The 49-year-old will be looking to get his first experience as a Championship manager next season, given that one of McIlvorg's key objectives when he took over the club last year was to sign Martindale to a long-term deal. Looks like I'll have to.
“If the club wants me to stay here, I'm going to fight here and do everything I can to get the club back into the Premiership,” Martindale said at Fir Park after the match.
“The aim for next year is to get back on the straights. But we're not Hearts or Dundee United. We don't have the same budget. But, to be honest, I feel we have the ability. There is.”
Martindale is already planning a summer overhaul of his squad, with up to 15 players expected to leave, regardless of whether Livingston are relegated.
But he suggested: “We will have a very strong group of 12 to 13 people and we need to build on that.”
In fact, Martindale's logic is that having been competitive in the Premiership for so long using Championship budgets, they have enough money to be competitive in the second tier. .
But off the park, owner McIlvogue's main task will be to ensure Livingstone does not enter administration for a third time in history.
The Glasgow-based businessman, who has a portfolio of food and drink companies, famously saved Morton's Rolls from collapse last year before turning to Livingston.
He quickly focused on the 10,000-seat stadium, which is rarely full. Residents of new towns are notoriously reluctant to support local teams instead of continuing their old allegiances.
In fact, Livingston's average gate is the lowest in the top class. The total is less than 4,000 out of a population of 57,000, about 400 fewer than the population Ross County attracts from the 5,500 population of Dingwall and its surrounding area.
Mr McIlvogue believes this problem can be solved by promoting community involvement, pointing out that Livingston are the only club in the Premiership that does not own its own stadium, and that the acquisition will be West Lothian Council has announced its intention to start discussions with West Lothian Council.
He has already announced that his long-standing stadium name sponsorship deal with Italian restaurant company Tony Macaroni will be replaced next season, with Almondvale following a six-figure deal with Bathgate's taxi company to replace Setfair Arena. It became known as the home of the.
McIlvogue and Martindale hope they can bake off the right ingredients to put the brakes on Livingston's slide from the top flight and get them into the fast lane to the Premiership.
