He made his debut three years later when he appeared as a second-half substitute for Tony Hateley on 20 April 1968 in a 1–0 league defeat to West Ham United at Upton Park.

Doug had a fairly successful time at Carrow Road where he helped the club to win the 1971–72 Second Division championship, thus gaining promotion the top flight of English football.

During his spell at Norwich the creative midfielder played 139 times, scoring 6 goals, which would have been a higher figure but for the injuries he endured whilst at Carrow Road.

They finished eighth in the Premier league thanks largely to the efforts of 21-goal striker Teddy Sheringham as well as promising youngsters including Nick Barmby and Darren Anderton, but their hopes of silverware were ended by local rivals Arsenal, who beat them in the FA Cup semi-final and went on to win the trophy.

Livermore returned to football early in 1999 as joint assistant alongside Peter Shreeves at Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest, where he worked under Ron Atkinson.

Hamilton quit in January to be succeeded by Nigel Worthington, and Livermore was part of the management team which secured Norwich's promotion to the Premier League as Division One champions in 2004.

Worthington was sacked in the autumn of 2006 after failing to get Norwich back into the Premier League, but Livermore remained at Carrow Road as assistant to new manager Peter Grant, until finally leaving on 9 February 2007 after nearly eight years on the club's coaching staff.