AND180Y Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 (edited) Right, enough of all this Livi have no history pish, I found their documented history on the Livi website and quote it below. Reading from the third last paragraph it's a belter, oops!! LIVINGSTON Football Club have come a long way since they made the move from Edinburgh in 1995. Formerly Meadowbank Thistle, the club roared their way through the divisions to take their place at the summit of Scottish Football within six years.A third place finish followed, and that achievement won Livi the right to a UEFA Cup place in season 2002/2003, bringing European football to the 'Vale just seven years after starting life in Division Three. In those seven years, the Lions picked up the three Scottish Football League titles available to them and won their way into the UEFA Cup. But greater success was to follow in March 2004. After a late 1-0 win against Dundee in the CIS Cup semi-final against Dundee at Easter Road - courtesy of a Derek Lilley penalty - Livi secured their passage into their first ever major final at Hampden Park. Despite their opponents - Hibernian - being tipped favourites for the cup, goals from Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister upset the odds to bring the CIS Cup trophy back to West Lothian with a 2-0 victory. That success however was achieved only two months after the club entered administration. That situation continued until May 13 2005, when the Lionheart consortium led by Pearse Flynn secured full control of the club. Lionheart ensured the continued survival of the club throughout the years following their purchase of the club, but sadly presided over the relegation of the team to the Scottish First Division. In June 2008, a new consortium of Italian businessmen - Angelo Massone, Tommaso Bruno and Alessandro Di Mattia - invested in Livingston Football Club, taking control from Lionheart. In a short space of time, they have transformed Almondvale Stadium into a place of new found optimism. They also brought back the man responsible for Livi's greatest success - David Hay - to act as an advisor. A new playing squad and management team was appointed to take on the challenges of a third successive season in the First Division, with a view to winning back the club's place in the Scottish Premier League. In 13 years Livingston - brought to West Lothian by local businessman Bill Hunter and taken over later by Dominic Keane - has experienced success beyond the imagination of many. That success came at a price, but now the club and its supporters can look forward to new, positive challenges. Edited August 4, 2009 by AND180Y 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghLivi Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Exactly my reaction when Mr Massone's cringeworthy statement was read out at our last game. Really? I would have been pissing myself laughing if I were an opposition supporter. On the other hand, I was more like this: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliche Guevara Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Whatever the situation, the SFL have the power to impose a penalty (which can be effectively in any form they see fit), as Livingston have been in a form of insolvency... It doesn't have to be administration, just being run by an insolvency practitioner. One saving grace of the lax rules... Yes, but my point is I really believe they won't. Possibly because they won't be able to agree on the best sanction, or possibly they'll be worried about potential repercussions of it. The SFL could theoretically say that Livi have successfully started the season, aren't in administration and haven't broken any rules. As I understand it, the bond is to protect the remaining clubs from the financial impact of losing the revenue from games v Livi, should they go bust during the season. The SFL might conclude that this is sufficient action. Admittedly it would be a farcical reaction to the events that have played out so publicly, however... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Well, I see your point, but I'm not convinced that a Livi starting 20 or 30 points behind everybody else would pull in 1500, I mean are Dunfermline that massive a draw for Livi fans when they know that ultimately the result won't make any difference to their final league position of 10th? At least in Division Two they'd be competing, albeit against a lower standard of opposition with smaller supports. Combine that with an away fan boycott of Almondvale and I think it's the best option available at such a late hour.A Queens fan worried about the loss of revenue to other sides in the league, presumably because of the Livi away support dropping off? It's not like Livi have a mammoth travelling support, is it? Those who go are the hardcore, and they are likely to keep going regardless of the pointlessness. Nothing to do with the Livy away support. Everything to do with other teams aways supports with an increased number of meaningless games. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raith_94 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Yes, but my point is I really believe they won't. Possibly because they won't be able to agree on the best sanction, or possibly they'll be worried about potential repercussions of it. The SFL could theoretically say that Livi have successfully started the season, aren't in administration and haven't broken any rules.As I understand it, the bond is to protect the remaining clubs from the financial impact of losing the revenue from games v Livi, should they go bust during the season. The SFL might conclude that this is sufficient action. Admittedly it would be a farcical reaction to the events that have played out so publicly, however... I fully expect them to get off without sanction as well. This is Scottish football after all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNECKSTAGGIE Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Yes, but my point is I really believe they won't. Possibly because they won't be able to agree on the best sanction, or possibly they'll be worried about potential repercussions of it. The SFL could theoretically say that Livi have successfully started the season, aren't in administration and haven't broken any rules.As I understand it, the bond is to protect the remaining clubs from the financial impact of losing the revenue from games v Livi, should they go bust during the season. The SFL might conclude that this is sufficient action. Admittedly it would be a farcical reaction to the events that have played out so publicly, however... The season does not start until Saturday, I would have thought that the 2 cup games do not count. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghLivi Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I'm personally a lot less positive about tommorow's outcome. If it really is a representative from every club, I personally see there being a lot of bitter clubs who will be out to give us a harsh punishment. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantoms-livi-lass Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Right, enough of all this Livi have no history pish, I found their documented history on the Livi website and quote it below. Reading from the third last paragraph it's a belter, oops!! And I thought you were my friend! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I'm personally a lot less positive about tommorow's outcome. If it really is a representative from every club, I personally see there being a lot of bitter clubs who will be out to give us a harsh punishment. I'd prefer fair-minded to bitter. We'll just have to wait and see. What do you consider to be a 'harsh punishment'? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghLivi Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I'd prefer fair-minded to bitter. We'll just have to wait and see. What do you consider to be a 'harsh punishment'? To be fair, I didn't say they weren't in their right to feel bitter. Harsh punishment would be anything over 15 points or relegation, in my opinion. You have to remember that we had a reasonable level of debt before the Madsone debacle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Ask a Clydebank fan if its the same club. I still think you are at crossed puposes with the earlier posters. They have all acknowledged that Airdrie are a continuation of the club/company previously trading as Clydebank. Clydebank supporters however, undoubtedly, are in possesion of the spirit of their old club and carry that in to the new one. Airdrie only took the league place. Airdrie supporters mostly prefer, for obvious reasons, to think that United is a continuation of Airdrieonians. Now, do you agree with that? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthBank Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Don't be surprised to see the Council write off a massive percentage of their debt. In addition, with Livi technically not being in administration, if the club is bought out then is there a likelihood that the SFL will conclude they don't have the power to impose a penalty - as the club would then be under a new regime?I've felt from the start that Livi would get away with this relatively freely and fully expect them not only to survive, but to avoid relegation. It's just the Ayr fan in me... But surely the club is in administration (appointed by the Court), until ALL creditors are paid off one way or another. Until that happens Livi are still in administration and all that that implies. Ok The Council may decide to burn taxpayers' money but the Inland Revenue, the small businesses and people like Hegerty will demand their pound of flesh (quite rightly so). So do the current board have enough dosh to pay creditors AND guarantee a £700,000 bond AND be able to take on more staff eg Bolan? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 To be fair, I didn't say they weren't in their right to feel bitter. Harsh punishment would be anything over 15 points or relegation, in my opinion. You have to remember that we had a reasonable level of debt before the Madsone debacle. Aren't you worried that a 10-15 points deduction will see Rankine and McDougall withdraw their offer? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordieBoy80 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 You'd be surprised... Any player who is willing to sign for LIvi should be sectioned 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdinburghLivi Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 (edited) Aren't you worried that a 10-15 points deduction will see Rankine and McDougall withdraw their offer? Not as worried about that as much as relegation scaring them away. Edited August 4, 2009 by EdinburghLivi 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCL Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 If the club go into admin then the council will need to write the money off anyway. So there goes those library books, wheelchair ramps, etc, etc.Why do they plot with the "Trust" against the owners and promise to reduce the rent for them and not the owners ? What's in it for the council ? Why not work with the owners to find a solution to keep the club in the 1st division ? The club would still be a limited company so the council would be pumping money into it. I'm not anti-trust because I want a sugar daddy. I'm anti-trust because of the people running it are only in it for their own egos. They want to be sitting on their fat arses in the director's box on a Saturday hob-nobbing with the council leader and his mates. I think I was one of the first to see where this was headed due to my court proceedings and I'm not a Massone apologist. I just can't see why people who are supposed to support the club would rather see it go into admin and drop divisions than work with what we have. Well I can, and it's all about that seat in the director's box. I hate to quote myself but this post from May seems to be uncannily accurate !! I see it's started already. You could hardly move in the Albion Rovers Director's Box on Saturday and the "Trust" board are all swanning around Almondvale as if they own the place now :lol: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Ask a Clydebank fan if its the same club. Airdrie United- Formed 1965 and that's official! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Isn't the amount put up as a bond the equivilant of seized transfer money, and will this cash become available to the new owners? If that's the case aren't they putting up nothing at all? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley D Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Livi aren't technically in administration (yet). There's a kind of pre-administration stage that is applied to SME's which is a fairly new thing I believe. I'm working from vague recollection here, but I believe the idea behind it is that small businesses tend to suffer more often from short term cashflow issues and this gives the courts the chance to put someone in there to have a look at what's going on, determine if it is a short term issue, and give the business a chance to recover without the burden of full administration hanging over them. Unless "Livingston 5" have £1.7 Million to invest/pay creditors to make the company solvent before 18th Aug then they will enter full administration. It's a fairly academic point anyway to be honest as the SFL rules don't actually say you have to be in administration to face a penalty....the process just has to have started, and there's no way anyone could deny it hasn't. If the SFL don't get them on the financial issues, they could still impose sanctions on the basis of bringing the league/game into disrepute. Whether the Livi fans like it or not, there's sufficient reason for the SFL to expel them altogether...it's not what I want to see, and it's not what I think the majority of fans of other clubs want to see....but Livi could have little complaint if it happened. It's only the good will and self interest of others that's going to save them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livi Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I hate to quote myself but this post from May seems to be uncannily accurate !!I see it's started already. You could hardly move in the Albion Rovers Director's Box on Saturday and the "Trust" board are all swanning around Almondvale as if they own the place now Yeh, whatever I hope they ban you 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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