Davie Martindale was never supposed to succeed.
Born into poverty and raised in the schemes of West Lothian, Martindale went from a prison cell to managing Scottish Premiership side Livingston FC, along the way undertaking a journey that few could have imagined.
Raw, unflinching, and impossible to ignore, Prison, Poverty, Premiership is the remarkable story of Davie’s life. It’s the story of how a broken leg and bad choices derailed a promising youth career, how crime and addiction nearly ended everything, and how football became an undeniable route back. This is the story of his rise from cleaning the terraces as a volunteer, to leading Livingston’s climb through the leagues, as both man and team defied every expectation to earn their place at Scottish football’s top table.
More than a football memoir, this is a powerful account of Scotland’s class divides, the realities of poverty, and the resilience needed to overcome the odds. Martindale’s journey is Livingston’s journey - and together, they show how believing in second chances can lead you to the truly extraordinary.