From ball boy to CEO...West Lothian Courier chats to new Livingston CEO Dave Black

Dave Black attended Livingston’s very first game as a young boy in 1995.

Fast forward 28 years and the life-long fan is now the club’s Chief Executive Officer having already fulfilled a number of roles within the club.

In an exclusive interview, Courier sports reporter Callum Carson sat down the with new CEO to discuss his appointment and the club’s aims going forward.

Q: As a fan from day one would you ever have thought being named Chief Executive Officer of Livingston was possible?

A: Not at all. I think playing was always the dream and I got that one cameo appearance in the Keaghan Jacobs testimonial so I feel I can kind of half-tick that off the list. I came into the club as a full-time employee three-and-a-half years ago initially as Business Development Manager and then took on the Media Officer and Commercial duties as well. Was it ever in my head I could be Chief Executive? Probably not, but I did think there was scope to move up in terms of maybe a director level or having more of an influence and input at board level but I didn’t think CEO was ever possible. Obviously, I’m delighted, I’ve been a fan all my days since the very first game and it’s an honour.

It’s an unorthodox appointment in the sense that if you look at the mould across the league, it’s not me. It’s generally very much business owners with money, Alan Burrows at Aberdeen having previously worked his way up at Motherwell probably being the obvious exception.

There is admittedly a bit of an imposter syndrome and sometimes you pinch yourself thinking ‘how did I get this?’. Even my wife asks me that. But to be given the chance and afforded the trust by the club is very humbling. John Ward, who now moves from CEO to chairperson, was a big