Livingston Football Club (LFC) has insisted that it remains a Scottish Football League (SFL) Division One club, pending an appeal against a decision to demote the club for breaching the league's insolvency rules.

The troubled West Lothian-based club, which was forced into administration in July by the local authority in a bid to recover more than £330,000 in unpaid rent and rates on its Almondvale Stadium, was relegated to Division Three by the SFL on 5 August. Airdrie United Football Club and Cowdenbeath Football Club (CFC) were promoted to Division One and Division Two respectively as a result of the ruling, but LFC refused to fulfil its opening Division Three fixture against East Stirlingshire Football Club (ESFC) on 8 August.

A consortium currently in the process of finalising the acquisition of the club from previous owner Angelo Massone confirmed on 7 August that LFC's interim manager, Donald McGruther, had lodged an appeal against the SFL decision. Former CFC owner, Gordon McDougall - a member of the 'Livingston 5' consortium, said: "We, the consortium, understand that the appeal submitted from the interim manager, Donald McGruther, has now been received and acknowledged by the Scottish Football League.

"Accordingly, Livingston Football Club remains a First Division football club at this stage and therefore is unwilling to fulfill a fixture in the Third Division." The consortium also comprises former Dumbarton Football Club chair, Neil Rankine, which rescued LFC from the threat of closure earlier this month after Massone agreed to relinquish control of the club.

However, the BBC reported that McGruther said the rescue package depended on LFC's continued membership of Division One. The SFL's management committee will consider the appeal in due course, as well as the club's refusal to play ESFC.