Marvin Bartley has taken over as Livingston supervisor with David Martindale shifting to a brand new function as sporting director on the Scottish Premiership backside membership.
Martindale strikes upstairs after 5 years as supervisor, with the membership winless in 24 video games and 6 factors adrift on the foot of the desk.
The West Lothian’s sole league victory this season got here in August and Martindale is now changed by his assistant Bartley following Saturday’s 2-0 house loss to Motherwell.
Livingston’s run of twenty-two video games with out a league victory is simply matched by one top-flight staff this century – Hamilton within the 2010-11 season.
Bartley’s solely earlier managerial expertise got here in a 16-month spell with Queen of the South in League One, when he received 25 of his 61 matches in cost.
Martindale’s exit comes lower than 24 hours after he informed BBC Scotland he didn’t “worry for his job” and expressed his need to remain.
Within the membership assertion confirming the managerial modifications, Martindale, 51, mentioned: “I’ve to take accountability for this horrible run we have now been on.
“This season has confirmed extremely troublesome for a lot of causes and I totally perceive that change was crucial on the membership.
“I consider Marvin, supported by the workers and gamers on the membership, has the squad and talent to maintain us within the league, however I understand how large a job that will likely be.
“I will likely be right here to supply any help I can going ahead, however I’m additionally acutely aware that there must be a transparent divide between my new function and the first-team footballing division.
“This altering room has greater than sufficient inside it to start out placing factors on the board. I ask that we collectively present speedy and constructive help for Marvin and the gamers for what will likely be one other huge sport on Wednesday evening.”
Martindale, who initially joined Livingston as a volunteer in 2014, was the Premiership’s longest-serving supervisor, having taken everlasting cost in December 2020 after a spell as caretaker boss.
He guided the membership to a top-six end in his first season and solely narrowly missed out on the highest half within the two campaigns that adopted.
After struggling relegation within the 2023-24 season, Martindale introduced Livingston straight again up by means of the play-offs final time period and received their first cup in eight years with victory over Queen’s Park within the SPFL Belief Trophy remaining.
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