Considering one of McIlvogue’s key objectives when buying the club last year was to tie Martindale to a long-term contract, the 49-year-old seems likely to have his first taste of being a Championship manager next season.
“If the club want me here, I’ll be here fighting and doing everything I can to get the club back to the Premiership,” Martindale said post-match at Fir Park.
“For next year, the aim is to go straight back up. But we’re not Hearts or Dundee United. We don’t have the same budget. But I honestly feel we’re capable.”
Martindale has already been planning for a summer squad overhaul whether or not Livingston were relegated, with the expectation of up to 15 departures.
However, he suggested he will have “a really strong group of 12-13 and we need to build on that”.
Indeed, Martindale’s logic is that, having been competitive in the Premiership with a Championship budget for so long, they have sufficient funds to be competitive in the second tier.
However, off the park, owner McIlvogue’s main task will be making sure Livingston do not enter administration for a third time in their history.
The Glasgow-based businessman with a portfolio of food and drinks companies last year famously saved Mortons Rolls from collapse before turning his attention to Livingston.
He immediately focused on a 10,000-seat stadium that is rarely filled – new town residents being notoriously reticent about supporting their local team instead of inherited previous allegiances.
Indeed, Livingston’s average gate is the lowest in the top flight. Their total of less than 4,000 from a population 57,000 is about 400 fewer than Ross County attract from Dingwall’s population of 5,500 and surrounds.
McIlvogue thinks he can resolve that by encouraging greater community involvement – and, pointing out that Livingston is the only club in Premiership that does not own its own stadium, expressed his desire to open discussions with owners West Lothian Council about a purchase.
He has already announced that the long-standing stadium name sponsorship deal with the Italian restaurant company Tony Macaroni will be replaced next season, with Almondvale being known as Home of the Set Fare Arena following a six-figure deal with a Bathgate taxi firm.
McIlvogue and Martindale will hope they can bake up the right ingredients to put the brakes on Livingston’s slide out of the top flight and steer them on to the fast lane back to the Premiership.
