Almondvale Stadium: Livingston

Almondvale Stadium from the air by Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Founded as a works team called Ferranti Thistle in 1943, Livingston were admitted to the Scottish Football League under a different name, Meadowbank Thistle, in 1974. Then they were based in Edinburgh, but in 1995 the club was relocated to Livingston in West Lothian and renamed in honour of the town. The club has enjoyed some notable moments of success over the years, including promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2001 and winning the Scottish League Cup in 2004.

Livingston play their matches at Almondvale Stadium, which is also known as the Tony Macaroni Arena because of sponsorship. Often referred to by the amusing title of the ‘Spaghettihad’, the ground is located in the Almondvale area of Livingston. It was built as part of a joint venture between Meadowbank Thistle, as the club was then, and Livingston Development Corporation, happening ahead of the club’s relocation. The ground boasts a capacity of 9,512.

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Almondvale Stadium Photos

• Almondvale Stadium Viewed From Plane Almondvale Stadium Viewed From Plane
• Corner At Almondvale Stadium Corner At Almondvale Stadium
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Almondvale Stadium Seating Plan & Where to Sit

The relative newness of Almondvale Stadium means that it has a slightly more modern look than you might expect. Though the West Stand looks much like a traditional British football ground, insomuch as it runs along the side of the pitch, the other stands look more continental. This is thanks to the fact that the corners are filled in, making it appear as though the stands are bowl-like.

Livingston Ticket Prices

Adults heading to watch Livingston play will need to pay £25 for their tickets, whilst concessions pay £17. Under 16s are asked to pay £10. Those that are registered disabled will need to pay the full price for their age, though carers are admitted for free.

How To Get Livingston Tickets

Where to Buy

Getting To Almondvale Stadium

Train - Livingston North and Livingston South are the two train stations that are within easy reach of the football ground. If you’re heading to Livingston from Glasgow Queens Street and Edinburgh then you’ll arrive at Livingston North, whilst Livingston South also sees people from Edinburgh as well as those from Glasgow Central. Regardless, it will take you about 25 to 30 minutes to get there on foot.

Bus - There is a bus stop that is quite a short walk from Livingston’s home ground. It sees the following bus numbers stop at it: 16, 40, 275, 280, 600, X24 West Lothian, X25 West Lothian, X40.

Car - The A71, known as Bankton Road, is the main road that runs close to Livingston’s stadium. It is about 18 miles to the west of Edinburgh, which means that it is easily accessible from the M8. You’ll want to leave at Junction 3 and then make your way to the ground from there.

By Air - Edinburgh is 6.9 miles away from Livingston, so obviously that is the best one to fly into. Of course, the reality of air travel is that you’ll want to look for the cheapest deals, so it is helpful to know that Glasgow is 35.6 miles away, whilst Newcastle and Aberdeen are both around 100 miles away.

Taxi - As an example of a possible rail fare, it will cost you about £15 to get from Livingston South Railway Station to Almondvale Stadium.

Parking Near Almondvale Stadium

There is a car park on-site, which requires the use of a parking permit that you can get from the club. If you want to park there on an ad-hoc basis then you can do so for £5 per time.

• See Available Parking Near Almondvale Stadium

Useful Resources

Almondvale Stadium Hotels

Livingston Lodge Hotel - £60+

Hawkbrae, Livingston, EH54 6TW

Livingston Lodge Hotel is a boutique-style hotel in Livingston, offering relatively easy access to the stadium. There are limited amenities, though there is still a bar and lounge area that guests can use in order to get a drink or a small bite to ear. There is also a meeting room if you’re there on business, and free Wi-Fi for those of you that are working. You can also park for free at the hotel if you’re driving. More details.

Mercure Livingston Hotel - £75+

Almondview, Livingston, EH54 6QB

It is common for people to want to stay in chain hotels, with Mecure offering exactly that in Livingston. It has a restaurant for those of you that want to get a bite to eat whilst you’re staying there, as well as a bar where you can get a drink. If the weather is nice then you can head into the garden and relax, with the hotel also having a ballroom on site. If you need to get online then there’s free Wi-Fi, with people driving able to park for free. More details.

Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club - £110+

Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, Kirknewton, EH27 8EB

Sometimes you just need to enjoy a bit of luxury whilst you’re away and that is precisely what you’ll have access to at Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. There are two restaurants on site, as well as three bars. If you’re the fitness type then you’ll be able to enjoy tennis and golf, with amenities for both readily available. There is also a spa and a terrace area, with breakfast available to those that want it during their stay at the hotel. More details.

Pubs & Bars Near Almondvale Stadium

Facilities

Having opened its doors in 1995, the Tony Macaroni Area is looking a little bit tired now. That isn’t to say that the facilitates are anything less than you’d hope for at a football ground. You’ll be able to get food and drinks before the game as well as at half-time, for example.

Prices

• Programme: 5.00
• Pie: 2.50
• Cup of tea: 2.10
• Beer: 4.50

Hospitality

The main hospitality section at the Tony Macaroni Arena is the Ferranti Suite, which allows visitors to enjoy both pre and post-match entertainment. Packages include food and drinks, so it is an opportunity to entertain clients if you’re in need of doing so.

Private Hire

There are suites throughout the football ground that can be used to host any number of private functions for anywhere between 50 and 250 guests. It means that there will be an ability to host whatever type of thing you’re looking to do.

Stadium Tours & Museum

Though it is possible to do a stadium tour at Almondvale, it is an experience that is limited to youth groups at the time of writing. They last for an hour and a training session is also included. There isn’t a museum, though if one opens in the future then we’ll update this section.

About Livingston

It isn’t all that common for football clubs to move from one part of a country to another, with Wimbledon becoming the MK Dons being one of the best-known examples. Yet that is exactly what happened to Livingston, a football club that started life as Ferranti Thistle back in 1943. In those days it was just yet another club based in Edinburgh, overshadowed by bigger sides such as Midlothian. When it was admitted to the Scottish Football League in 1974, it became Meadowbank Thistle on account of the fact that it played its games in Meadowbank Stadium.

Fast-forward to 1995 and the modern-day version of the club was born when it was relocated to Livingston in West Lothian, about 20 miles or so from Edinburgh. Since then the club has enjoyed a few notable successes, such as in 2001 when the club was promoted to the Scottish Premier League before playing in the UEFA Cup in its maiden top-flight campaign. Three years later and the club won the Scottish League Cup, coming slightly before financial issues saw them head towards liquidation before surviving.

Almondvale Stadium History

Almondvale Stadium might not be one of the most famous names in football, but when you find out that it is also known as the Tony Macaroni Arena then it might make a bit more sense. If that still doesn’t sound right, you could have heard of it as ‘the Spaghettihad’, a playful spin on Manchester City’s home stadium. It has been Livingston’s home since 1995 when the club moved to its new location, boasting a capacity of 9,512.

When it was built, it was joint-venture between the football club and the Livingston Development Corporation as part of the deal that saw the team change its location. The LDC was later wound up, at which point ownership was transferred to West Lothian Council, with Livingston agreeing to move there. The name of the stadium has changed numerous times owing to sponsorship deals, with Tony Macaroni Area being its moniker since 2015.

Future Developments

Back in 2011, rumours emerged that there were plans to sell off the stadium for a supermarket to be built there, with the finances being used to build a bigger ground as a replacement. Nothing came of these rumours, however, and the stadium remains in a mediocre state. Whether such developments are likely in the future remains to be seen.