Livingston sack manager Mark Burchill

Livingston last night parted company with manager Mark Burchill with the club currently second bottom of the Championship.
Burchill won the Petrofac Training Cup and helped the club escape relegation last season. Picture: SNSBurchill won the Petrofac Training Cup and helped the club escape relegation last season. Picture: SNS
Burchill won the Petrofac Training Cup and helped the club escape relegation last season. Picture: SNS

The 1-1 home draw with Dumbarton on Saturday, coupled with the narrow defeat by Alloa at the same venue ten days ago, has forced the club’s board into a swift decision.

The former Scotland internationalist took over in West Lothian last December following the sacking of predecessor John McGlynn and led the club to Championship safety and won the League Challenge Cup in his first five months at the helm.

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However, a summer overhaul of the squad has brought little improvement with the Lions currently four points clear of Alloa at the foot having won just three league games all season.

A statement on the club’s website read: “Livingston Football Club regretfully announce that Mark Burchill has been relieved of his managerial duties with immediate effect and will serve out the remaining period of his contract on gardening leave.

“The club will be making no further comment at this stage.”

Burchill was unavailable for comment when contacted but Livi majority shareholder Gordon Ford, who is currently in Chicago, admitted results have been extremely disappointing of late.

“The matches against both Alloa and Dumbarton were must-win games for the football club and we didn’t get the results we wanted,” Ford explained. “Mark is a really good guy, who is committed to Livingston but these things happen in football.

“He’s shown real passion in his time here but you only have to look at Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and what he’d previously achieved there. You can win the English Premier League last season and then a couple of months later you’re out of a job.”