The Lions boss sleeps tonight

DAVIE MARTINDALE can sleep easy in the knowledge that he delivered on his mission to restore Livingston as a Premiership club before he sets off on his summer holidays.

- By Scott Burns

The Lions roared back into the top flight at the first time of asking with Monday’s play-off win over Ross County.

And the huge weight off Martindale’s shoulders extends to off-the-field matters, with stability and fresh investment coming from new chairman Calvin Ford — the great-great grandson of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford — who ended years of boardroom power struggles when he bought the club earlier this month.

Martindale will now take his wife Martha and their 13-year-old daughter Georgia on a well-deserved holiday before the Livingston squad returns for pre-season training.

He said: “I’m going to spend a wee bit of time with Martha and Georgia.

“People don’t understand how much football affects your family. Last year was really, really tough on them.

“I think this is the first year that realistically I can go away with Livingston and we’re in a good place on and off the park.

“I’ve never really had both, so this is going to feel a wee bit weird for me.