Massone in rallying call to potential investors

LIVINGSTON chairman Angelo Massone has called on potential investors to come together in a bid to save the club.

He wants to hold talks with Neil Rankine, Gordon McDougall and the Livi for Life Trust fans group as fears grow that the Irn-Bru First Division outfit are heading for administration.

Massone has claimed to be in talks with former Dumbarton chairman Rankine over a financial partnership. Former Cowdenbeath owner McDougall has also expressed an interest but previously claimed he would only be interested in sole control of Livingston, with Massone insisting at the time that he had no intention of selling the club.

The club must now find £280,000 by today for rent arrears due to West Lothian Council or face eviction from the ground.

The Trust have called for Massone to seek a buyer for his shareholding and have pledged their full support to any new owner but he says now is the time for unity.

A statement on the club's official website read: "The future of Livingston Football Club is more important than any other matter today.

"Now is the time to save the club and overcome any divisions or squabbles that have occurred in the past. It is imperative that we avoid, at all costs, any threat of insolvency and pay off all creditors, especially West Lothian Council.

"Angelo Massone, in agreement with Neil Rankine, would like to extend an invitation to the Trust, Gordon McDougall and every other investor to come together and co-operate to save the club. Livingston Football Club must be our first priority.

"Let us all gather around a table, stand united, save Livingston Football Club and manage the club together. By consolidating our position in the First Division, we can create a great future for our club."

Massone has not had his troubles to seek in recent weeks. Livingston remain without a manager in place after Paul Hegarty was officially suspended by the club, while the Almondvale outfit failed to pay the players on time on occasions last season.

Furthermore, the power supply was cut off to the stadium a couple of weeks ago due to Massone's failure to pay an outstanding £32,000 bill, and shirt sponsor RDF, an IT solutions company, decided to withdraw its backing ahead of the new SFL campaign.

The only bright spot has been the sale of Leigh Griffiths. Livingston managed to pocket £115,000 when they sold the striker to Dundee last week.