Martindale insists Livingston mission is short-term

What the report says

David Martindale says his return to Livingston’s dugout is only a short-term move, even though he admits he misses coaching. The club’s sporting director will step in as interim manager alongside Frankie McAvoy for Friday’s Scottish Championship match away to Greenock Morton, following the dismissal of Glenn Whelan after Livingston lost three of their opening five league games.

Martindale, who moved into the sporting director role in January after six years as manager, stressed that he does not see himself as a long-term solution. He said the club needs to look for a permanent head coach elsewhere, while his temporary return is intended to give Livingston time to avoid making a rushed appointment.

The comments come after a difficult start to the season for Livingston, who were relegated from the top flight last term before winning promotion back via the play-offs in 2024-25. Martindale said the ownership expects the team to compete at the top of the Championship and that the early results have not been good enough.

He also said Livingston will widen their search for a replacement, suggesting the next coach may need experience from outside the club’s usual recruitment markets. The match at Morton, which BBC Scotland is set to broadcast, will be the first test of the interim setup.