A Team Effort

Livingston Manager Gary Bollan has told his Third Division Championship winning squad to go away and enjoy their summer break and, to take time to reflect back on a historic season at Almondvale. The Lions may well have won the League however, the biggest triumph may well have been the dramatic change in the outlook of the club.

Bollan said, “The players are now away on holiday and they can enjoy this year’s break after the events of last summer where they did not know when or if they were going to be paid and whether there would still be a club. This time both the first team and the Under-19 side have gone away with those issues resolved and Championship winners’ medals under their belts.”

Bollan was appointed to take charge of the Livingston squad in August last season after some dramatic times in West Lothian where the club were placed in the Third Division as a result of well documented financial problems under previous owners.

American goalkeeping coach John Murphy was in charge for the first two games of the season as the ‘Under New Ownership’ signs were being placed at Almondvale. Defeats in The ALBA Challenge Cup to Queen of the South and The Co-operative Insurance Cup to Albion Rovers were seen before Bollan came on board although his managerial debut was delayed.

Livingston decided not to fulfil their opening League fixture against East Stirlingshire as a result of the SFL Management Committee’s decision to relegate the club to the Third Division with Bollan taking the team for the first time when they defeated Montrose 2-0 on 15^th August.

Looking back to that win, Bollan said, “We had brought in the likes of Paul Watson for the defence and Robbie Winters for the attack and they helped boost the squad. It was a relief to get going and a relief to win 2-0 after all the ups and downs at the club.”

37-year-old Bollan’s journey to the Manager’s Office started back in 1989, when he was signed by Dundee United and he was at Tannadice for nearly six years before moving to Rangers. His spell at Ibrox was blighted by injury and after three years in Glasgow, he headed north again for St. Johnstone where he made the most appearances for the one club.

Bollan left McDiarmid Park for Almondvale as a player in the summer of 2001 and he had the unique distinction of playing in Europe for a fourth Scottish club during his spell there. Bollan returned to Dundee United for a year in January 2003 before ending life in the SPL with a spell at Motherwell.

The curtain came down in Bollan’s playing career after a season with Clyde and then a term at Glebe Park with Brechin City with the first steps towards management happening when Bollan joined Clyde as Head of Youth under Colin Hendry, before being promoted to working with the first team under John Brown.

Bollan left the Bully Wee at the start of 2009 as part of cash cutting measures however, he remains grateful for the experience saying, “My time at Clyde certainly whetted my appetite and gave me a good grounding and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to manage Livingston.”

After the initial win against Montrose, Livingston lost their next two games as they travelled to Berwick Rangers as well as Albion Rovers going down 1-0 on both occasions. These defeats may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise with Bollan saying, “Those two games brought it home to everybody about how much hard work we had to do.”

Three victories in the next four games set up an intriguing clash where Bollan’s youngsters came across Dick Campbell’s experienced Forfar Arthletic side and the Livi cubs became Livi Lions that day as they won 1-0.  He said, “If Forfar had won, they would have gone six points clear of us but more importantly, we had to show a fair bit of resilience in that game. Forfar were one of the favourites for the title and were a big, experienced side and we did well to hang on under a fair degree of pressure.”

Six wins in the next seven games more than proved that Livi had adjusted to life in the Third Division and it took them to the top of the table, although Forfar gained a measure of revenge with a 2-1 win at Almondvale in the last game Livingston played in 2009.

After a weather enforced break of six weeks, Livingston started 2010 by snatching a draw with an injury time goal down at Stranraer before a run of seven wins in eight games consolidated their table topping position.

Two of those wins were pivotal as then closest challengers East Stirling were seen off 2-0 in successive games with Bollan saying, “East Stirling would have been a point behind us, with a game in hand, if they had won that first game so it was a crucial one to win. We knew after those games that we had a good chance to go on and win the title but it would not be easy as other teams were just not going to give it up.”

Further wins over Stranraer and Queen’s Park saw Livingston enter April with the chance to wrap up the title at Annan if other results went their way.  However, the Almondvale side went down 2-0 at Galabank and Forfar won to keep things ticking over.

In the midweek following the Annan Athletic game, Livingston bounced back with a 1-0 win over bottom side Montrose although they left it late with Middlesbrough bound Andrew Halliday heading in an injury time winner. Bollan said, “The Montrose result was a big win for us as we had to show character to come back after Annan and also to keep going until the final whistle. It was a big result for us this season.”

That win set up the chance to win the League at Almondvale on 10^th April, when second placed Forfar came calling and it looked like the script had been written to perfection when Raffaele De Vita opened the scoring for Livingston after just 35 seconds.

Forfar roared into the game however, and scored three times before Winters pulled a goal back, with all this happening before half time, and the game ended 3-2 to the Angus men. Bollan advised, “We lost three poor goals in a short period of time and that was more down to individual errors as opposed to nerves. We had handled pressure all season as we were expected to win most of our games so I still don’t think it was nerves at that time.”

A further opportunity to lift the title came three days later when Livingston travelled over the border to face Berwick where a win would ensure the League title. Steve Tosh, who Bollan recruited in the January transfer window alongside striker Jim Hamilton, to add some experience to his ranks, netted a penalty and it looked like the finishing line had been crossed until Damon Gray grabbed an equaliser.

Bollan joked, “We were getting there but we were doing it inch by inch.”

The clubs met again at Almondvale on the Saturday with Livingston now requiring only a point however, they failed to find the net and it looked like the title was on hold again when The Borderers were awarded a last minute penalty with the scoreline blank.  Goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie ensured his place in Livingston’s history was further enhanced when he kept out Stuart Callaghan’s effort.

Bollan said, “That was a nervy game and then it looked like we could lose. Roddy produced a great save and ensured a moment in the club’s history that will always be remembered in dramatic fashion. We had been close so many times that we did not want it to go on any further so it was great to finally get the point needed to know we were Champions.”

With the title won, Livingston played with a carefree spirit and ended the season with a three game run that saw them pick up nine points, score eight times and not concede any. Bollan introduced members of the club’s youth squad to first team action during this time and he said, “We played our two young goalkeepers and they never lost a goal. We continued to win games which was important for the integrity of the League as Montrose were fighting to get off the bottom and Albion Rovers as well as East Stirling were involved in Play-Off issues.”

Livingston also created history by having all four Jacobs brothers on the field at the same time with elder sibling Keaghan joined by triplets Kyle, Sheldon and Devon at home to Albion Rovers with Bollan saying, “We said that once the League was won, we would make it happen if we could. It was great for the family and the club when it did.”

The Lions supporters joined in the spirit of the occasion signing ‘Give it to Jacobs’ as the game was played out.

The Championship party took place last weekend when East Stirling came calling with Bollan saying, “It was great to get our medals and we had a small party afterwards which I am sure will have been enough to keep the players going throughout the close season. There is stability here now and the players have gone away proud of being part of Livingston as opposed to not knowing what they would be coming back to last year.”

Bollan reflected on winning the Third Division Championship by saying, “Our aim was always to get promotion automatically and it was hugely satisfying to do so. It was hugely important that the club started heading back to the level it should be at. I was involved in the Play-Offs when I was at Clyde and whilst we won it against Alloa and Airdrie, I am delighted not to be involved this time out. Anything can happen on those two games so I was delighted to win it over the usual 36 matches.”

It has been a team effort at the club with Bollan giving praise to his assistant Scott Paterson and Head of Youth Brian Welsh when he said, “Scott came in during September to replace Brian who was going to head up the youth side of things. Their help has been great and also successful with the first team winning the Third Division and the Under-19 side winning the SFL Under-19 Youth Division and getting to the Semi-Finals of the SFA Youth Cup, where they had knocked out holders Hibs and were unlucky to go down to winners Celtic.

“We also have the SFL Youth League Cup Final on Saturday against Partick Thistle so there could be another trophy coming here.”

Bollan added, “Everyone at the club has put in great effort this season with the Directors, Gordon McDougall, Robert Wilson and Ged Nixon pushing the boat out to allow us to bring in Robbie Winters last summer and Bobby Barr in January.”

One player who will not be in Bollan’s squad next season is the aforementioned Halliday with Bollan hoping that his move to Gordon Strachan’s side can act as a inspiration to other players in the SFL.  Bollan said, “That move just shows you that big clubs are still coming up here to look at players. Playing in the SFL gives you the chance to get spotted.”