Livi dismiss Dundee appeal prospects

Livingston are not expecting any appeal from Dundee to threaten their Bank of Scotland Premier League status.

Manager Paul Lambert is pressing ahead with his plans for the new campaign in the top-flight with the signings of Paul Tierney and Ludovic Roy despite indications that the Dens Park club will try to overturn the SPL verdict on the Hassan Kachloul case.

Dundee are seething that Livingston escaped a points penalty and were only fined £15,000 (€22,500) after being found guilty of a breach of the rules in signing the Moroccan.

But Livingston believe they will be wasting their time in making an appeal.

Chief executive Vivien Kyles, who attending two hearings last Thursday and yesterday, commented: “It is a relief to everyone at Livingston that this inquiry is over.

“We had no doubt that our name would be cleared. The SPL has confirmed that Livingston gained no competitive advantage by the signing of Hassan Kachloul.

“The key thing is that Livingston will compete in the SPL next season, as expected, and this will reassure everyone involved with the club.”

Dundee accused the SPL of sanctioning a “charter for cheats” and vowed to appeal over the affair.

The relegated Dens Park club are deeply unhappy that their Almondvale rivals escaped a points deduction that would have seen them relegated to Division One.

A spokesman said: “Dundee Football Club welcome the ruling of the SPL board in finding Livingston FC guilty of a breach of both SFA articles and registration procedures and the SPL rules by registering Hassan Kachloul as an amateur player, but we are utterly dismayed by the punishment handed out, and we are consulting our lawyers.

"It is extremely likely that we will be taking the matter further.

“While we recognise that the SPL board had a difficult task in this case we feel that they also had an opportunity to ensure that amateurism continued to enshrine everything that is noble and honest about Scottish football.

“Regrettably, instead, this decision has turned it into a charter for cheats.

“The SPL have fined Livingston FC £15,000 (€22,500) for paying an amateur player. This decision leaves Dundee FC playing in the First Division next season.”

The SPL board said Livingston had not gained any advantage by listing Kachloul as an amateur while paying him as a business consultant because he could have been registered as a professional had they consulted the rules.

The Moroccan had been without a club since June 2004 when he was released by Aston Villa.