Martindale won’t suit up for big day at Hampden
Livingston managers points to ‘bad memories’ in formalwear
WITH no supporters watching on, no overnight hotel stay, no traditional pre-match meal and no team bus, Sunday’s Betfred Cup final is certainly shaping up to be a bit of a different showpiece occasion for Livingston.
However, to cap it all off, David Martindale has revealed there will be no traditional cup final suits adorning the Lions at the national stadium, because the get-up brings back too many ‘bad memories’ – of being sent to prison and his wedding!
Martindale’s remarkable rehabilitation from his six-and-a-half-year prison sentence is such that he can now afford to make light of one of the darkest days of his life. Looking smart was of no benefit when he was ‘sent down’ at the High Court in 2006 and the 46-year-old has no intention of risking ridicule from his squad in the Hampden changing room by dressing up to take on St Johnstone.
“I’ve only worn a suit twice in my life,” he said with a wry smile, “and do you know what’s happened to me? The first time I was sent to prison and the second time was at my wedding. Which was worse? No comment!
“So, a suit brings bad memories – I got six-anda-half years and then I got married so I won’t be doing it again.
“I’ve had companies calling and emailing me and offering me a free suit for Hampden but, seriously, can you imagine me walking into our changing room with a suit on? We’d be done, the boys would be all over the place, they wouldn’t know what was going on.
“They won’t be wearing suits either. It’ll just be the normal training gear. Could you imagine Efe Ambrose in a suit? That would put me off so it’ll be tracksuits for everyone. I’ll maybe text Callum Davidson and ask him to wear one too, but he’ll probably put me to shame on the touchline.”
After Gavin Reilly’s recent positive Covid-19 test led to defender Julien Serrano and goalkeeping coach Tony Caig being forced into quarantine, Livingston decided the players would drive themselves to away matches for the remainder of the season.
That arrangement will remain in place for the cup final, whilst proposals to eat out for their pre-match meal have been cancelled by the Scottish FA protocols ruling they would have to stay overnight or book a day room to enjoy a hotel’s catering facilities on Sunday morning.
Instead, Martindale is hopeful familiarity will bring out the best in his players in the biggest match the club has faced since lifting the League Cup in 2004.
“We’ll keep things as normal as possible – I don’t want to spook the boys,” he added. “We won’t do anything different because that’s the way it’s been in my seven years here.
“During that time we’ve had other big games – Premiership play-offs, etc – and we’ve always kept things the same. We just keep rolling along, do what we do and trust the process.
“For the semi-final we took the boys to the Dakota [hotel] for a luxury pre-match lunch and they all enjoyed that but you need to stay overnight to have the lunch now and that adds another £3000 to the cost for 30 people.
“So, we made the conscious decision we’d like to stay with our families, wake up with our families in the morning, head to the stadium [Almondvale] and get our pre-match meals, then head through to Hampden in our cars.
Meanwhile, key striker Scott Robinson and skipper Marvin Bartley have both been declared fit for the final after training with the squad yesterday.