Livingston - all the threads merged

[TheLad]

What's the plans for d Imrie and a new academy? Are they just planning for 18s , reserves etc or the whole shooting match across all the age groups?

Big ask to get either up and running for next season 

[LogieLivi]

What's the plans for d Imrie and a new academy? Are they just planning for 18s , reserves etc or the whole shooting match across all the age groups?
Big ask to get either up and running for next season 

I would imagine it would possibly be something like the Partnership with Blackburn and the women's team.
Just the club taking on an existing youth club.
Not saying that's the truth but it's likely

[ATLIS]

4 minutes ago, LogieLivi said:

I would imagine it would possibly be something like the Partnership with Blackburn and the women's team.
Just the club taking on an existing youth club.
Not saying that's the truth but it's likely

From what I'd heard it very well could just be 2 or 3 age groups at first. So maybe U21, U19, U16? Imrie is getting free reign to model it in his image though, given his success at the Accies

[Chuck Blazer]

Anyone else worried about an 11-1 vote against the greatest pitch in the SPFL now that Accies & Killie are gone?

[Guest]

Artificial turf pitches are currently used by top tier clubs in Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and USA, among other nations. Clubs using artificial turf pitches from those leagues include Champions League regulars Young Boys (Swi) and Spartak (Rus), as well as current Libertadores champions Palmeiras (Bra). So unless some bizarre Scottish exceptionalism argument gathers support, no, I don't think that's a risk.

[EdinburghLivi]

If all the other clubs don't want it, there's not much we can do. Would be incredibly petty and short-sighted given the usage throughout UEFA competitions as mentioned by FF. 

Generates additional income, gives kids and other football clubs an additional place to play in West Lothian, very questionable evidence over its impact on injuries. I imagine at least one of the other clubs will agree with its continued usage. 

We'll be playing on it next season regardless. 

Edited May 25, 2021 by EdinburghLivi

[LIVIFOREVER]

Best plastic pitch in the top flight, FACT.

[LiviLion]

I do enjoy how the arguments against them change all the time. 

Notice how no one's been talking about "unfair advantage" with Killie and Hamilton going down and Livi being pretty shocking at home most of the season. 

[Afro]

This may very well strike as me saying so given we have one, but what is the big issue with artificial surfaces anyway?

Plenty of positives as far as I can see - as above, certainly helps a massive amount of young people out playing football between match days. Not sure how the revenue is distributed to us as tenants, but it’s certainly a source of income (for someone). A contentious one this season, but we’d have absolutely had a lot more games off in the pay few seasons had we retained a grass pitch. 

Given how many teams in this division will train on artificial pitches through the week, I’m not sure the argument of an advantage holds true, either. Killie and Accies have been relegated, and truthfully, our home form has been pish this season. 

No arguments from me that I’d be having a grass pitch over one in ideal circumstances - but I’d definitely be having an artificial surface over some of the tattie fields some pitches descended into after winter. Tannadice is one which springs to mind. 

Each to their own, and if it does go to a vote and they’re punted, then there’s not much we could do. Does raise an interesting proposition what the club would do, given it’s WLC’s pitch and I’m not sure they’d be keen on ripping up something which cost several hundred thousand pounds just a couple of years ago. 

[Cptn Hooch]

This may very well strike as me saying so given we have one, but what is the big issue with artificial surfaces anyway?
Plenty of positives as far as I can see - as above, certainly helps a massive amount of young people out playing football between match days. Not sure how the revenue is distributed to us as tenants, but it’s certainly a source of income (for someone). A contentious one this season, but we’d have absolutely had a lot more games off in the pay few seasons had we retained a grass pitch. 
Given how many teams in this division will train on artificial pitches through the week, I’m not sure the argument of an advantage holds true, either. Killie and Accies have been relegated, and truthfully, our home form has been pish this season. 

No arguments from me that I’d be having a grass pitch over one in ideal circumstances - but I’d definitely be having an artificial surface over some of the tattie fields some pitches descended into after winter. Tannadice is one which springs to mind. 
Each to their own, and if it does go to a vote and they’re punted, then there’s not much we could do. Does raise an interesting proposition what the club would do, given it’s WLC’s pitch and I’m not sure they’d be keen on ripping up something which cost several hundred thousand pounds just a couple of years ago. 

The standard arguments against are:

Inconsistent bounce: grass pitches are renowned for being perfect every time

More injuries: a rangers player once got an injury on one so that means they're death traps

Looks bad: grass pitches always look perfect every time

It's tin pot: none of the other big leagues have them and certainly not the champions League [emoji51]

Pellets get everywhere and kick up when the ball is played: grass pitches don't contain any substance that would make a player dirty or splash when something is bounced on it

Never see a good game on plastic: every supporter of every team watches every game on plastic and it just doesn't compare to the fact that every single game played on grass is an absolute belter



As you can see...iron clad arguments. Surprised we haven't had to rip it up already tbh

[mozam76]

The argument for grass over astro always boils down to the same old shite. Folk don't like them because a) "they look crap on telly", and/or because b)"we've always had grass and it's no' natural".

Those arguments are worse at holding water than our old pitch was. Both of these arguments are either best ignored or, if the person you're debating with doubles down on them, shot down in flames by stating what Freedom Farter has. Astro is good enough for clubs the world over, and who play in far more illustrious competitions than the SPF fucking L Premiership.

[LIVIFOREVER]

28 minutes ago, Cptn Hooch said:

The standard arguments against are:

Inconsistent bounce: grass pitches are renowned for being perfect every time

More injuries: a rangers player once got an injury on one so that means they're death traps

Looks bad: grass pitches always look perfect every time

It's tin pot: none of the other big leagues have them and certainly not the champions League

Pellets get everywhere and kick up when the ball is played: grass pitches don't contain any substance that would make a player dirty or splash when something is bounced on it

Never see a good game on plastic: every supporter of every team watches every game on plastic and it just doesn't compare to the fact that every single game played on grass is an absolute belter



As you can see...iron clad arguments. Surprised we haven't had to rip it up already tbh

Apparently if you've had an injury (most likely while playing on grass), you can't play on plastic as it aggravates it.

Or if you play on it all the time your prev injury doesn't bother you so much, even though you'd be playing 50% of your games on grass too, when playing away from home. Oh and training on it is fine, it's just playing competitive games that cause players old injuries to flare up.

[LIVIFOREVER]

Wonder if Lafferty is staying at Killie in the Championship, would be some signing for us if we could get him, 8 goals in 9 games is clinical as f**k, esp in that Killie team. Surprised if the sheep aren't trying to sign him though.

[EdinburghLivi]

6 minutes ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

Wonder if Lafferty is staying at Killie in the Championship, would be some signing for us if we could get him, 8 goals in 9 games is clinical as f**k, esp in that Killie team. Surprised if the sheep aren't trying to sign him though.

No more strikers until we sign some defenders, pls.

Got to give Hamilton and Anderson a run of games as well.

[Menga Bus]

Don’t imagine we could afford lafferty tbh, someone will make him a better offer than we can afford.

Afaik the vote on plastic pitches would have to involve all 42 teams therefore it would never get passed. 

[ATLIS]

3 hours ago, Menga Bus said:

Don’t imagine we could afford lafferty tbh, someone will make him a better offer than we can afford.

Afaik the vote on plastic pitches would have to involve all 42 teams therefore it would never get passed. 

Not for the Premiership, it's the 11-1 vote.  Premiership teams are allowed to take separate votes that only effect the Premiership

[LogieLivi]

There is zero basis for arguement for having the pitch banned from the top flight.
Does anyone really think that the SPFL are going to say to us, "see that really expensive artificial surface that you have? Well, Steven Gerrard doesn't like it so you have to spend multi millions of pounds ripping it up and replacing it with a grass pitch."
It wouldn't ever get passed. And if it did, not going to lie, I'd be happy for us to go to the championship and just win it every year and never get promoted.

[ATLIS]

26 minutes ago, LogieLivi said:

There is zero basis for arguement for having the pitch banned from the top flight.
Does anyone really think that the SPFL are going to say to us, "see that really expensive artificial surface that you have? Well, Steven Gerrard doesn't like it so you have to spend multi millions of pounds ripping it up and replacing it with a grass pitch."
It wouldn't ever get passed. And if it did, not going to lie, I'd be happy for us to go to the championship and just win it every year and never get promoted.

Yes  

I'm also not sure it's a mulit-million pound pitch either. If it happens we'll just put down grass and get on with it, you're in dreamland if you think we'll go down and win the Championship every year. We'll suck it up and get on with it, maybe ask for the fees of a new pitch to be paid. Only issue I can see is WLC not wanting to change the pitch given it's a bit of a community hub.

"According to the BBC, the average 3G pitch costs around £500,000. However, Crusaders F.C. reportedly fitted theirs for a total cost of just €280,000. But as more and more clubs and local associations install them, the price will continue to plummet. Depending on the specific dimensions involved, as well as the type of absorbing base required, fitting an artificial pitch in England can cost anything between £300,000 and £500,000."

[Chuck Blazer]

This article in the Scotsman states that an 11-1 vote of Premiership clubs would then take a proposal ban plastic pitches in the Premiership to all 42 SPFL clubs where a 75 % majority would be required. 17 SPFL clubs have plastic pitches so we should be able to continue upsetting other clubs and supporters ad infinitum. 

 

[Rovers1992/1993]

The latest Livi player to be linked with the Rovers is Scott Robinson.

What’s happened there? Has he been released? Whenever I’ve watched Livi, he always seems to be a nuisance, is he past it these days? What’s his best position?