Team for Next Season

Forgive me if I've missed it, but I don't think anyone has mentioned the fact that Alan Lithgow is/was a sex offender. Are we cool with that? Yet drug lord Martindale is a bad man ting?

Flashing is nothing compared to what we're used to, the guy's practically a saint at Livi.

Just waiting on getting Decs back and signing up Craig Thompson. The Tony Macaroni Rehab Centre.

Rob Ogleby making a return and Ian Black to be our next signings, just to make sure Martindale doesn't feel left out.

Anyway, out of boredom, with players signed up for next season it looks like currently this could be our team:



Hopefully get Gordon signed up along with Sives, McCallum and Fotheringham. Not sure about Gibbons, Cowden fans don't rate him at all but wouldn't mind him signing again as I thought he looked decent when he played for us, and I'd be very surprised if White is still here in a couple of weeks never mind another year.

Would like to re-sign Gordon, Fozzy & White, maybe some of the young guys.

Looking doubtful especially for Gordon + White.

Maybe a few of the younger boys as well that we had out on loan last season.

I'd also try and get rid of Sheerin - god awful player!

LiviLion wrote:Not sure about Gibbons, Cowden fans don't rate him at all but wouldn't mind him signing again as I thought he looked decent when he played for us,

Gibbons had a two year contract i am sure.

Christ, Livi do love a centre-half with a questionable past.

By all accounts, Watt was banging them in for Brechin on loan last year and looks like the kind of player who could make the step up to FT; likewise with Cadden. It's the signings of Lithgow and Crighton that are worrying me a bit. Looking at the Airdrie thread on P&B, they were quite happy to accept one of them as a back-up at best and let another go - maybe their signing is a sign of the crunch at Livi when it comes to the budget but the fact they've both got 2-year deals is another thing - what if we do get promoted next season, and are left with them in the Championship?

Can't comment on the signing of Sinclair since I've not read anything anywhere about him. If he follows in the same vein as every other signing we've had from Hearts/Hibs then I'll be disappointed.

As far as I can see, Gibbons only signed a one-year deal, according to this (sketchy) source. Would quite like him to stay as I think he got a bit of a raw deal from Hopkin, but with the manager staying I doubt he'll be back.

Re-signing Shagz would probably edge me towards getting a ST. Would have to take something pretty special to convince me if he doesn't.

I was hoping it was a misprint in the Daily Ranger about Hopkins being retained.
That just proves we have a Board who are clueless/gutless or just totally inept.
Its decided it for me - I will not renew my ST , I will attend the 1st 6 games home/away and if it looks promising/entertaining and a damn site better than what we've had I will continue for the season , but money up front - not a chance.
No ambition.

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2016/05/16/livingston-hopkindeal/?platform=hootsuite

U20s team will be brought back for next season. Good news, means our younger players will actually get some game time instead of just warming the bench.

Don't know anything about Crighton or Sinclair. Airdrie fans don't seem bothered that Lithgow's gone (wasn't he part of the Clyde defence when we hammered them 7-1?), looks like Watt wasn't happy with the amount of game time so turned their offer down to join us. Cadden seems like the only one they're really disappointed about, and sounds like a really good prospect.

Like others I'm not sure about a ST, I'll need to wait and see how we look in pre-season and the cup games (doesn't the League Cup's new format means it starts earlier?) before I decide whether or not to spend money I should probably be keeping.

This is really getting on my goat!.The re appointment of Hopkin was surely a foregone conclusion as the influence that martindale so obviously holds down there is so clear for everyone to see.It must have been an odds on certainty that that he would be retained givin the current financail climate surrrounding the club.Yes i know there has been quite a few signings recently but i reckon thats because of the number of current players the club arent telling us about who will be leaving us.Also so dissapointing to see so many loyal supporters questioning and in some cases suggesting that they wont be back.At a time when the club need us most some people have short memories.We stay together as a support through the good times and the bad.I for one will be getting behind my team by purchasing my season ticket and parking my arse on the same seat ive sat on for 21 years and would suggest that many of our small but loyal support do the same.IMO of course.LOL for next season,Cant wait.Weve done it before we can do it again.Over to you Livi!!!

Crighton and Lithgow scored 10 between them.
Watt scored 11 from midfield over the season playing for Airdrie and Brechin.
Cadden scored only 3 times but was highly rated at u19 level.

Don't think our entire defence managed 10 goals and I don't think our entire midfield managed 11, okay we were playing at a higher level but these guys have proved they can do it at the level we are at.

Actually I think the signings are decent, if we can keep Gordon and Sives i'd be happy with our defence. Certainly gives us far more areas to get goals than we had last season. If wee Knox takes the set pieces we could be pretty dangerous with the players that can score from them.

Still not optimistic of Hopkin being the man to get us back up though, but we're stuck with him, so here's hoping he can prove me wrong and I eat humble pie next season.

Yeah Troy i'll be renewing my ST too, not happy with the managerial appointment but I am a Livi fan and i'll be there next season enduring it to the end.

Yeh, I'll be there too. The die hards have to keep things going till our fortunes change.
Mon the Livi. ⚽

Not overly happy with the Hopkin appointment but will give him time, signings look promising but would still like to see a replacement striker for White. Looking forward to hearing Season Ticket price., Unfortunately will miss first two friendlies as away in Corfu but will catch up online.
Here's hoping for a better season than the last two and lets see the team keep the ball down rather than just punting it upfield!

Bertie Bassett wrote:Crighton and Lithgow scored 10 between them.
Watt scored 11 from midfield over the season playing for Airdrie and Brechin.
Cadden scored only 3 times but was highly rated at u19 level.

Don't think our entire defence managed 10 goals and I don't think our entire midfield managed 11, okay we were playing at a higher level but these guys have proved they can do it at the level we are at.

Sounds promising, wasn't enough goals being scored from other players outside of our strikers. Cadden sounds like a player we've been needing, a highly rated winger, canny wait. Just hope Hopkin plays him on the wing and not in defence.

Club statement on Official Site gives me some encouragement, engaging the fans more, fans forum, asking for assistance in promoting the club, youth teams, secure position, settlement, keeping the ground. It goes on all appears positive, Lets buy our Season Tickets and encourage others. Come on you Lions!!

Yeah good start to try and connect with the fans, just a shame they didn't take fans opinions into account when they kept Hopkin on as manager, if they had then it would've made it a lot easier for them to sell this new approach to the fans. The 'continuity' reason just doesn't add up for me or they'd have kept Burchill on, sounds very much like political spin doctor speech.

It is better than saying nothing at all though, and if they can sell the positive spin to the fans and show they are willing to listen to fans feedback, then it is a step in the right direction.

Liviforever wrote:Yeah good start to try and connect with the fans, just a shame they didn't take fans opinions into account when they kept Hopkin on as manager, if they had then it would've made it a lot easier for them to sell this new approach to the fans. The 'continuity' reason just doesn't add up for me or they'd have kept Burchill on, sounds very much like political spin doctor speech.

It is better than saying nothing at all though, and if they can sell the positive spin to the fans and show they are willing to listen to fans feedback, then it is a step in the right direction.

Correct. The statement is almost too positive. We as fans have been burnt and bought what every previous board have told us in the past. There wasn't actually many answers in that statement but rather just statements of "its all fine".

None the less, its good to hear something from the board, who ever they may be...

Really? An admission that we will operate st a loss to try and get back up is saying "everything in the garden is rosy?"

A statement that says "we are being run by a volunteer committee rather than a board of directors" is saying "nothing to see here, move along please"?

A statement that airs the dirty laundry of the court cases, albeit positively, is saying "don't worry be happy"?

All fair comments.

As Livi fans we have been led up the garden path by every board in the last 20 years so no one could blame us for scepticism.

I'll just mosey on as normal watching what's going on, glad there's a team on the park and hoping that one of these days all the statements and promises don't turn to nothing.

Bertie Bassett wrote:Really? An admission that we will operate st a loss to try and get back up is saying "everything in the garden is rosy?"

A statement that says "we are being run by a volunteer committee rather than a board of directors" is saying "nothing to see here, move along please"?

A statement that airs the dirty laundry of the court cases, albeit positively, is saying "don't worry be happy"?

Well they couldn't exactly deny it could they? Considering it has all been public knowledge. Its an admission with no details of anything.

Bertie Bassett wrote:Really? An admission that we will operate st a loss to try and get back up is saying "everything in the garden is rosy?"

A statement that says "we are being run by a volunteer committee rather than a board of directors" is saying "nothing to see here, move along please"?

A statement that airs the dirty laundry of the court cases, albeit positively, is saying "don't worry be happy"?

It's a lot more positive than what Livi fans were believing, with us being about 2M in debt to the 3 stooges who are getting their cut from the 2 best seasons we've had with Hearts and Sevco bumper crowds, and the rumours flying about over Martindale's involvement (why Hopkin was kept on). I'm suspicious of the continuity reason.

The plan to set up a separate company which would get the ground from the council and rent it out to us, after putting down a 3G surface is also a bit suspicious. The minute the ground is being talked about I get alarm bells ringing about their reasons for wanting it.

For the first time since administration, the club is in a secure position and is being run by a team of people with no vested interests or ambitions to sell the lease on the football ground to a developer or supermarket chain.

They say that but the fact they were after the lease from the council still makes my spidey sense tingle. Like Orco says, we've trusted and been lied to before, can't blame us for being sceptical.

They need to try and get ST's sold though and this statement has done a good job in that respect, I've read a lot of comments from Livi fans willing to give them a chance and are going to buy a ST. I was getting mine anyway but i'm still wary of what is going on down there.

Singings so far look nothing more than "ok". 

The boy Cadden is a promising player, one that airdrie fans were upset about leaving. Crighton and lithgow sound shite so hoping to see Morgan niell start every game. Watt took the huff with airdrie when he had to fight for a place and was shipped out. Sinclair sounds alright at youth level but it's a big mans game in the lower leagues. 

Thankfully we still have a few tidy players from last season.