Livingston Dismiss Glenn Whelan After Nine Matches in Charge

Livingston have dismissed head coach Glenn Whelan after nine matches in charge, bringing his brief tenure to an end little more than three months after his appointment. RTÉ reported that assistant head coach Danny Ventre has also left the Scottish Championship club.

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Whelan was appointed at the end of May following Livingston's relegation from the Scottish Premiership. The former Republic of Ireland midfielder oversaw four Premier Sports Cup group matches before the league campaign began, with Livingston narrowly missing out on progress from the group stage.

The Lions won two and lost three of their opening five Championship fixtures under Whelan. Their last two league games ended in defeats by part-time sides Arbroath and Stenhousemuir, leaving the club with six points from five matches when the change was announced. Whelan's final game was a home loss to Stenhousemuir on Friday.

Chairman Calvin Ford said the decision followed careful consideration and discussions within the club. Livingston have begun the process of securing a search firm to help appoint a permanent successor, with Ford saying the next search will cast a wider net and use data analytics aligned with the club's game model and other criteria.

Sporting director David Martindale and Frankie McAvoy will temporarily take charge of the first team, assisted by Grant Murray and Brian Potter. Martindale previously managed Livingston before moving into the sporting director role in February. The club cited his past success and record in the Championship as reasons for placing him in interim control.

Whelan arrived at Livingston after working on the coaching staff at Wigan Athletic. During a playing career spanning more than 700 senior appearances, he earned 91 Republic of Ireland caps and spent nine years with Stoke City. Livingston described his appointment in May as the next step in his coaching career, but the club has now moved quickly after a difficult start as it seeks an immediate response in the second tier.