Livingston

The Case For Them

Livingston work as a second team because they come with their own geography: Scotland, Almondvale Stadium, Livingston, and a set of rivalries you will absorb faster than you expect.

• Close to the pitch

  Almondvale Stadium, Livingston holds about 9,713. You can hear the defenders shouting at each other, which is the single best argument for lower-capacity football.

• Easy weekend

  Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is about 12km from the ground, and Livingston South railway station is 2km closer still. A home fixture is a genuinely doable two-night trip.

• The calendar you inherit

  Scotland Championship is cold-weather football: mud in February, breath visible under the lights, and a fixture list that rewards anyone who sticks it out. Scotland does not do easy neutrals.

• Old enough to matter

  1943 is the founding date, old enough that the club has survived a war, a rebuild and at least one financial scare, young enough that the good years are still in living memory.