FOOTBALL: LIVI LA VIDA LOCAL; RETURN OF HOPE TO LIVINGSTON Italians promise that heart of the new-look club will be Scottish.

Byline: BY MICHAEL BAILLIE

ANGELO MASSONE last night insisted Livingston were heading down the same road to extinction as Gretna - until they were saved by their new Italian owners.

The head of the Italian consortium, which has taken over theWest Lothian outfit, believes in the week Scottish football lost one of its senior clubs - as Gretna finally bit the dust - another would have soon followed such was Livi's financial plight.

Now having pulled Livingston back from football's a byss, Massone is determined to bring back the glory days by taking them back into the SPL and even Europe once again.

Massone, along with his business partners Tomasso Angelinni - the son-in-law of former Livi manager Davie Hay, Alessandro Di Mattia and Tomasso Bruno, are understood to have bought Livingston for just pounds 1 from former owner Pearse Flynn.

They are confident of bringing in Roberto Landi as manager and Hay as director of football next week, while also lifting the transfer embargo imposed on them by the Scottish Football League due to their financial dispute with former player Manuel Dorado.

Massone knows some supporters may view foreign owners with suspicion, but he has vowed not to implement the same model as Vladimir Romanov at Hearts by flooding the club with his countrymen.

Instead he will build from a Scottish base. Massone said: "Livingston was on the same road as Gretna and I would like to reassure these people that we will save the team and we are going to use our resources to make sure that the club is safe.

"We still need a little bit of finance from the local community and help from the local council.

"Pearse was correct when he said it took pounds 400,000 per season just to keep the club standing still but we have our own budget and we will spend as much or as little of it.

"The main aim is to have a winning team and to get back into the SPL, but I can't really speak about the extent of the budget.

"We want to build a team with a strong Scottish nucleus.

Italian players are not as dynamic. David Hay is a Scottish football legend and a Livingston legend, too."

Landi speaks very good English and he has experience of US soccer. A Scottish coach to help him settle in is not essential, but it is a rather interesting concept.

"We want to take the team into the SPL and stay there for a long time," he continued.

"Livingston was there in the past and I think it can be there in the future, too.

"It's important that the success of Livingston FC mirrors the success of Livingston the town. We will need the support of the local community and the local council. I have never spoken to Mr Romanov, but my impression of Hearts is that there are too many foreigners there.

"We do not think that is the model we want to apply to Livingston.

"We want to build a strong Scottish team and then maybe in 10 years' time I will be considered an honorary Scot."

Angelinni will have a key role to play for the club, but he has already witnessed Livingston's potential.

He was at Hampden when Livingston enjoyed the greatest day in their history in 2004 when they defeated Hibs 2- 0 to lift the CIS Cup and was back at Almondvale Stadium afterwards to join in the celebrations.

Angelinni is a FIFA-registered agent and was involved in the deal which brought Shunsuke Nakamura to Celtic. Having lived in Scotland for the past 10 years and, through his association with Hay, he recommended Livingston to his fellow countrymen.

Tomasso said: "Angelo came to me looking for a potential investment and my first idea was Livingston. I have a good relationship with the imp ortant Scottish football clubs like Celtic and I have been interested in Livingston since Davie Hay, my father-inlaw, was the manager. I saw the potential, and the infrastructure and the location were key factors, too.

"I was there at the CIS Cup Final and also there when the club was in the UEFA Cup against Sturm Graz - it could be done again for sure.

"If we are good, and if we are lucky, I don't see any reason why we can not replic a teth at success.

"I would like to get back to the SPL but first of all you have to get credibility and we need to get players in for the new season.

"The two Italian businessmen are very qualified gentlemen and they have clear intentions for the football club.

"We want to run the football club as a business, probably better than what has been the case in the past."

We want to take the team into the SPL and stay there. It is important our success mirrors the success of the town

I want to reassure people that we will save the team and use our resources to make sure the club is safe

We want to build a strong Scottish team and maybe in 10 years time I will be regarded as an honorary Scot

CAPTION(S):

SAVIOURS Alessandro di Mattia, Angelo Massone and Tomasso Bruno; AMBITIOUS Massone wants SPL football back at Livingston