Jump to content

Livingston - all the threads merged


Recommended Posts

Cosgrove going tonto on Radio Scotland at the moment over the Livingston fiasco - brilliant stuff. Pat Nevin and Chick Young are a little bit more calm but all pretty much saying the same thing: Boot Livingston out of the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We won't be in Dingwall.

Posted on the Livingston official website

"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 fulfill 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 fulfill the First Division fixture at Ross County on Saturday 8 August."

They say they are able to fulfill the fixture in Dingwall.. If they do turn up in Dingwall then they would have an argument against the SFL that they were willing to fulfill a fixture.. If they don't turn up then they will be punished as regardless of the ground / game, they weren't there.

After reading the official site I am more convinced that they will pitch up in Dingwall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Livi have indeed refused to fulfill a fixture that is deemed valid in the SFL's eyes, would this not then leave them open to new sanctions and possible expulsion from the league should the appeal fail, and thier refusal to fullfil a fixture outwith the guidelines set for cancelling fixtures?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Further comment from Gordon McDougall "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 fulfill a fixture in the Third Division.

Which is, of course, essentially just p*sh. Does McGruther know it? I quote the exact SFL rules:

76.3 Any club, club official or player aggrieved by a decision of the Management Committee, other

than a decision taken in terms of Rule 28, which shall be final and binding, or any club aggrieved

by a decision of the Management Committee in terms of Rule 31, 32 or 70 concerning the

suitability of its ground, shall have power, within ten days from the date of decision, to appeal

to a Special General Meeting of the League on payment of a deposit of £500.00 which shall be

forfeited in the event of the appeal being dismissed.

76.4 The appeal shall, however, be deemed to have succeeded unless the decision of the Management

Committee is supported by a majority of the votes cast at the said Special General Meeting.

"Before the appeal was lodged, Livingston Football Club informed SFL Chief Executive David Longmuir that they were able to fulfill the First Division fixture at Ross County on Saturday 8 August."

Which is really a damning inditement of the situation. The exact same players would have got on the exact same bus, to go up to Dingwall: but they're unable to stop off early in Stenhousemuir?

Perhaps we should be clear about what rules Livingston FC will end up in breach of tomorrow:

28.4 Any club without just cause failing to fulfil its fixture obligations in respect of any such match

under the jurisdiction of the League on the appointed date or dates shall for each offence be

liable to the deduction of points in respect of a League Championship match, and/or to such

other punishment as the Management Committee may determine.

Also, East Stirling will be able to claim compensation (if necessary from Livi's prize money £££ if they, somehow, emerge from this situation with Third Division status intact) due to the offence:

28.4.1 The club failing to fulfil its fixture obligations shall be liable to pay compensation for

any expenses actually incurred as a direct result of the failure. The amount of

compensation will be decided by the Management Committee.

Brilliant. 3 points. Top of the league.
So is it a provisional 3-0 win for Shire then ?

No. In the unlikely event that Livingston actually have a place in the SFL at the end of this, the SFL Management Committee will decide whether to play the game later (as Hamilton Accies had to do) or just award it to East Stirlingshire. Even if awarded to East Stirling, it could be 2-0 for example.

27.6 Any match not completed, except as provided for in Rule 83, may be ordered to stand as a

played match or replayed for the full period of 90 minutes, as the Management Committee may

determine.

We won't be in Dingwall.

Can I just say mate that my sympathy for all the Livingston fans has grown a great deal today. It looks very grim for you, and scratching from your game tomorrow is not only outrageous, but will simply make things worse. If the club is going to die, it should at least die with some dignity IMO.

Edited by HibeeJibee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted on the Livingston official website

They say they are able to fulfill the fixture in Dingwall.. If they do turn up in Dingwall then they would have an argument against the SFL that they were willing to fulfill a fixture.. If they don't turn up then they will be punished as regardless of the ground / game, they weren't there.

After reading the official site I am more convinced that they will pitch up in Dingwall.

If they do, it's going to be a waste of money they don't have. The only fixture that can be played tomorrow is the official SPL fixture of us against Airdrie. I was going to say I didn't think that they could be so stupid but nothing surprises me anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just seen this posted on the official Livi Website

Further comment from Gordon McDougall

"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 have their affairs discussed in the Third Division forum of the Pie and Bovril Forum"

"A request has been made to Div, and the rest of his high powered blazers at PnB to have the 'Livingston - all the threads merged' thread returned to the First Division forum"..."We have advised Div that we are only willing to post on the threads included int he First Division forum, and will not post in any thread in the Third Division Forum"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry HJ, and it's not like you, but that's utter and complete nonsense. No club in the SFL pays personal insurnace for players. It's all done as part of a group policy with the SFL. Registered player then they are insured as long as Livingston remain members.

Some clubs might pay medical insurance for players to cover private health care but I very much doubt it. We looked into it and the costs are exorbitant.

No no no... I thought the suggestion is that Livingston hadn't paid their contribution towards the SFL deal, and therefore weren't covered? If you could opt-out of paying and still be covered... why would anyone pay to be part of the deal? My presumption is they have no scheme of their own (who does?). In which case if they've defaulted on the SFL deal, do they have any cover...?

Edited by HibeeJibee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fail to see where the Livi shower are coming from, the status quo does not exist, in any scenario or workplace that I can think of, where the punishment meted out is set aside while an appeal is made. It would appear that, if they carry out their threat to not fulfil the game tomorrow on the basis that they don't want to it, to paraphrase Mr McGruther, "represents the death knell of Livingston Football Club".

I though the people concerned with this whole episode came from established business backgrounds? They're not behaving like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, any residual sympathy Livingston may have had from some quarters in Scottish football is fast disappearing. Not so long ago Livingston fans were more than happy to just survive, even in the third division. Now they deem themselves too good to turn up to a fixture against lowly East Stirlingshire (no disrespect intended). If I have any symapthy for anyone, it is the East Stirlingshire fans. Livingston FC are not bigger than the game in this country, far from it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The SFL should boot Livi out! Let them join the junior league's ( doubt they would be wanted ) and they could refuse to play again because they are really a 1st division team!

Anyone want to start a petition to get Livi booted out?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, any residual sympathy Livingston may have had from some quarters in Scottish football is fast disappearing. Not so long ago Livingston fans were more than happy to just survive, even in the third division. Now they deem themselves too good to turn up to a fixture against lowly East Stirlingshire (no disrespect intended). If I have any symapthy for anyone, it is the East Stirlingshire fans. Livingston FC are not bigger than the game in this country, far from it.

No that is so wrong! The livi fans are happy to survive & play in the third division! WE are NOT saying we are too bloody good for anything! :angry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If they do, it's going to be a waste of money they don't have. The only fixture that can be played tomorrow is the official SPL fixture of us against Airdrie. I was going to say I didn't think that they could be so stupid but nothing surprises me anymore.

One thing they aint is stupid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fail to see where the Livi shower are coming from, the status quo does not exist, in any scenario or workplace that I can think of, where the punishment meted out is set aside while an appeal is made. It would appear that, if they carry out their threat to not fulfil the game tomorrow on the basis that they don't want to it, to paraphrase Mr McGruther, "represents the death knell of Livingston Football Club".

I though the people concerned with this whole episode came from established business backgrounds? They're not behaving like it.

They're trying another bluff,last throw of the dice - they know they're fooked and are tryin to save face by taking on the SFL. Theres more chance of that livi bloke wi the drum joining the Proclaimers :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...