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Almondvale Stadium
(Livingston)
Address: Alderstone Road,
Livingston,
West Lothian,
Scotland,
EH54 7DN
Capacity: 9,512 (All-Seater)
A nicely balanced ground that offers excellent views and a practical layout.
Currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Tony Macaroni Arena, it has been the home of Livingston Football Club since opening in 1995.
The construction was part of a large relocation project. Edinburgh-based team Meadowbank Thistle Football Club agreed a deal with the Livingston Development Corporation in the 1990s that would see Thistle relocate to Livingston and change their name, becoming the Livingston Football Club that is in place today.
Within six years, Livingston had climbed the Scottish pyramid to reach the Scottish Premier League, and Almondvale Stadium had to be expanded in order to meet the league’s stadium requirements.
The ground has gone through several sponsorship names over the years. It was known as the City Stadium in the early 2000s, the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium for three years in the early 2010s, and the Energy Assets Arena for two years in the mid-2010s.
It has held its Tony Macaroni Arena name since September 2015.
Location and Getting There
The Almondvale Stadium name comes from the area of Livingston it is located in, less than 0.5 miles northwest of Livingston Town Centre. West Lothian College is directly to the southwest of the stadium and the River Almond runs a little away from the stadium’s northern and eastern sides.
Almondvale Stadium has a fair-sized car park around its immediate vicinity, which can cost £5 per vehicle to park at.
It should certainly be possible to find free parking however, though I would not recommend heading to the retail park to the south to find it. Livingston Village to the west and Howden to the northeast have residential streets that could well offer free parking for you. Ensure however that you are legally allowed to park where you find and do not block the drives of any residents.
Livingston has two train stations at opposite ends of the town and both a similar distance from Almondvale Stadium, Livingston North and Livingston South. Both stations are served by ScotRail lines that run from stations in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Walking from Livingston North to the stadium can take around 35-40 minutes, though you can significantly reduce this journey time by heading to the bus stop on Deans North Road and taking either the 280, 281 or X25 services. These stop at the Almondvale Stadium stop on Alderstone Road and the whole journey from station to stadium takes around 12 minutes.
Walking from Livingston South to the stadium can also take around 35-40 minutes, though you can reduce this journey time by heading to the Livingston South Station bus stop and taking the Number 27 service. This stops at the Bus Terminal within the retail park, and the walk from here to the stadium is then another six or so minutes. The whole journey from station to stadium takes around 23 minutes.
If you have free choice of using either Livingston North or Livingston South when coming by train, my personal recommendation would be Livingston North.
Outside the Stadium
Almondvale Stadium Road leads up to the ground from off Alderstone Road. If you head along this, the first part of the stadium you will come to is the West Stand.
Its exterior consists of a sandy-coloured brickwork base with white corrugated iron higher up and blue cantilever coming down from the top. The centre of the exterior protrudes a fair way outwards, holding the stadium’s Main Entrance.
Turnstiles for the West Stand itself (1, 2, 3 and 4) are based either side of the Main Entrance building.
A number of the stadium’s car parking spaces are out beyond the West Stand.
The stadium’s northwest corner holds the Stadium House, a large glass and panelled building that uses the same brickwork base as the West Stand. The building is five storeys tall and used primarily for conferences and offices, towering over everything else around it.
Continuing round in a clockwise direction along Almondvale Stadium Road brings you to the North Stand, which is similar in height to the adjacent West Stand.
Its exterior protrudes outwards part-way along, using a base that contains sandy-coloured brickwork, blue-coloured brickwork, and grey concrete as you head towards the northeast corner. A strip of yellow panels is above the blue brickwork base, and along the whole top of the stand is white corrugated iron. There is a glass entrance over by the stadium’s northeast corner, but this is not for use on a matchday.
Turnstiles for the North Stand can be found at either end of the exterior, one set (5, 6 and 7) being underneath the Stadium House in the northwest corner, and the other set (8, 9 and 10) in the northeast corner next to the start of the East Stand’s exterior. This set of turnstiles is housed in a yellow box that protrudes out of the stadium.
There are car parking spaces out beyond the North Stand, and out beyond them is the River Almond.
The East Stand is directly connected to the North Stand by the northeast corner.
Its exterior consists of a sandy-coloured brickwork base with white corrugated iron higher up. The middle of the exterior has blue cantilever coming down from the top, and part of the upper level protrudes outwards with advertising in place on it. Underneath here is a pair of yellow doors that lead to the Almondvale Suite Corporate Seating.
Turnstiles for the East Stand (11, 12, 13 and 14) are based along the brickwork base in yellow boxes that protrude outwards.
Out beyond the East Stand and Almondvale Stadium Road is a large synthetic grass pitch, and out beyond this is the River Almond.
The South Stand at Almondvale Stadium is directly connected to the East Stand by the southeast corner.
Its exterior has a sandy-coloured brickwork base in the corner with white corrugated iron higher up. Most of the stand’s base however is taken up by a row of glass windows that lead into a conferencing and banqueting facility.
Because of this, the turnstiles for the South Stand can be found at either end. One set of turnstiles (15, 16 and 17) are based in a yellow box that protrudes out of the stadium’s southeast corner. The other set of turnstiles (18, 19 and 20) are based next to the open southwest corner.
The road which rings around the stadium’s northern, eastern and southern sides heads away from the South Stand and into a woodland area. This road becomes a number of paths that lead off to other nearby areas including West Lothian College and the nearby retail park.
Fans coming from Livingston South Station will likely use this path and road to approach Almondvale Stadium, first arriving at the South Stand.
If you are outside the South Stand, it is possible to walk along a footpath that heads around the stadium’s open southwest corner and to the West Stand. Accessibility around the whole vicinity of Almondvale Stadium is possible as a result.
Inside the Stadium
The West Stand is detached from the other three sides of Almondvale Stadium.
It consists of a single tier of yellow seating which has the letters LIVINGSTON spelt out in black across the back of the blocks. There are some executive boxes up behind the back row, and the back of the central seating blocks are coloured black rather than yellow. These seats are for executive use.
The stadium’s tunnel is based in the centre of the stand, with the changing rooms located inside. The dugouts are either side of this tunnel, and on top of the stand’s roof is a covered area which can hold a matchday camera.
Your view from anywhere inside the West Stand is perfectly clear because of the cantilever roof above.
There are windshields in place at either end, but they only protect the back rows of the stand. There are just small walls in place to offer protection from the sides for those sat down towards the front. The Stadium House building in the northwest corner provides very good protection at this end of the West Stand, however.
The North Stand includes the northeast corner and consists of a single tier of yellow seating with the letters NORDAN Spelt out in black across the blocks. You can certainly see the wear in a number of the yellow seats, however.
Your view from anywhere inside the North Stand and northeast corner is clear as supporting pillars are in place right up along the back.
The stand does have a windshield next to the northwest corner, though this only provides cover to the rows further back. The large Stadium House building however really aids in protection here. The opposite end of the North Stand is well protected by the enclosed design.
The East Stand is similar in design to the West Stand opposite.
It consists of a single tier of yellow seating with the letters LIVINGSTON spelt out in black across the central blocks. A television gantry is housed at the back of the stand behind the central blocks.
Your view from anywhere inside the East Stand is perfectly clear because of the cantilever roof above, and both ends are very well protected by the enclosed northeast and southeast corners.
The South Stand includes the southeast corner and is almost identical in design to the North Stand opposite.
It consists of a single tier of yellow seating with the letters MOTOROLA and the Motorola Logo spelt out in black across the blocks.
Your view from anywhere inside the South Stand is clear as supporting pillars are in place right up along the back.
The stand has a windshield next to the open southwest corner, though this only provides protection to the rows further back. There is just a small wall in place to offer protection for the rows further forward. The opposite end of the South Stand is well protected by the enclosed design.
The southwest corner is the only completely open part of Almondvale Stadium, and the most likely place where the wind and the rain can get in through.
Away Fans
Away fans are housed behind the goal in the North Stand. Larger away crowds take up both the North Stand and nearby northeast corner.
The North Stand is a single tier of mostly yellow seating which offers an excellent view of the pitch and good protection from the sides. The large Stadium House building in the northwest corner aids greatly in providing this protection from the elements, though there is a windshield in place here as well.
Because of the immense popularity of the Old Firm clubs Celtic and Rangers, there have been games at Almondvale Stadium where the crowd is dominated by away supporters. Livingston fans would often end up in exclusively the West Stand, with away fans taking up the other three sides!
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available to supporters on a matchday include:
-Behind the South Stand at Almondvale Stadium itself (Typically Away Supporters Welcome)
-The Chain Runner (Almondvale Way, EH54 6GA) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near the Almondvale Retail Park)
-The Lime Kiln Hungry House (Almondvale Parkway, EH54 6QT) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located south of Almondvale Stadium)
-The Newyearfield (Unit 1 Almondvale Avenue, EH54 6QX) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Discreet Home and Away Supporters) (Located within the Almondvale Retail Park south of Almondvale Stadium)
-The Paraffin Lamp (Unit 24, Almondvale Centre, EH54 6NB) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near the Almondvale Retail Park)
-Saltire (Carmondean Centre, EH54 8PT) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located very close to Livingston North Station)
Overview
Almondvale Stadium is a neat football ground.
Views from all four sides are excellent with a good level of protection in all areas except the open southwest corner. Its design inside and out is basic but practical, and visitors have the option of using either of Livingston’s train stations due to the stadium being located so close to the centre.
There’s really very little that can be complained about with this ground. It certainly isn’t the largest you’ll find along Scotland’s Central Belt, but it serves its purpose well.
Definitely worth checking out.
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