Livingston players take pay-cut

Six Livingston players have agreed to pay-cuts to save their jobs at the financially stricken club. The club captain, Stuart Lovell, together with Alan Main, Marvin Andrews, Oscar Rubio, Fernando Pasquinelli and Emmanuel Dorado were all given the option of reducing their wages to remain at Almondvale after the administrators sacked six players.

The Livingston manager, Davie Hay, said: "All of the boys are staying and I'm really delighted that is the case. I always felt optimistic they would do so from talking to them and it has all been done individually over the past three or four days and confirmed yesterday.

"I just hope we can concentrate on the football. There is a lot to play for this season and I am just glad this has been resolved now."

Livingston's on-loan striker David Fernandez has also said he will not leave the club before the end of the season. The Celtic player returned to his former club in the summer for a season-long loan but the deal looked in jeopardy two weeks ago when Livingston went into administration.

Fernandez prepared himself for a return to Parkhead once administrators started making job cuts but he has revealed how two of the six sacked players - Francisco Quino and Juanjo Camacho - asked him to stay.

"I've decided to stay," he said. "I know I said that I would be the first to go if anyone was sacked but Francisco and Juanjo both spoke to me to ask that I not leave. Davie Hay has also asked me to stay on and I feel now that is the right thing to do. Livingston need me - they need all their players - and I wouldn't be helping them by walking away now."

Despite their financial woes, Livingston have enjoyed an impressive season on the pitch so far. They sit in the top half of the Scottish Premier League table but it is their cup runs that have made the season a success already.

They are in the quarter-finals of the Tennent's Scottish Cup and booked their place in the final of the CIS Insurance Cup on the day the club was signed over to administrators.

That means Livingstone have a great chance of claiming some silverware this season and Fernandez is determined to play his part in that. He added: "The next few months will be massive for everyone here and I believe that I can help the club be successful so I'm very happy to be staying.

"Everyone feels terrible for the lads who have been made redundant but we still have a really good chance to do something great this season."

Meanwhile, the Dunfermline goalkeeper, Derek Stillie, saidplayers are relieved after sorting out the issue of wage cuts.

Yesterday the players accepted cuts of between 10 and 30 per cent and agreed to forfeit win bonuses and appearance money until the end of the campaign. The forced cuts have affected the players and their families, but Stillie believes it is good to have the issue resolved.

"The last 10 days have been disconcerting for everyone," he said. "We were all concerned but we have made the changes and hopefully the club is now on a proper footing. It is a relief and the club is looking secure."