Sons' sorrow

[DumbartonTheSons]

I see a lot of mentions of 'no players', Is that a literal no players? 

Yes. As in zero.

As in not one player signed for the forthcoming season.

I can see the points being made here and the thing with Alan Martin does make us look a bit amateurish from several angles, but at the end of the day, the season hasn't been finished a fortnight and our manager is still contracted for another four days.

Yes, it'd be much, much better if we knew one way or another just now, but we don't.

I do believe however that the board won't let it go on indefinitely. The sooner it's sorted out the better of course.

With regards to reduced budgets, that is irksome at the very least. If, and it's a big if as it's just based on media reports, Aldo's claim about being offered less money is true then that'd be a legitimate concern.

Our glorious leaders clearly don't fund things for us. But why do we have a reduced budget for next season?

We're heading into an unprecedented sixth season at this level, an achievement which shouldn't be underplayed, but if we're operating on a lower budget, then we're reducing our chances of succeeding next season. And in what could be a less daunting task than this season with the likes of Brechin and Livingston coming up.

But what will be will be, I'll be enjoying this season, another at this level for us which is fantastic and if or budget means we can't retain our players, then that's the way it is, it'll just be a bigger rebuild than usual, or than we'd like. For whoever is in charge, be that Aitken, Durrant, Young or A.N Other.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

To be fair we generally go into the summer with zero players signed, such is the current climate with 1 year contracts and whatnot.

Normally by now we have 1 or 2 signed up at least but this year it's taking a bit longer due to the manager situation. The sooner that gets dealt with the better, if we've still not heard anything by the weekend I'll be seething out my tits.

[The Moonster]

If we're believing all rumours here and Aldo is off, the players left are:

Jazza Ewings, Davie Smith, Gregor Buchanan, Darren Barr, Stuart Carswell, Grant Gallagher, Calum Gallagher, Christian Nade, Ryan Clark and Kyle Prior.

I think that's it? If they all sign up it's a decent base to build on. Plenty of work to be done in the forward areas and obviously if Aldo goes we've got a big hole to fill there but it shows that we don't quite need to be screaming for things to happen just yet.

#PITK

[The Moonster]

Having just seen a couple of comments from Aldo on Facebook, I'd say he's offski. A fan joked that we could club together and pay his wages and he replied with "It's not even about that now". If it's not just about money then I think it's best he moves on.

[Jan Vojáček]

4 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Having just seen a couple of comments from Aldo on Facebook, I'd say he's offski. A fan joked that we could club together and pay his wages and he replied with "It's not even about that now". If it's not just about money then I think it's best he moves on.

Obviously we don't know the ins and outs, but if he has asked for a two year deal and Stevie is claiming otherwise in the press then I can see why he'd be quite hurt.

I've no idea what the truth is, nor what's going on behind the scenes, but I'm gutted to see him leaving, and equally as gutted to see it happening this way.

[DumbartonTheSons]

I'll be seething out my tits.

A fantastic turn of phrase.

[The Moonster]

Just now, Sonsteam of 08 said:

Obviously we don't know the ins and outs, but if he has asked for a two year deal and Stevie is claiming otherwise in the press then I can see why he'd be quite hurt.

I've no idea what the truth is, nor what's going on behind the scenes, but I'm gutted to see him leaving, and equally as gutted to see it happening this way.

I reckon the truth will be somewhere in the middle. To be honest, we just can't give someone a two year deal in our position, it comes with too much risk. Also, why wouldn't we offer him everything that we possibly could? If that's not enough for him then so be it, we both move on.

[Turnberry Fields Forever]

Looks like the 'Play For The Sons Day' could be taking on a whole new meaning LOL

[19QOS19]

I'm amazed you literally have no players signed. I know when we were PT it was 1 year deals that were dished out but I can't ever recall being 'playerless' by the end of the season.

Were players at least offered deals before the season ended? If SA didn't at least table some offers then he (or the guy holding the pursestrings) has well and truly left you in the shit here. If he stays then a few of those listed above would likely stay but if a new guy comes in it's a massive job for him to build a team from scratch. I think as a director I'd be giving SA a week to decide if he is staying or not. They need to go through the interview process, table an offer, let the guy bring in players (hopefully not the scraps, by this point) and give them time to gel.

Really not a good situation just now and if it is to be a new guy coming in he's a helluva job on his hands.

[The Moonster]

1 minute ago, 19QOS19 said:

I'm amazed you literally have no players signed. I know when we were PT it was 1 year deals that were dished out but I can't ever recall being 'playerless' by the end of the season.

Were players at least offered deals before the season ended? If SA didn't at least table some offers then he (or the guy holding the pursestrings) has well and truly left you in the shit here. If he stays then a few of those listed above would likely stay but if a new guy comes in it's a massive job for him to build a team from scratch. I think as a director I'd be giving SA a week to decide if he is staying or not. They need to go through the interview process, table an offer, let the guy bring in players (hopefully not the scraps, by this point) and give them time to gel.

Really not a good situation just now and if it is to be a new guy coming in he's a helluva job on his hands.

Aitken has offered deals to 10 or 11 players (not quite sure on the youngsters). His contract runs out at the weekend so we won't even be giving him a week to decide. I expect we'll hear either way before Friday.

[Skyline Drifter]

13 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

I'm amazed you literally have no players signed. I know when we were PT it was 1 year deals that were dished out but I can't ever recall being 'playerless' by the end of the season.

At the end of the Brannigan season when Gus MacPherson was appointed we had ONE contracted player (Craig Reid) at the end of May (or maybe 2, can't remember if Dan Carmichael was contracted for more than one year or not). MacPherson did then re-sign a few of the squad (McKenna, McGuffie and a load of fringe 20's) but when he took over he had 1 or 2 players.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

I'm amazed you literally have no players signed. I know when we were PT it was 1 year deals that were dished out but I can't ever recall being 'playerless' by the end of the season.

Were players at least offered deals before the season ended? If SA didn't at least table some offers then he (or the guy holding the pursestrings) has well and truly left you in the shit here. If he stays then a few of those listed above would likely stay but if a new guy comes in it's a massive job for him to build a team from scratch. I think as a director I'd be giving SA a week to decide if he is staying or not. They need to go through the interview process, table an offer, let the guy bring in players (hopefully not the scraps, by this point) and give them time to gel.

Really not a good situation just now and if it is to be a new guy coming in he's a helluva job on his hands.

Unfortunately we didn't know what league we would be playing in until after the 2nd last game of the season. With Aitken's contract needing dealt with it was always likely we'd find ourselves in this scenario. I did expect it to be sorted by now mind but we often find ourselves with only a couple of signed players at this point.

The contract offers have been dished out but absolutely hee haw will be signed until we know what's happening with the gaffer. I'll be massively disappointed, and slightly concerned, if that isn't dealt with by the end of the week at the latest. If Aitken stays I expect signings to follow fairly quickly.

[optimistic]

If a player as good as Alan Martin has been, wants to stay, after enjoying his time with us, surely a 2 year contract is a no brainer, probably not commanding a huge wage, considering he has a job out with the club, and if he continues his excellent form, he could be sold for decent money, he's the first one I'd have insisted we get tied down, but this should never have been in the papers

[albundy]

If a player as good as Alan Martin has been, wants to stay, after enjoying his time with us, surely a 2 year contract is a no brainer, probably not commanding a huge wage, considering he has a job out with the club, and if he continues his excellent form, he could be sold for decent money, he's the first one I'd have insisted we get tied down, but this should never have been in the papers

Agreed the press reflects badly on the club but we don't know the ins and outs of what has been discussed.

The longer we wait, the bigger the disadvantage but I would rather we took our time to get it right than rush into signings.

[The Moonster]

23 minutes ago, optimistic said:

If a player as good as Alan Martin has been, wants to stay, after enjoying his time with us, surely a 2 year contract is a no brainer, probably not commanding a huge wage, considering he has a job out with the club, and if he continues his excellent form, he could be sold for decent money, he's the first one I'd have insisted we get tied down, but this should never have been in the papers

We all thought Mark Brown on a 2 year deal was a great idea at the time, lesson learned I think in regards to 2 year deals. We have no idea what his wage or wage demands were like. No chance we could sell him either, he'll be 30 in 2 years time, who will pay a fee for a 30 year old keeper?

 

[sons1872]

We all thought Mark Brown on a 2 year deal was a great idea at the time, lesson learned I think in regards to 2 year deals. We have no idea what his wage or wage demands were like. No chance we could sell him either, he'll be 30 in 2 years time, who will pay a fee for a 30 year old keeper?
 

You say that like 30 is old for a keeper [emoji44]

[The Moonster]

2 minutes ago, sons1872 said:

You say that like 30 is old for a keeper

It's not, I know, but at our level the only players who will command a fee are youngsters (in football terms) with potential.

[optimistic]

The difference between mark brown and Alan Martin getting 2 year deals, are that we have seen Alan for a year be in outstanding form and winning 5? Awards at the end of season, mark brown came in on reputation mostly, yet was completely uninterested. You can't say that about Alan 

[The Moonster]

15 minutes ago, optimistic said:

The difference between mark brown and Alan Martin getting 2 year deals, are that we have seen Alan for a year be in outstanding form and winning 5? Awards at the end of season, mark brown came in on reputation mostly, yet was completely uninterested. You can't say that about Alan 

Brown was actually fine for the first half of his first season and his form deteriorated. Second season started and he wasn't number 1 any more and by all accounts never really got on with the gaffer. Aldo has had an excellent year but anything could happen. Lets say Aitken signs up and gives Aldo his higher money and 2 year deal. Lets say in 6 months time Stevie Aitken gets the Livingston job. We bring in a new gaffer and he doesn't like/falls out with Aldo. We're left with a player who would rather be anywhere else and a year and a half contract to pay off. Don't even need a new gaffer for that to happen actually, as Aitken and Aldo have clearly fallen out and are airing it in the local press!

As an example, a lot of us would've given Andy Graham a lifetime deal when he was with us but Aitken came in and wanted his own guy and on he moved, if he was on a 2 year deal you end up with a very difficult and perhaps damaging situation. For a part time yo-yo club like ours 2 year deals carry too much risk, IMO.

[cedrick1]

I've tried to be positive about the lack of going on but the reporter story concerns me. Shouldn't be getting discussed in public domain.

im not concerned about players  and manager analysing options but would prefer if all was private.

is alan Martin trying to broker best deal possible between us and queens. Maybe he is entitled to do this but that begs questions about his loyalty.

question did Brabco hope we had gone down as our fantasy ground was based on us staying up . Had we gone down they could have just said oh well can't go ahead and look to wind club up.

anyway no point in getting upset about it as nothing I can do unless my lucky dip comes up trumps tomorrow