The start of the Scottish Football League has been thrown into further chaos tonight after Livingston announced they will refuse to play Saturday’s Third Division fixture against East Stirlingshire. The Scottish Football League relegated debt ridden Livingston from the First Division on Wednesday for breaching the league’s insolvency rules. The club have now decided to appeal that sanction and insist they will not play any Third Division fixture until the case is heard.

The appeal was lodged by interim manager Donald McGruther, who has been running Livi for the past fortnight. McGruther has been frantically attempting to negotiate the sale of the club to a consortium led by former Cowdenbeath owner Gordon McDougall, ex-Dumbarton chairman Neil Rankine and ex-Livi director Ged Nixon.

A statement on the Livi’s official website, from the consortium said, “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 fulfil 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 fulfil the First Division fixture at Ross County on Saturday 8 August.”

A separate statement from the consortium added, “From the consortium’s perspective, we regret the need to take this step and the implications it could have on football people throughout Scotland tomorrow, but we feel strongly that this action is entirely justified. Additionally, the consortium are delighted to announce that we have today made substantial progress on finalising the purchase of the club and will be working over the weekend and hope to be in a position in the next few days to conclude the purchase.”

Livingston’s announcement was the latest twist in what has become an embarrassing period within Scottish football, possibly the most embarrassing in the history of Scottish football.

An appeal was set to see the postponement of Livingston’s opening fixture, as well as those involving Airdrie United and Cowdenbeath, who had been promoted to the First and Second Divisions, respectively, as a result of Livi’s relegation. Instead, the SFL announced this morning Ross County v Airdrie, Cowdenbeath v Arbroath and East Stirling v Livingston would all go ahead but the results would be void if Livi’s appeal proved successful.

The decision risked making a mockery of the entire competition but appeared to demonstrate the SFL’s belief that any appeal is doomed to fail. However this decision did not stop the league being slated.

East Stirling vice-chairman Spencer Fearn, one of the most vocal critics of the handling of the affair, having already called for the heads of the entire SFL management committee.

He told his club’s website today, “It is an almost farcical situation. Personally, I saw no need to relegate Livingston if a prospective rescue package had been put in place and the new owners were prepared to help fund the club to stay in the First Division.”

Ross County also issued a statement on their official website, “We would like to apologise to fans for the late confirmation of this but the matter has been outwith our control and we share your frustration at the doubt and confusion that has surrounded the game.”

Tagged with: appeal, Livingston, relegation, SFL, strike

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