Livi boss tells players to get double-jabbed

LIVINGSTON boss Davie Martindale has urged all players in Scotland to get themselves double-vaccinated for their own welfare — ahead of a managers’ Zoom call with national clinical director Jason Leitch tomorrow.

Martindale lost on-loan Rangers midfielder Ben Williamson for yesterday’s 2-0 loss at Hibs at 6pm on Friday evening when the Ibrox club raised concerns over his blood test results following a recent bout of Covid-19.

Leitch is scheduled to talk to bosses tomorrow night about winning round anti-vaxxers in dressing rooms around the country — and Martindale is clearly on his side.

‘Williamson had a post-Covid blood test looking at troponin levels and it produced a slightly elevated result,’ he said. ‘Rangers want to re-check after 24 hours of complete rest. I’ve noticed a difference

this season in players post-Covid. From my experience, boys who picked up Covid before their vaccine have struggled with a return to training.

‘We are lucky. I think there is only one player, who came up from English football, who is, let’s call it, an anti-vaxxer. But others picked up Covid before they were vaccinated and they have really struggled with the return to training.

‘A player with one vaccine has dealt with it slightly better and those double-vaccinated have been far better. That’s probably common sense but I’ve seen it in their energy levels and conditioning.

‘If you can’t run around the park, you’re not much use to anyone, and that is what we are finding.

‘We’re kidding ourselves on if we think we don’t need to get vaccinations. I genuinely believe everyone has to get it.

‘Ben has trained extremely well and we have a duty of care to Rangers’ player. It’s precautionary but it doesn’t help us when we get a call at 6pm on a Friday. That’s nothing against Rangers, it’s just the situation in general.’

Martindale had 11 players missing for yesterday’s trip to Easter Road and saw striker Bruce Anderson take a diabetic fit in the first half and both keeper Max Stryjek and defender Jack Fitzwater, replaced in the second period after falling sick at half-time.

‘Wee Bruce is away to hospital after he took a diabetic fit on the park and passed out,’ he said. ‘Max and Jack were spewing up in the toilets at half-time.

‘Fitzy went back out but that’s why we had to take him off and why he had his shirt up.

‘I’m not trying to make excuses but we had 11 players out today and I had four on the bench who couldn’t go on, they were just making up the numbers.

‘Sean Kelly has rib damage from last week and had to get thrown on — and we lost the goal by (Kevin) Nisbet turning Sean, who wasn’t up to speed at that point.’

However, Martindale still expressed real unhappiness with the concession of the two goals to Nisbet and Martin Boyle.

‘Max didn’t have a save to make but I can’t keep saying the same things,’ he said. ‘Both goals are indefensible. Do I think we’ll get relegated? No, I don’t. A few people have tipped us to go down, which is fine.

‘Budgets make football clubs. If I had £8million I’d expect to be in the top six. So if I’ve got the lowest, it’s fair to say we’ll be tipped to go down. But we’ve defied the odds previously.’

Martindale has agreed a deal to sign ex-Hibs midfielder Stephane Omeonga, but admits Brexit-related permit problems are a headache as he tries to bring in the Belgian.

‘The work permit is going to be difficult for Omeonga,’ he said. ‘We cancelled one and applied for another one. As a country, we’re not set up for Brexit properly yet.

‘It could be four weeks before we see him on the pitch.’