Sons' sorrow

[Jan Vojáček]

If anyone's interested, Joe Nuttall has signed for Blackburn Rovers.

Maybe he could've done a job as Nadè's understudy this season after all.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

2 hours ago, Howlin' Wilf said:

The crowd would be fewer than 200 if admission were free.

Agreed, we are totally reduced to the hard core support now, and to be honest there is currently little to enthuse them never mind anyone else.  To be honest I don't have the answers, especially under the current ownership, but I honestly believe that all but the committed have become thoroughly bored at Sons continually playing the plucky underdog role; on the evidence of today even that may be a big ask this season.

If I go down on Tuesday it will be to get out of the house, no more.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Agreed, we are totally reduced to the hard core support now, and to be honest there is currently little to enthuse them never mind anyone else.  To be honest I don't have the answers, especially under the current ownership, but I honestly believe that all but the committed have become thoroughly bored at Sons continually playing the plucky underdog role; on the evidence of today even that may be a big ask this season.
If I go down on Tuesday it will be to get out of the house, no more.

The Russian and German wummin are on Eurosport on Tuesday night...

[Jan Vojáček]

9 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

Agreed, we are totally reduced to the hard core support now, and to be honest there is currently little to enthuse them never mind anyone else.  To be honest I don't have the answers, especially under the current ownership, but I honestly believe that all but the committed have become thoroughly bored at Sons continually playing the plucky underdog role; on the evidence of today even that may be a big ask this season.

If I go down on Tuesday it will be to get out of the house, no more.

Totally agree. I think I'll go, purely because the weather looks decent and I'll be stuck in an office all day. However if there was another local game on, with cheaper entry prices, I might consider that too.

The plucky underdog part is something that we've discussed on here before. At the end of the day fans go to see a winning team. That's why our home attendance the last time we played Annan (in March 2009) was 815, and this time it looks like we'll be lucky to get a quarter of that. Now granted there are other factors at play - that game was a Saturday, and in the league, but a drop off of almost 70% (based on an attendance of 250) tells a story of its own. 

Last season (for the second half at least) things were great. We played some genuinely exciting football, and absolutely deserved to stay up. Now we seem to be right back at square one again. This season could end up being an exact repeat of last year.

That now puts a potentially dangerous combination ahead. Some of the highest prices in our history (if not the highest), a relegation scrap, and a fanbase who are quite bored with watching us claw our way into 8th place. That's no slight on Stevie Aitken, or the players in recent years, all of whom have done a fantastic job to keep us here. However fans are fickle. Local walkups haven't been interested for years, and now many of diehards are being priced out of things by a chairman who couldn't seem more remote.

[Nowhereman]

The Russian and German wummin are on Eurosport on Tuesday night...

That's clinched it then . . .








. . . I'll be at the Rock

[pleslie99]

Totally agree. I think I'll go, purely because the weather looks decent and I'll be stuck in an office all day. However if there was another local game on, with cheaper entry prices, I might consider that too.
The plucky underdog part is something that we've discussed on here before. At the end of the day fans go to see a winning team. That's why our home attendance the last time we played Annan (in March 2009) was 815, and this time it looks like we'll be lucky to get a quarter of that. Now granted there are other factors at play - that game was a Saturday, and in the league, but a drop off of almost 70% (based on an attendance of 250) tells a story of its own. 
Last season (for the second half at least) things were great. We played some genuinely exciting football, and absolutely deserved to stay up. Now we seem to be right back at square one again. This season could end up being an exact repeat of last year.
That now puts a potentially dangerous combination ahead. Some of the highest prices in our history (if not the highest), a relegation scrap, and a fanbase who are quite bored with watching us claw our way into 8th place. That's no slight on Stevie Aitken, or the players in recent years, all of whom have done a fantastic job to keep us here. However fans are fickle. Local walkups haven't been interested for years, and now many of diehards are being priced out of things by a chairman who couldn't seem more remote.

Has anyone tried to contact our chairman for answers? Would we likely get a response if we did so?

[cedrick1]

Having attended all the pre season ,league cup and Irn bru last year with the associated cost I made the decision not to attend any this year.Appears we are putting same effort into winning said games.

hopefully the same outcome in the league.

not having seen any but my concern with our squad overall is that I don't recall any of our new signings playing well against us last season or those others we signed playing particularly well for their previous clubs.please correct me if I'm wrong .

thinking to last season the likes of Stirling Thomson even pettigrew were a success before we brought them in.

cost and marketing of the league cup has been shabby from a club point of view as if the performance was expected.

less than 2 weeks left till the main event and I would like to see a couple of decent loan signings as we have achieved in past years.

without jumping on the get rid of aitken truck,his record against teams of a lower status is appalling and surely restricts any attraction whatsoever to him being an contender for any jobs at a bigger and better club.

Edited July 23, 2017 by cedrick1

[O'Kelly Isley III]

10 minutes ago, cedrick1 said:

Having attended all the pre season ,league cup and Irn bru last year with the associated cost I made the decision not to attend any this year.Appears we are putting same effort into winning said games.

hopefully the same outcome in the league.

not having seen any but my concern with our squad overall is that I don't recall any of our new signings playing well against us last season or those others we signed playing particularly well for their previous clubs.please correct me if I'm wrong .

thinking to last season the likes of Stirling Thomson even pettigrew were a success before we brought them in.

cost and marketing of the league cup has been shabby from a club point of view as if the performance was expected.

less than 2 weeks left till the main event and I would like to see a couple of decent loan signings as we have achieved in past years.

without jumping on the get rid of aitken truck,his record against teams of a lower status is appalling and surely restricts any attraction whatsoever to him being an contender for any jobs at a bigger and better club.

DFC is caught in an exceedingly vicious circle; outwith of season ticket and gate monies and league/SFA/television payments we generate virtually no income.  What there is will be income from pre-match hospitality and what appears to be a very small usage of the function suite, and I don't imagine it will amount to much in total.  Owners who steadfastly refuse to contribute one thin dime to the football side as they are too focused on making a killing from a speculative land deal are hardly helping. 

All of this has meant that SA has had a real terms cut to his playing budget this term, and whatever anyone thinks of his squad and signings it MUST be viewed against this situation.  Now, I have absolutely no problem with the Board of DFC running a tight financial ship, but I do take issue with their seeming inability to arrest what is beginning to look like the slow and painful decline of this football club.  Les Hope does not deserve any more flak than any of his predecessors; just like the seeming conveyor belt of non-scoring midfielders we see here he is merely the latest in a line of decision-makers at DFC who appear devoid of imagination, ideas and PR skills.

A wee suggestion which the lurkers here might care to pass on; a clear, forceful and unambiguous rejection by the DFC Board of the SPFL proposal to include colt teams in the league structure in the vein of that issued recently by Cowdenbeath FC would represent a very decent start on the PR front.  We await developments with interest.

[Young gun]

Sons share move 'secures future'

The stadium has one stand in the shadow of Dumbarton Rock Dumbarton Football Club's board has secured control of the majority shareholding held by Neil Rankine and will consider moving to a new stadium. The board had feared a hostile takeover would see Strathclyde Homes Stadium sold for housing, putting the future of the Third Division club under threat. Company secretary Gilbert Lawrie told BBC Sport: "Many developers were approaching Neil. "This protects us from someone coming in not in the interests of the club." Dumbarton moved from Boghead Park to their present home in 2000. It has been used for Rangers reserve games and training by the Scotland international side and foreign clubs playing matches in the country.     We could provide something that provides facilities for the whole community rather than just a football club    Dumbarton company secretary Gilbert Lawrie   But Lawrie stressed that its use for other commercial purposes was limited and that there was little scope for expansion. "The current site is being surrounded by new housing and land values have gone through the roof," he said. "When Neil expressed his desire to sell, there was the threat that a takeover would be asset-driven rather than for the benefit of the football club. "Neil always said he would only sell to a party with the club's interests at heart. "But many developers were approaching Neil and we no longer wanted to have to rely on Neil's goodwill." Director Calum Hosie and his son, Andy, with bank funding, have created a share company to buy the shares of Rankine and his representatives on the board - Andy Gemmell and Donnie MacIntyre. Lawrie pointed out that the football club would have a controlling interest in Brabco and that the arrangement should be formalised on 29 November. He admits that the decision to move to their present stadium had been done with undue haste and that the club was determined not to make the same mistake again.   MY SPORT: DEBATE Give your reaction to the Dumbarton boardroom moves   "It gives us the opportunity to look at what's best for the future of Dumbarton Football Club," he said. "Whether to stay or sell up and move to another part of town." Lawrie said that the club would be working together with West Dunbartonshire Council and the local enterprise company. "We could provide something that provides facilities for the whole community rather than just a football club," he said. "We need to take on board what the supporters think and there will be an emotional attachment to the present ground. "But we do not want to be in a position where we tell them that we can never get to the SPL because this stadium could not be adapted to provide the necessary 6,000 seats." Dumbarton last year rejected a £1m takeover by a consortium led by Dubai-based businessman Philip Mills. Now Lawrie says that the club have used what they describe as a "special purposes vehicle" to ensure they are in control of their own destiny.

[Young gun]

Remember these

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

DFC is caught in an exceedingly vicious circle; outwith of season ticket and gate monies and league/SFA/television payments we generate virtually no income.  What there is will be income from pre-match hospitality and what appears to be a very small usage of the function suite, and I don't imagine it will amount to much in total.  Owners who steadfastly refuse to contribute one thin dime to the football side as they are too focused on making a killing from a speculative land deal are hardly helping. 
All of this has meant that SA has had a real terms cut to his playing budget this term, and whatever anyone thinks of his squad and signings it MUST be viewed against this situation.  Now, I have absolutely no problem with the Board of DFC running a tight financial ship, but I do take issue with their seeming inability to arrest what is beginning to look like the slow and painful decline of this football club.  Les Hope does not deserve any more flak than any of his predecessors; just like the seeming conveyor belt of non-scoring midfielders we see here he is merely the latest in a line of decision-makers at DFC who appear devoid of imagination, ideas and PR skills.
A wee suggestion which the lurkers here might care to pass on; a clear, forceful and unambiguous rejection by the DFC Board of the SPFL proposal to include colt teams in the league structure in the vein of that issued recently by Cowdenbeath FC would represent a very decent start on the PR front.  We await developments with interest.

Until we appoint a chairman with more than 15 years of life left in him then I'm pretty much convinced nothing will ever change.

We need some young blood in the boardroom, someone with fresh ideas who's open to trying things a little differently. Nothing too drastic, but anythings better than an old stubborn duffer who's absolutely miles out of touch with the modern day supporter.

[Silverton End]

1 hour ago, Young gun said:

Remember these

Yeah. 

They were deployed by the Local Constabulary back in 84' when the Dinky ran Aberdeen out of town.

#BattleOfDumbartonCommon

 

[lorenzo71]

40 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

DFC is caught in an exceedingly vicious circle; outwith of season ticket and gate monies and league/SFA/television payments we generate virtually no income.  What there is will be income from pre-match hospitality and what appears to be a very small usage of the function suite, and I don't imagine it will amount to much in total.  Owners who steadfastly refuse to contribute one thin dime to the football side as they are too focused on making a killing from a speculative land deal are hardly helping. 

All of this has meant that SA has had a real terms cut to his playing budget this term, and whatever anyone thinks of his squad and signings it MUST be viewed against this situation.  Now, I have absolutely no problem with the Board of DFC running a tight financial ship, but I do take issue with their seeming inability to arrest what is beginning to look like the slow and painful decline of this football club.  Les Hope does not deserve any more flak than any of his predecessors; just like the seeming conveyor belt of non-scoring midfielders we see here he is merely the latest in a line of decision-makers at DFC who appear devoid of imagination, ideas and PR skills.

A wee suggestion which the lurkers here might care to pass on; a clear, forceful and unambiguous rejection by the DFC Board of the SPFL proposal to include colt teams in the league structure in the vein of that issued recently by Cowdenbeath FC would represent a very decent start on the PR front.  We await developments with interest.

Agree with this.Especially re SA.However there is clearly no doubt in his mind these fixtures are friendlies and treats them as such much to the irritation of the fans.Given the limited squad he has to make the league games the priority.As mentioned previously by SO8 trialists ought to be allowed to play in these early rounds for the benefit of the majority of the teams.Roll on the 'Ton game  and lets hope we are near full strength for it.

[Nowhereman]

Until we appoint a chairman with more than 15 years of life left in him then I'm pretty much convinced nothing will ever change.

We need some young blood in the boardroom, someone with fresh ideas who's open to trying things a little differently. Nothing too drastic, but anythings better than an old stubborn duffer who's absolutely miles out of touch with the modern day supporter.

Having fresh ideas has nothing to do with age

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Having fresh ideas has nothing to do with age

I agree, but our board is on the old side with stale ideas (minus our Trust rep). I'd personally like to see someone under the age of 70 appointed as chairman.

Preferably someone who's in touch with supporters.

[son of a bankie]

Clyde pay £60 per week, not been to any game's yet therefore I have no comments to make on our seriously depleted squad.

The squad need player's, look at Harvie from last year on the Aberdeen bench during the week. We can improve young players and give them game time. So that should be enough for us to offer larger clubs options for youth development.

[Thommo90]

Clyde pay £60 per week, not been to any game's yet therefore I have no comments to make on our seriously depleted squad.

The squad need player's, look at Harvie from last year on the Aberdeen bench during the week. We can improve young players and give them game time. So that should be enough for us to offer larger clubs options for youth development.

The loans will come, just need to wait till August for them.

Not that it really matters but I know for a fact that one of the Clyde players is on £100 a week.

[BallochSonsFan]

Ref announced for tomorrow night.

Our good friend Mr Charleston.

[The Moonster]

I had been thinking I might head along tomorrow despite Aitken pretty much saying "we don't care about the league cup" at the weekend, but I don't think I fancy the double torture of watching us in 1st gear whilst Charleston swans around the pitch. Start the league now please.

 

[Jan Vojáček]