David Paul Martindale (born 13 July 1974) is a Scottish

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

who manages

Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, also known as the William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Scotland and the highest level of the Scottish football league system. Th ...

club

Livingston Livingston or Livingstonemay refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North Am ...

. It is his first and only such role in the professional game, having played at

Junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr., ...

level following his release from prison for his participation in

organised crime Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a form of illegal business, some ...

. He worked in various capacities at hometown club

from 2014, becoming an increasingly important figure in its structure, before being appointed manager in 2020.

Career

Time in prison, first steps in coaching

Unlike most football managers, Martindale did not play the sport at the professional level. Born in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, he grew up in

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric: ''Gwovan''; Scots language, Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of southwest Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the sout ...

and the

Craigshill Craigshill is a residential area in the east of Livingston, Scotland. To the west is the A899, with Howden, Ladywell and Knightsridge beyond it, to the south is the village of Mid Calder, and to the north is Houston Industrial Estate and the vi ...

neighbourhood of

Livingston, West Lothian Livingston (, ) is the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Designated in 1962, it is the fourth post-war New towns in the United Kingdom, new town to be built in Scotland. Taking its name from Livingston Village, a village of the same name ...

and was a promising youth player with

Rangers A ranger is typically someone in a law enforcement or military/paramilitary role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called "ranging" or "scouting". The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with prot ...

and

Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...

but by his own admission did not apply himself to make the most of his talents, and was released from a contract with Rangers after fracturing his leg in an unauthorised local match with friends. He played at

level for

Linlithgow Rose Linlithgow Rose Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Linlithgow, West Lothian. The team plays in the , which is the fifth tier of Scottish football, having won the 2022–23 East of Scotland Football League Premier Division. Wi ...

and West Calder United and had business interests in the hospitality sector,David Martindale's journey from prison to leading Livingston
Ewan Murray,

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, 4 December 2020 but after a pub he owned went on fire without insurance cover he also became heavily involved in

, specifically the large-scale supply of

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

as well as

money laundering Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds i ...

. He was arrested in April 2004 following a police operation; while awaiting trial, he enrolled at

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...

to undertake a degree in construction project management.New Livingston boss David Martindale hopes his story can help inspire others
Evening Express, 21 December 2020 Martindale was imprisoned in November 2006, serving four years (and also having around £100,000-worth of assets seized as

proceeds of crime Money laundering is the process of illegally concealing the origin of money obtained from illicit activities (often known as dirty money) such as drug trafficking, sex work, terrorism, corruption, and embezzlement, and converting the funds into ...

), then completed his degree following his release. In football, he played for Whitburn in the East Region Juniors then became assistant manager at Broxburn Athletic.

Progression at Livingston

In 2014, while employed in the construction industry, he became involved with local professional club

as a part-time volunteer based on personal recommendations and following appropriate background checks, with his work initially consisting of basic training duties and ground maintenance – the club's poor financial state at the time meant they were in need of assistance at minimal cost.New Livingston boss David Martindale reflects on journey from prison to Premiership manager
Callum Carson, Daily Record, 22 December 2020 Even at that stage, his appointment was scrutinised in local press.Livingston FC under fire for giving coaching role to drugs crook

Sunday Post ''The Sunday Post'' is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland, by DC Thomson, and characterised by a mix of news, human interest stories and short features. The paper was founded in 1914 and has a wide circulation across Scotland, U ...

, 24 May 2015 He gradually became more involved in coaching and recruitment during

Mark Burchill Mark James Burchill (born 18 August 1980) is a Scottish former professional football player and coach. He played for Scottish clubs Celtic, Dundee, Hearts, Dunfermline Athletic, Kilmarnock and Livingston, and in England for Birmingham City, Ips ...

's spell as manager, and also began to study the subject formally, obtaining his

UEFA B Licence The UEFA coaching licences are documents testifying credentials of managers/ coaches among members of UEFA. The governing body for football in Europe mandates several licences, each valid for coaching at a certain level. These include the UEFA Pro ...

via the

Irish Football Association The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team (1882–1950), Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became t ...

due to them being more accommodating to applicants with convictions than their Scottish counterparts. Martindale was appointed assistant manager of Livingston when

David Hopkin David Isaac Hopkin (born 21 August 1970) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player who was most recently the manager of Ayr United. As a player he was a midfielder from 1989 until 2003, notably in the English Premier League ...

became manager in January 2016, and when Hopkin departed in May 2018 after leading the club to successive promotions from

Scottish League One The Scottish League One, known as William Hill (bookmaker), William Hill League One for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional association football, foot ...

to the

, took temporary charge of the team; several signings were made during this summer period (during which he was offered the manager's job but turned it down for concerns of bringing embarrassment to the club due to his past and of being too inexperienced at that point)Livingston: David Martindale now feels 'more capable' to take head coach role
Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport, 3 December 2020 but no official matches played prior to the appointment of

Kenny Miller Kenneth Miller (born 23 December 1979) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player, and is currently the assistant coach of Major League Soccer club Atlanta United. Miller, who played as a striker, is one of only five post-war ...

, who soon resigned in August 2018 to continue his playing career. Martindale again had interim control for a matter of days before Gary Holt took over, keeping Martindale on the staff and handing him increased responsibilities as 'director of football operations'.

Livingston manager

Holt quit as Livingston manager in November 2020 – again deciding to leave despite a relatively successful spell where the ''Lions'' comfortably retained their top-flight status in both seasons of his tenure – and Martindale was appointed head coach on an interim basis, alongside

Tony Caig Antony Caig (born 11 April 1974) is an English football coach and former player, who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the head of academy goalkeeping for Premier League Club Newcastle United. Caig is also the Northern Ireland national ...

.David Martindale: Livingston interim boss a changed man since prison, says chief executive John Ward
Brian McLauchlin, BBC Sport, 11 December 2020 He won four matches in a row during this time (including a

2020–21 Scottish League Cup The 2020–21 Scottish League Cup (also known as the Betfred Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 75th season of Scotland's second-most prestigious association football, football knockout competition. The format for the 2020–21 competition was ...

quarter-final), and was officially appointed manager until the end of the season on 21 December.Livingston boss David Martindale says 'judge me on who I am now' as he awaits SFA approval
Brian McLauchlin,

BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC BBC Television, television, BBC Radio, radio and BBC Online, online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadc ...

, 21 December 2020Livingston appoint David Martindale as permanent boss after Gary Holt departure
Aidan Smith,

Glasgow Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019.Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

and progressing to the League Cup Final. The

Scottish Football Association The Scottish Football Association (; also known as the Scottish FA and the SFA) is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA incl ...

's 'Fit and proper person' hearing by its Professional Game Board took place on 26 January 2021 with a positive outcome for Martindale, who had been turned down in his application to be a club official a year earlier but was supported publicly by eminent sporting academic

Phil Scraton Phil Scraton (born 3 May 1949) is a critical criminologist, academic and author. He is a social researcher, known particularly for his investigative work into the context, circumstances and aftermath of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. More rece ...

and the local MP

Hannah Bardell Hannah Mary Kennedy-Bardell (born 1 June 1983) is a Scottish politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Livingston from 2015 until 2024. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she served as its spokesperson for Digital, Cu ...

. There was also widespread support for Martindale within Scottish football from fans, players and other managers. Martindale won Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month in November 2022. Despite relegation from the

in 2023-24, Martindale was given a new one-year contract in May 2024. On 30 March 2025, Martindale lead Livingston to their first trophy in 8 years after they defeated Queens Park 5–0 at

Falkirk Stadium The Falkirk Stadium is an all-seater association football, football stadium in Falkirk, central Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Falkirk F.C., Falkirk and Lowland Football League club East Stirlingshire F.C., East ...

to win the

2024-25 Scottish Challenge Cup A coxless four, abbreviated as a 4- and also called a straight four, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four ...

final. After finishing second in the league behind

Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...

in the 2024-25 Scottish Championship he lead Livingston to promotion back to the Scottish Premiership at the first attempt after they came from two goals down to beat Ross County 5–3 on aggregate in the play-off final.

Managerial Record

*Initially caretaker and appointed permanently on 21 December 2020

Honours

Manager

Livingston * Scottish Premiership Play-offs:

2024-25 A coxless four, abbreviated as a 4- and also called a straight four, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four ...

Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,2024-25 A coxless four, abbreviated as a 4- and also called a straight four, is a racing shell used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars, without a coxswain. The crew consists of four ...

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup, also known as the Premier Sports Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League cup in ...

runner-up:

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

Individual * Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month:

December 2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns, and the largest economic recession since the Great Depr ...

, January 2021, November 2022

References

External links

Profile
at

LinkedIn LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented Social networking service, social network. It was launched on May 5, 2003 by Reid Hoffman and Eric Ly. Since December 2016, LinkedIn has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft. ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martindale, David 1974 births Living people Scottish football managers Scottish men's footballers Scottish football coaches Scottish Junior Football Association players West Calder United F.C. players Linlithgow Rose F.C. players Whitburn F.C. players Broxburn Athletic F.C. players Sportspeople from Glasgow Sportspeople from Livingston, West Lothian Scottish Professional Football League managers Livingston F.C. non-playing staff Livingston F.C. managers Scottish drug traffickers Scottish people convicted of drug offences British people convicted of money laundering People convicted of money laundering Alumni of Heriot-Watt University 21st-century Scottish criminals British sportspeople convicted of crimes Men's association football players not categorized by position Livingston F.C. directors and chairmen