC like to help out football clubs then they could always just gift it to Ayr. In all seriousness, what does everyone think, again I stress IF Livi have withdrawn, will happen regards the incumbant team next year. Does anyone see a Pheonix arising in West Lothian. After all I can't imagine the council wanting an unused stadium, and it is a way of Livingston paying absolutely nothing at all to creditors and starting from scratch with a better stadium than all the rest of the applicants. Or will the stadium just be turned into flats. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin_Nevis Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Agree 100% with everything you say.Relegation should have happened 6 weeks ago NOT 3 days before the season started. This close to the start a points penalty - 15 like Leeds got - would have been more appropriate. As you say though - Rankine and McDougall deserve contempt for their actions in the last 48 hours. Now will the SFL deal with Clyde to ensure they actually last the season . . . IMO Clyde's situation is totally different. At least they have tried to cut their cloth accordingly in terms of part time football/cutting the squad. Livi got rid of Chris Innes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Since Stranraer faced their problems last season, I have found it hard to enter into the usual Queens - Stranraer banter. I think I'm suffering from something similar to Stockholm syndrome. I know what you mean. I even donated some money to the cause. I'm pleased to see them still in business. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Agree 100% with everything you say.Relegation should have happened 6 weeks ago NOT 3 days before the season started. This close to the start a points penalty - 15 like Leeds got - would have been more appropriate. As you say though - Rankine and McDougall deserve contempt for their actions in the last 48 hours. Now will the SFL deal with Clyde to ensure they actually last the season . . . You have to admit though, they managed to get most of the Livingston fans on board, and got Massone to look like some kind of crazed lunatic (though he managed it well enough himself) with no morals. They took the fans for a ride. Better to burn out than fade away, I guess. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough diamond Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 If there's an appeal, and I imagine there will be, you could find all the games involving us, Cowden and Airdrie being postponed for the time being which is particularly unfair to the two teams who haven't been punished. On the contrary for Airdrie and Cowdenbeath an appeal which would almost certainly fail would be fantastic for us, we'd have an additional 10 days to arrange extra squad members either by signings or loan deals. IMHO Livi's fate was sealed initially by the "relegate us and we walk" attitude of the consortium which got fans backs up and sent the message out that they didn't have the Club at heart. The final nail was probably turning up at todays meeting after admitting to the press they "hadn't paid the players this week", hardly instilling confidence in their business plan. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingfaetheSooth Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Third division forum for this pish! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrshireTon Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Can't help but think that the SFL fixtures for this weekend will be moved to a midweek later in the season and week 2 will become the start, giving clubs another week to prepare for the changes to their schedule. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 (edited) Coming to this decision 4 days before the start of the season sums up our game's governing bodies. The SFL could do nothing until some form of established legal action had occurred. They could have relegated them last week... but tbh it was probably better for the rescue package to be given the chance to happen - then the penalty handed down - then the rescuers decide to walk away or stay / rather than simply relegate them last week, which would have = Livi's demise. If they demise as a result of today's actions, so be it, but it was better to 'wait and see' I believe. So if Livingston have indeed withdrawn from the league, how much do you think we could buy the stadium for. After alll it is a bit of a white heffalump now for WLC. And as WLC like to help out football clubs then they could always just gift it to Ayr.In all seriousness, what does everyone think, again I stress IF Livi have withdrawn, will happen regards the incumbant team next year. Does anyone see a Pheonix arising in West Lothian. After all I can't imagine the council wanting an unused stadium, and it is a way of Livingston paying absolutely nothing at all to creditors and starting from scratch with a better stadium than all the rest of the applicants. Or will the stadium just be turned into flats. If the folk of West Lothian want an SFL football club, they'll be at perfect liberty to form Livingston United and join an application process - alongside those non-league clubs who have been waiting for years or decades to join the SFL due to the lack of a pyramid system. If Livingston United do not win that vote, then I suppose you could always 'do an Airdrie Utd' and try to buy up Clyde... Personally, I think the likelier option wil be for Livingston 2009 to look to join the East of Scotland. Edited August 5, 2009 by HibeeJibee 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unthinkable Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Firstly to the appeal situation: Livingston have 2 routes of appeal, footballing and in the courts.Appeal to the SFL - is possible, but needs to be ratified or rejected by a Special GM of clubs (at which Annan will have no vote btw), and my understanding is that a Special GM takes 14 days to be called. I presume the SFL clubs could meet earlier, but it's been a stick point before. Livingston have 10 days to lodge an appeal against the sanction, alongwith a bond of £500.00. Under rule 76.3 of the SFL rules (see link), there is no right of appeal of Management Committee decisions regarding rules 28, 31, 32 or 70. In this case the rule is 76.2 but the league can surely make alterations to fixtures (28), promotion / relegation (31 and 32), and club registration (70) which would further hamper an attempted appeal. But they do have a right to appeal today's sanction, provided they do so within 10 days and lodge that £500 appeal bond when doing so. Appeal to the SFA - is possible, but would take time. The SFA is sovereign over all football here - and in non-league football, does quite often rule on points deductions/re-awarding cups/taking decisions where dispute has occurred etc. But this would be a confusing and frought approach. Appeal to the courts - can presumably bring the whole SFL to a standstill in fixture terms, but I'm unsure about the timescales of this, or the practicalities of the club launching such an bid? At least the SFL get the money upfront, never can be too careful with Livi. I thought the League's lack of action followed by today's bombshell punishment was farcical, just wait to the appeal is lodged, full scale chaos will begin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Livi got any decent strikers? Naw - we signed him . . . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleubrazil Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 In all seriousness, what does everyone think, again I stress IF Livi have withdrawn, will happen regards the incumbant team next year. Does anyone see a Pheonix arising in West Lothian. After all I can't imagine the council wanting an unused stadium, and it is a way of Livingston paying absolutely nothing at all to creditors and starting from scratch with a better stadium than all the rest of the applicants. Or will the stadium just be turned into flats. Perhaps McDougall will buy Cowden back and move them to Livingston. PS I am only joking! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejailender Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Can't help but think that the SFL fixtures for this weekend will be moved to a midweek later in the season and week 2 will become the start, giving clubs another week to prepare for the changes to their schedule. Reports up here are suggesting that Ross County have a "friendly" lined up for Saturday as they expect the game against Airdrie to be postponed. However from what I hear they just expect the games that include Airdrie, Livingston and Cowdenbeath to be the ones cancelled with the rest of the league going ahead as planned 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Are the SFL going to relegate Dundee for breaking insolvency rules? Quote the rules Dundee have broken Mr Sanctimonous? I think you will find that there NONE regarding administration when Dundee went into administration - and you certainly cannot apply any retrospectively. But - hey - what's a few facts to get in the way of a Supermarket Saints argument . . . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boghead ranter Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I have to say it's more likely that I'll sign for Real Madrid before the weekend than "Livi" are to face that kind of penalty today. Soooo, what size of signing-in fee did you get? Will it cover the cost of a Spanish phrasebook? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rough diamond Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Possibility of this - AUFC website states that there will be no game on Saturday. I think you'll find they mean there will be no HOME game on Saturday, Livi's 1st game in Div 1 was Ross Co away, Airdrie's Arbroath at home, so appeal or not there is no game at Broomfield on Saturday. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Appeal to the courts - can presumably bring the whole SFL to a standstill in fixture terms, but I'm unsure about the timescales of this, or the practicalities of the club launching such an bid? My understanding is that if they do this they are breaching FIFA rules. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
port-ton Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Don't know if its been mentioned or not yet, but Albion Rovers win over them doesn't look so impressive now! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 (edited) My understanding is that if they do this they are breaching FIFA rules. Yes - but if the alternative is oblivion I can't see Livi being that worried about Blatter & Co ... I don't see why the SFL should be putting any games off. I wouldn't have relegated Livingston at all, but the decision has been taken. There isn't anything in the SFL rules which entitle Livi to have games put off... and in the unlikely event they pursue a successful appeal through the SFL SFA or Courts, then the games in question can simply be annulled and replacement matches held in the spring? We shouldn't be dancing to Livingston FC's tune by postponing matches in August. Edited August 5, 2009 by HibeeJibee 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peil Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Don't know if its been mentioned or not yet, but Albion Rovers win over them doesn't look so impressive now! Or..... Albion Rovers killed Livi! I'm sure it will be quoted on here at some stage that it's all the bad rovers fault for no lying down (justdon'tmentionthelackofcash) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 IMO Clyde's situation is totally different.At least they have tried to cut their cloth accordingly in terms of part time football/cutting the squad. Livi got rid of Chris Innes. Clyde have cut their cloth but (so I have been told) may not last out next season. The SFL should be prepared to act far sooner than here if that is the case. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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