Livingston owner Calvin Ford says he has no regrets over letting Marvin Bartley leave the club in May, even with Bartley making an eye-catching start at Stenhousemuir.
Bartley was asked to reapply for his role as head coach after Livingston were relegated from the Premiership, and he resigned in May. Ford’s comments come after a difficult spell for Livingston, who sacked Glenn Whelan after three months in charge and have now seen Bartley enjoy a strong run elsewhere.
Ford backs the decision
Ford said he is happy for Bartley and believes he has done an incredible job at Stenhousemuir. He also described Bartley as a good person and a good manager, but made clear he stands by the club’s approach.
“He had a track record of games at Livingston. He won a game and that's great, but he lost a lot of games as well,” Ford said, explaining why he would not have been comfortable simply naming Bartley as the club’s long-term answer without also continuing to look at other options.
Ford added that he felt it was fair to want Bartley involved in the process while still searching for another permanent replacement. “Maybe people don't see it that way and he didn't see it that way,” he said, before adding that Bartley moved in a different direction and that was fine.
Different paths for Livingston and Stenhousemuir
The contrast is now hard to miss. Last weekend, Stenhousemuir beat Livingston, and after five rounds of fixtures Stenhousemuir led the SPFL Championship. Livingston, meanwhile, are still trying to settle on a permanent solution after Whelan’s short spell in charge.
Ford said the club are using data and analytics in that search, suggesting Livingston want a more measured process this time rather than rushing into another appointment.
He also said the way Livingston want to play and the way Bartley is playing at Stenhousemuir are two different things. For Ford, that is the main point: the club made a decision based on fit, timing and performance, and he would not change it now.
“No, I have no regrets,” Ford said. “The way that we handled things was the way that we handled things and I wouldn't change anything.”
