Second home defeat in a row leaves Martindale's Livingston chasing the pace
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Drew Campbell
Livingston started the Championship season as one of the favourites to go straight back up. Ten games in, that tag is starting to look a little shaky.
Livi lost 2–1 at home to Partick Thistle on Saturday, their second home defeat in a row after the 2–1 loss to Ayr United on 3 October. Paddy Reading gave Partick the lead, Bradly van Hoeven equalised, but Tony Watt scored the winner on 62 minutes.
The result leaves Livingston fourth on 13 points from 10 games, with four wins, one draw and five defeats. They're nine points behind leaders Stenhousemuir and five behind Partick. Their goal difference is still positive, at +3, but losing five of the first 10 games isn't what anyone at the club expected.
Van Hoeven's goal was a bright spot. He's been one of the more dangerous attacking players in the side, and Livi will need more of that if they're going to climb the table.
The bigger issue is the situation in the dugout. David Martindale has been in charge on an interim basis since 6 September, after Glenn Whelan was sacked. Martindale has made it clear the role is short-term. As of Sunday, we haven't seen any announcement of a permanent appointment.
There was a bounce when Martindale first took over, but it seems to have faded. The BBC lists Livingston's last six league games as lost, won, drew, won, lost, lost. Two home defeats in a row is particularly concerning for a side expected to dominate at home.
Owner Calvin Ford has made his expectations clear. In an update earlier this season, he said "mediocrity is not acceptable". That sets a high standard, and the next few weeks will show whether the squad can meet it.
The fixtures don't offer much of a break. Livingston travel to Dunfermline on Saturday 17 October at 15:00. Neil Lennon's side have only lost once in the league and have games in hand, so it's a big test.
After that, Livi host Arbroath on 24 October. The Lichties have lost two league games in a row, so that's a game Livingston will see as a must-win at home. Then they travel to Stenhousemuir for a Friday night game on 30 October.
There's still plenty of time. The Championship is a long season, and nine points isn't an impossible gap with so many games left. But Livingston need to start turning performances into wins, and fast.
The question of who'll lead the club long-term will also hang over things until it's settled. A permanent appointment could give the squad clarity and direction.
For now, the job is simple: get back to winning ways. A result at East End Park next Saturday would be a good place to start.
If you are coming to Livingston, Almondvale is an easy ground to find your way around. It is compact, all-seated and covered on every side, with a capacity of 9,713, a short walk from the town-centre shops. Locals still call it Almondvale. Sponsorship currently bills it as the Home of the Set Fare Arena, so you will see both names. The address is Alderstone Road, Livingston, EH54 7DN.
Visiting supporters are normally housed in the North Stand, directly behind the goal, and in the covered north-east corner joined onto it. That block can take up to about 4,000. On a bigger away day the club often opens part of the East Stand as well, the side stand opposite the main stand, so check the ticket. Away turnstiles are on the east side. Home fans use the West Stand, where the dugouts and the players’ tunnel sit in front of the seats. The South Stand, behind the other goal, has the Almondvale Suite underneath and is mostly home support or hospitality unless your allocation spills round.
The pitch runs north to south, 98 metres by 69, so the goals are in front of the North and South Stands, not the side stands. It is an artificial 3G surface and stays true in the wet. All four stands are single-tier and roughly the same height. The north, east and south sides are continuous, with those corners filled in, so the away end sits inside a bowl rather than a separate shed. The West Stand stands on its own. The only open corner is at its southern end. Stadium House, a five-storey office block, overlooks the north-west corner. Floodlights rise at all four corners, and a television gantry sits at the back of the East Stand.
Livingston are a family club, and a visit is usually good-natured. A small band of drummers and trumpeters in the home crowd keeps a tune going. Seats are plastic, in black and amber. From the North Stand you look straight down the pitch, with no pillars in the way.
Trains are the simple option. Livingston North, on the Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street line, is a 25 to 30 minute walk: over the railway bridge, right along Deans North, then Alderstone Road past St John’s Hospital, where the ground is signposted. Livingston South, from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh, is a similar walk. Buses from central Edinburgh drop you at The Centre, about five minutes from the turnstiles. Drivers should leave the A71 at the town-centre signs and turn in off Alderstone Road. The car park is £5 cash, coaches a little more. Saturday traffic around the Designer Outlet can be slow.
Kiosks sell pies, burgers and hot drinks. Flasks are not allowed in. The Almondvale Suite, behind the South Stand, normally admits visiting supporters and opens around midday for a three o’clock kick-off. The Lime Kiln, a Hungry Horse on Almondvale Boulevard, is the popular away pub and a short walk back. The Paraffin Lamp is in the shopping centre. Wetherspoons’ Newyearfield, at the Designer Outlet, does not allow football colours.
Buy tickets through your own club. Prices change with the fixture, but adults have recently paid in the mid-twenties, with concessions and under-16s less. Bigger games are not sold on the day. Away wheelchair spaces are at pitchside on the east side: ring 01506 417000 and a carer is admitted free. There is no paper programme; an electronic one is on the club website. Arrive a little early, ticket ready at the east turnstiles, and you should be behind the north goal without a fuss.