DUNDEE have had their £100,000 fee for Livingston striker Leigh Griffths accepted, although the 18-year-old has still to agree personal terms.
The former Hutchison Vale striker has been Livingston's most prized possession after an action-packed first full season in which he broke the club's scoring record.
Dundee manager Jocky Scott has long been an admirer of the Scotland B internationa
list and first made a bid back in April.
Livingston chairman Angelo Massone was holding out for more for Griffiths, with Tony Mowbray taking the player on trial at West Bromwich Albion towards the end of last season.
However, Scottish Power's decision to cut off the electricity supply to the club's stadium because of an unpaid bill of £32,000 appears to have forced Massone's hand, while Mowbray's appointment as Celtic manager, coupled with West Brom's relegation from the English Premier League, has ended the chance of big money from England.
Massone claims to have not paid the electricity bill on purpose to highlight his personal stake in the running of the First Division side. Massone told BBC Scotland that his fundraising appeal to supporters six weeks ago only generated £149.50.
"It was our decision to show the people what happens if I don't put in my own money," explained Massone.
Livingston supporters, meanwhile, have organised a protest march against Massone to take place today at Almondvale.
One fan told the Evening News: "The protest will make feelings known. Even if Massone is in Italy we will still be making a point."
The club has been told by landlords West Lothian Council that they face eviction from the stadium on June 30 unless they pay, or provide a cast-iron guarantee that £280,000 in unpaid rent will be paid. Council leader Peter Johnson said: "We take the view that June 30 is an absolute deadline regarding the club bringing to us a credible plan to pay the outstanding debts. Mr Massone can be under no illusions that it is an absolute deadline and the council cannot allow the club to continue with this substantial debt beyond this period.
"The end of the month is a line drawn in the sand and we are not prepared to go beyond that. We need firm proposals to clear the debt and if an offer to buy the stadium is part of that then we will consider that.
"However, the council would require that Mr Massone accepts restrictions on the use of the stadium as senior football must remain in Livingston. There would be stringent conditions attached to any sale of the stadium to prevent anyone looking to move out of football, redevelop and turn over a profit.
"The key from our perspective is that Livingston FC have been making their repayment schedule but if the debt is not cleared then we would be forced to take appropriate action."
Massone suspended manager Paul Hegarty and his assistant Graeme Robertson from the club in April for, what he explained, was "gross misconduct".
However, he had toyed with the idea of bringing back the pair and asked to meet them on Wednesday of this week to iron out differences. He even went as far as intimating, via the club's website, that he was ready to publicise the structure of the first team and manager this week.
However, Hegarty and Robertson were advised not to go to the meeting by the GMB union.
Hegarty said: "Graeme and myself have been in talks with our lawyers and the union and we were advised not to attend the meeting unless our unpaid wages were deposited in our bank by 3pm on Tuesday, which it wasn't."
The full article contains 621 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
