Sheffield Wednesday promotion hero sacked less than 100 days after landing first managerial post
Glenn Whelan, who earned promotion with Sheffield Wednesday in 2005, has seen his first managerial post come to an end.
Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan has been sacked by Livingston less than 100 days after landing his first job in senior management.
The club announced Whelan’s departure on Sunday evening, less than 48 hours after his side were beaten 1-0 at home by Scottish Championship leaders Stenhousemuir on Friday evening.
Whelan, who was appointed as Marvin Bartley’s replacement at the Almondvale Stadium on May 30, took charge of just nine matches across all competitions, winning four and losing five.
Relegated from the Scottish Premiership last season with just two wins to their name, Livingston are currently fifth in the Scottish Championship table after winning two and losing three of their opening five games this term.
Issuing a statement on the club’s website confirming Whelan’s dismissal, Livingston chairman Calvin Ford said: “I am writing to share an important update regarding the leadership of our first team. After careful consideration and thorough discussions, the Club can confirm that Head Coach Glenn Whelan and Assistant Head Coach Danny Ventre are no longer with the organisation.
“On behalf of everyone at Livingston Football Club, I want to express our gratitude for their hard work, dedication, and service during their time with us. We are grateful for everything they have contributed to the Club, and we wish them the best in their future coaching careers and personal endeavours.
“In the short term, David Martindale & Frankie McAvoy will temporarily step in as interim coaches assisted by Grant Murray and Brian Potter. Davie’s past success and proven track record in the Scottish Championship made this decision easy, and we look forward to refocusing and finding success on the pitch while he holds this position.
“Looking ahead, we have already begun the process of securing the appropriate search firm to help us find our next head coach. Our net will be cast far wider than it was in our previous search, and the focus of the search will be via data analytics that fit in with the clubs game model, and other important criteria’s that will aid Livingston FC in finding the ideal candidate to lead our Club forward.
“Mediocrity is not an acceptable solution, and we will continue to work to find the leader that delivers on the ambitions and aspirations of sustained, high-level success that we expect at Livingston. Nothing else is acceptable.
“As always, we are led by the credo that the Club comes first. We are driven by our desire to win and compete at the highest level, and we feel that this decision is appropriate given the unfortunate start to the 2026/27 season.”
Whelan, who was experiencing his first taste of management in Scotland, was a popular figure throughout his time at Wednesday, scoring 16 goals in 159 appearances for the club before moving to Stoke City in January 2008. The 42-year-old spent nine years at the bet365 Stadium, making 337 appearances, before going on to have spells with Aston Villa, Hearts, Fleetwood Town, Wythenshawe and Bristol Rovers.