[3] He played at Junior level for Linlithgow Rose and West Calder United[1] and had business interests in the hospitality sector,[2] but after a pub he owned went on fire without insurance cover he also became heavily involved in organised crime,[4] specifically the large-scale supply of cocaine as well as money laundering.
[4] He gradually became more involved in coaching and recruitment during Mark Burchill's spell as manager, and also began to study the subject formally, obtaining his UEFA B Licence via the Irish Football Association due to them being more accommodating to applicants with convictions than their Scottish counterparts.
[2][6] Holt quit as Livingston manager in November 2020 – again deciding to leave despite a relatively successful spell where the Lions comfortably retained their top-flight status in both seasons of his tenure[18] – and Martindale was appointed head coach on an interim basis, alongside Tony Caig.
[2][17][16] He won four matches in a row during this time (including a 2020–21 Scottish League Cup quarter-final), and was officially appointed manager until the end of the season on 21 December.
[21] The Scottish Football Association's 'Fit and proper person' hearing by its Professional Game Board took place on 26 January 2021 with a positive outcome for Martindale, who had been turned down in his application to be a club official a year earlier but was supported publicly by eminent sporting academic Phil Scraton and the local MP Hannah Bardell.