By any normal standards had Livingston FC progressed steadily in the two decades since being instituted, their appearance in tomorrow's Petrofac Training Challenge Cup final would represent a highly respectable landmark in its own right.

But normal standards tend not to apply in modern Scottish football.

Livingston were formed at a time when Scottish football was reaching its hubristic zenith. In hindsight, of course, Rangers' routine recruitment of leading English, Dutch and Danish internationalists, not to mention that bizarre day in Dundee when people were wondering why a Claudio Caniggia look-alike had just walked into Dens Park, was all redolent of Roman-esque excess and the catastrophic decline that followed was inevitable.

While Rangers' collapse has been the most spectacular and intriguing, given the status the club holds within Scottish society, it is perhaps little Livi whose history most completely encapsulates this tumultuous time.

In its 20 years of existence, the club has packed into its history more than many that are a century and more older, including tomorrow's opponents Alloa Athletic. This year, they mark 120 years at what is now officially called Indodrill Stadium, but remains fusty old Recreation Park.

Consider that Livi's roll call of managers, as long as that of either of the Old Firm, includes two men who were European Cup finalists with Celtic - Davie Hay and Paul Lambert - either side of their spell being led by one of the central figures in Rangers' nine-in-a-row team, Richard Gough. Perspective is afforded to the scale of the ambition shown.

Memories of those heady days evoke fondness and sadness in similar measure. Even Bill Hunter, the brave but controversial chairman who forced through the change of identity from Meadowbank Thistle to Livingston, in the face of opposition which often degenerated into personal abuse from the grandstands, could not have envisioned what was to happen in the club's first decade in the new town.

After the steady decline of Meadowbank culminated in successive relegations following the formation of a third division in 1995, success was immediate following a move which was embraced by natives of West Lothian's biggest town.

Promotion at the end of 1995/96 was followed by a period of consolidation before the surge in fortunes continued under a new regime headed by Dominic Keane, the former Celtic director. It brought promotion to the first division three years later and then again, in 2001, to the Premier League, an achievement subsequently described by former Celtic player and boss Hay as "one of the highlights of my football management career".

The effervescent Jim Leishman, who was general manager while Hay led the coaching, would also describe the period as "some of the best moments of my football career."

That those observations were both offered in the course of a court case which saw Keane accused and cleared of committing fraud also speaks to a period in which one Scottish club after another paid a huge price for over-reaching. But Livingston's achievements were truly remarkable.

Such was the rise in attendances from the Meadowbank days that the nature of the project drew envious attention from all their rivals, even the Old Firm, eager to know the secret of their success. Victory over Hearts on their first day in the top flight, followed by another over Hibs soon after, invited claims that Livingston was the top club in the Lothians.

They would finish that season third in the Premiership, resulting in their Almondvale home playing host to European football, providing further footballing and emotional extremes. A hard fought qualifying tie against FC Vaduz brought victory on away goals after a nil-all draw in Livingston was followed by a 1-1 result in Liechtenstein and the contrast could not have been greater with their exit in the first round proper.

On the flight home following the 5-2 first leg defeat at Sturm Graz the team's captain Stuart Lovell addressed the accompanying media to admit to embarrassment at the way the players had let themselves down. Next day Keane is remembered as having almost been in tears as he responded to that, saying he could never be embarrassed by Livingston FC.

Either way, without Lovell, scorer of one of the two first leg goals, a commendable 4-3 home win salvaged some self-respect before the real in-fighting got underway. A month before what should have been the greatest day in their history, when they won the League Cup, beating Hibs 2-0 in the final in March 2004, the club went into administration and the repercussions have been felt ever since.

"I honestly think Keane was a really decent guy who was looking to do something good for the community and something for football," is the verdict of one who followed the saga closely. "The amount of goodwill they generated was astonishing and they were innovators but there was naivete at play."

Tomorrow, then, in competing in the first division while contesting the Challenge Cup final, Livingston are pretty much where they should be -had they consistently made sound business judgements down the years and duly made steady progress. This being football, however, who would swap that for the thrills and spills of life with Livi's lions?��