Almondvale Stadium/Tony Macaroni Arena (Livingston)

Almondvale Stadium, also known as the Tony Macaroni Arena for sponsorship purposes, but most commonly referred to as ‘The Spaghettihad’ (alluding to the Etihad Stadium), is a football stadium, located in the Almondvale area of Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. It has been the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Livingston since 1995, and has an all-seater capacity of 9,512.

General information

Arena capacity: 9,512 spectators

Address: Livingston Village, Livingston EH54 7FE, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 55°53′9.46″N 3°31′18.73″W

Year of construction: 1995

Field: artificial turf lawn with dimensions of 98 x 69m

Seating plan of Almondvale Stadium

West Stand

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.

North Stand

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.

East Stand

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.

South Stand

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!

Where to buy tickets?

The ticket prices at Almondvale Stadium range depending on your age and where you want to sit. You can get the cheapest tickets by booking in advance rather than leaving it to match day, when it will cost you extra £ per ticket.

Tickets are available over the phone, online or by dropping into the ticket office in person.

How to get there?

Livingston is situated approximately 18 miles west of Edinburgh and easily accessible from the M8 motorway. The stadium is fairly well signposted around the town. The following directions from the M8 are not necessarily the quickest, but they are fairly straightforward to follow.

Leave the M8 at Junction 3 and take the A899 towards Livingston. Leave this road when you reach the large roundabout that is the junction with the A71 (Bankton Road). Turn right onto the A71 and at the next island turn right into Alderstone Road (sign posted town centre). Go straight across three roundabouts and then turn right at the second set of traffic lights and into the stadium approach road. There is a fair sized car park at the stadium, which costs £5.

There are two stations that are in reach of the ground: Livingston North and Livingston South. The North station is served by trains from Glasgow Queens Street and Edinburgh, whilst the South Station is served by trains from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh. Both stations are served by trains from Glasgow and Edinburgh. Both stations are around a 25-30 minute walk away from the ground.

Exit Livingston North Railway Station and walk up to the main road that goes over the railway bridge. Turn right along this road (Deans North) heading downhill towards the town centre. On reaching the large Eliburn North Roundabout continue heading towards the town centre along Alderstone Road. You can walk by the main road or take the more pleasant network of paths. You want the Alderstone Path, following directions for St John’s Hospital, Howden and Town Centre. When you reach the hospital, you’ll see the first signposts for the ground, further downhill along the main road and then on the left. The walk takes 30 minutes.

There is a bus stop that is quite a short walk from Livingston’s home ground. It sees the following bus numbers stop at it: 16, 40, 275, 280, 600, X24 West Lothian, X25 West Lothian, X40.

As an example of a possible rail fare, it will cost you about £15 to get from Livingston South Railway Station to Almondvale Stadium by taxi.

Where to eat and sleep?

If you require hotel accommodation in the area then check a few options below.

1. Livingston Lodge Hotel. Livingston Lodge Hotel is a boutique-style hotel in Livingston, offering relatively easy access to the stadium. There are limited amenities, though there is still a bar and lounge area that guests can use in order to get a drink or a small bite to ear. There is also a meeting room if you’re there on business, and free Wi-Fi for those of you that are working. You can also park for free at the hotel if you’re driving.
2. Mercure Livingston Hotel. It is common for people to want to stay in chain hotels, with Mecure offering exactly that in Livingston. It has a restaurant for those of you that want to get a bite to eat whilst you’re staying there, as well as a bar where you can get a drink. If the weather is nice then you can head into the garden and relax, with the hotel also having a ballroom on site. If you need to get online then there’s free Wi-Fi, with people driving able to park for free.
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3. Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. Sometimes you just need to enjoy a bit of luxury whilst you’re away and that is precisely what you’ll have access to at Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. There are two restaurants on site, as well as three bars. If you’re the fitness type then you’ll be able to enjoy tennis and golf, with amenities for both readily available. There is also a spa and a terrace area, with breakfast available to those that want it during their stay at the hotel.

Lucky for you we have also picked out a few choice possibilities for a swift one before the game.

1. The Cawburn Inn. A sports bar in the literal sense of the term, Cawburn Inn promises pool and darts to guests. You can get a selection of beers and ales from the bar, in addition to all of the spirits and other things that you’d expect to get in a pub or bar. Soft drinks are also available for those who don’t want to drink alcohol for whatever reason.
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2. The Saltire. A member of the Greene King pub chain, the Saltire is somewhere you’ll want to go if you want a mix of individuality and something familiar. It’s also a great place to head if you want a bite to eat, with gluten-free menus as well as kids menus being readily available. Food is served until 10pm every day, whilst live sports are shown on big screens around the venue. If a match is being shown in Sky Sports or BT, there’s a good chance they’ll be showing it at the Saltire.
3. The Tower Bar. The Tower Bar offers a cold-war vibe from the outside, but that doesn’t reflect when you get in. You can expect a warm welcome and plenty of live sport. Drinks will flow in all of the usual manners, so whether it is soft, hard or draft that you prefer, you’ll be grand. If you turn up on the right day then you’ll be able to get involved with some karaoke, which is bound to add a wealth of enjoyment to your experience.
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Facilities

Having opened its doors in 1995, the Tony Macaroni Area is looking a little bit tired now. That isn’t to say that the facilities are anything less than you’d hope for at a football ground. You’ll be able to get food and drinks before the game as well as at half-time, for example.

The main hospitality section at the Tony Macaroni Arena is the Ferranti Suite, which allows visitors to enjoy both pre and post-match entertainment. Packages include food and drinks, so it is an opportunity to entertain clients if you’re in need of doing so.

There are suites throughout the football ground that can be used to host any number of private functions for anywhere between 50 and 250 guests. It means that there will be an ability to host whatever type of thing you’re looking to do.

History

Almondvale Stadium might not be one of the most famous names in football, but when you find out that it is also known as the Tony Macaroni Arena then it might make a bit more sense. If that still doesn’t sound right, you could have heard of it as ‘the Spaghettihad’, a playful spin on Manchester City’s home stadium. It has been Livingston’s home since 1995 when the club moved to its new location, boasting a capacity of 9,512.

When it was built, it was joint-venture between the football club and the Livingston Development Corporation as part of the deal that saw the team change its location. The LDC was later wound up, at which point ownership was transferred to West Lothian Council, with Livingston agreeing to move there. The name of the stadium has changed numerous times owing to sponsorship deals, with Tony Macaroni Area being its moniker since 2015.