Livingston Football Club

Story

Livingston Football Club is a Scottish football club based in Livingston, West Lothian.Livingston currently play in the Scottish Championship and were founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team. The club was admitted to the Scottish Football League and renamed as Meadowbank Thistle in 1974, and played its matches at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. In 1995, the club was relocated to Livingston, West Lothian and renamed after the town. Since then Livingston have played their home games at the Almondvale Stadium. In the ten years following the move to Livingston the club enjoyed notable success, winning promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2001, qualifying for the UEFA Cup in its maiden season in the top flight (finishing third after Celtic and Rangers) and winning the 2004 Scottish League Cup. However, the club hit financial problems in 2004, and was relegated to the Scottish First Division in 2006. In July 2009 the club faced further financial problems and were on the verge of suffering a liquidation event before a deal was struck. Livingston were subsequently demoted to the Scottish Third Division, but the club achieved consecutive promotions and regained its place in the second tier. At the end of the 2014–15 Championship season the club narrowly managed to avoid the relegation playoff, finishing 8th, but the following season they lost to Stranraer in the Scottish Championship play-off semi-finals and were relegated to League One. In season 2016–17, Livingston successfully won the title and immediate promotion back into the Championship.