Livvo Calls It A Day!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 29/01/2004

FORMER Grimsby Town fans' hero Steve Livingstone has hung up his boots after agreeing to terminate his one-year contract at Carlisle United. He only played nine games for them and regrets not joining Alan Buckley at Rochdale.

Livvo told his story to the Grimsby Telegraph who reported it in full. This is what he had to say; "Around November time I was thrown back into the squad at centre-half and played about five games and did okay. I got sent off and that was it. It wasn't the manager (Paul Simpson). I think it was above him."

".…I've been a footballer for 20 years!…."

"I told the manager if he wanted to sort something out he could save the club some money and maybe bring someone else in. I saved them a good few quid and they're happy with that. I left on Friday and that was it."

"It's all a bit of a shock. I've been a footballer for 20 years. I'm still keeping fit and going out training - I keep forgetting there's no reason to! I think this is the end of my career. I can't see anything happening. I'm fit and there's nothing wrong with me. But I'm 35 now and it would be difficult to get anything now."

"I'm quite happy. I'll try and get into the property market and go on a few fitness courses. I'm keeping my options open."

"I spoke to Alan Buckley last summer but it was more of a location decision to go to Carlisle. It was easier with the travelling but, in hindsight, I would have been better off trying to negotiate something with Bucko. At least I would have known where I would have stood. But I don't hold any grudges. It's best for both parties."

"It's all been a bit of an anti-climax. I was looking forward to going to Carlisle and I could have signed for a couple more teams. It's been a bit disappointing and, with the way I left Grimsby, it's sad it's ended like this."

"From the start I didn't realise the politics that were going on with the manager. They didn't want him there and I was his signing. I got sent off in my first game, missed two games through suspension and came back and he was gone. I got told after that the club were looking to offload me. The signs were there early on that it wasn't good for me."

Livvo talked about his head injury saying; "After I did my skull, after the initial period, I thought I was over it. Then the next month I'd think that I wasn't really okay then but that I was now. Then it would happen again and again and it was like that until the summer."

".…It was a nighmare!…."

"That season that I fractured my skull was just a total waste. If I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have even bothered trying to play. I would have sacked the whole season. There were side-effects and not just in the football but in my life. I was totally gone."

"Depression set in and I've always been one of these people who laughed at that when I heard players were depressed. But I realised that it is an illness and I didn't know anything about it. I didn't get over it until the summer. It was a nightmare. I should have taken three months off but I just told the doctor that I couldn't. I should have done."

"You only learn by your mistakes and it took me a year to get over it. I thought I was okay after two months. I wasn't." END

20 years in football with 10 of them at Grimsby, Livvo will be long remembered by Town fans who will wish him well in his future business ventures. Good luck to him!

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