The future is bright for Livingston despite their recent relegation from the William Hil Premiership and the resignation of interim head coach, Marvin Bartey, and his assistant.
That’s according to Lions’ chairman, Calvin Ford, who told success-hungry fans that he will never stop pushing and driving to make the club as successful as possible.
The 42-year-old businessman and philanthropist added: “We will never give up the fight.”
In a lengthy statement to what he called the Livingston FC Football Community, Ford admitted it has been a challenging season on the pitch, and one that must have been difficult for everyone with a connection to the club.
And he pledged to find an individual who will lead the club back to the Premiership.
Ford also revealed what he called “an executive football committee” is being developed at the Home of the Set Fare Arena which will make “significant decisions” on the future of the club.
And he told fans that the club is creating a recruitment department and state-of-the-art sports recovery and conditioning suite which will be among the “best in Scotland”.
The American-based businessman revealed that the results this season – Livingston went on a disappointing run on 33 winless games – made his weekends “gut-wrenching”, especially to see so many close results end up going against the West Lothian club.
Ford, great-great grandson of car magnet, Henry Ford, added: “I feel all the same emotions that I’m sure members of our community are feeling and can only promise we will do everything possible to get back to the Premiership for the season 2027-28. We have already begun that process.”
The chairman said there has been a significant amount of learning for everyone this season, especially for him, and he admitted coming into Scottish football with very little experience of the game North of the Border.
Michigan-based Ford said: “The challenges we faced this year can provide silver linings. We have been given an opportunity to reset our focus and come back to the top stronger than ever.
“I am nothing if I am not full of passion. I have come to love the Livingston community and am fully committed to the development and ascension of this football club.
“We have a dedicated, loyal, passionate and experienced staff, both on the pitch and off, and collectively we are ready to move forward and ultimately return to the top flight.”
Ford believes that Livingston belong in the Scottish Premiership and he added: “My thoughts and belief in that statement have never wavered, and again, we will do whatever we must to ensure promotion back next year.”
The statement also discussed role of head coach role following the resignation of ex-Hibs midfield player Bartley and Neil Hastings.
For said: “It’s important that there is clarity in our process as we move forward. It is of paramount importance that we transition into an operation that is not reliant on one individual making all of the footballing decisions.
“We are developing an executive football committee that will be responsible for making significant decisions that will influence the future of our club. In both the business and footballing world, building a culture with smart, motivated, hard-working people ultimately and inevitably translates into successful results.
“We will work to find the proper leader who is the best fit both on the pitch and in the dressing-room.”
It was, he said, incumbent upon him and the leaders at the club to ensure the right person is in place to lead Livingston FC now and into the future and Ford added: “We will not accept anything or anyone less than what we feel gives us the best chance to win. That is what drives us.
“The right leader will guide our play in an aggressive, attacking football style, and help promote us back to the Premiership where we rightly belong.”
Ford said: “I will do everything in my power to help us get back to the Scottish Premiership.
“There has been a significant amount of work going on in the background for the last three months. We have been building a recruitment department that will be one of the best in Scotland. We also have been building a state-of-the-art sports recovery and conditioning suite that we all feel will be one of the best, if not the best, in the country.
“We are working to grow the commercial and geographic footprint of our infrastructure, so that we can continue to build top talent across our men’s team, women’s team, and academies.
“We will invest in a budget for next year that will allow us to be one of, if not the most financially competitive clubs in the Scottish Championship.”
He pledged: “We will not stop until we accomplish all of our goals, and then we will push on to grow further.”
LIVI ROCKING: The Home of the Set Fare Arena packed for the visit of Hearts and club chairman wants the West Lothian club back in the big time. Picture Nigel Duncan
