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7 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

https://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=3946

A really good statement from the chairman here and paints a much clearer picture of why we are where we are. It's good to see him calling out the owners as well.

Agreed. For all our on-pitch issues Brabco (and their legacy) are still the biggest challenge facing this club.

The work that John Steele and the directors are doing is nothing short of admirable given the circumstances, and quite a few of our supporters on social media should maybe think about that when they start calling for them to be sacked because the kitman resigned, or because they're not throwing their own money at players.

It's a shame that the guys on the pitch haven't performed this season. If they had then, coupled with a transparent and decent board, we'd all be feeling pretty positive - despite the challenges that are ahead.

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Shots fired.  Can't imagine wee Wilson will be too pleased reading that. 

Good statement though, sets out all the negatives but is still trying to have a positive outlook. Clear though that whilst the board are doing all they can, we need money in.  I just hope we can come out the arse end of this shit gibbon of a season still in relatively good shape.

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The clear message as i take it from JS statement is POSITIVITY and SUPPORT to lift us out of the quagmire we are in.Many say that what is discussed on here has no repercussions on those at the club, but i beg to differ.I think PB is closely monitored by players, directors press etc and the message is hinting at that as well of course what happens in/from the stands.Anyways nothing wrong with being positive.I have and remain so for what thats worth.

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The clear message as i take it from JS statement is POSITIVITY and SUPPORT to lift us out of the quagmire we are in.Many say that what is discussed on here has no repercussions on those at the club, but i beg to differ.I think PB is closely monitored by players, directors press etc and the message is hinting at that as well of course what happens in/from the stands.Anyways nothing wrong with being positive.I have and remain so for what thats worth.
People on here give honest assessments of players or the management based on what they see on the park, during a season where things aren't going well those assessments will be mostly 'negative'. It's a different story at the games where players could potentially hear things being shouted and confidence could be sapped and I certainly wouldn't condone stuff being shouted at players.

If we should just be blindly positive about below par performances or a potential relegation we'd be as well not bothering with fans forums like this. Fake positivity on Pie and Bovril wont see us survive relegation, nor it will have any impact on off the field issues, honesty should be welcomed.
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Its not so much about positivity for me as realism. As fans we need to be realistic as to what we can expect. Constructive criticism is fine - really it's essential that if the club is doing something then people highlight whether there are things that can be done better. Same goes for chat about performances. Constructive criticism when it comes to post game chat is to be encouraged. We're our own worst enemies when we start filling in the blanks with some of the wilder assumptions and guesses or when we default to the most negative of positions.

Nobody should be in any doubt as to the scale of the challenges facing the club. Where we need positivity is in our willingness to address those challenges to try to ensure the best possible future for the club. The current board are night and day different from some of those who have been in post over the past decade. If we can indulge in positivity then its in our current board's willingness and our fans enthusiasm for dealing with the challenges of where we are right now.

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1 hour ago, lorenzo71 said:

The clear message as i take it from JS statement is POSITIVITY and SUPPORT to lift us out of the quagmire we are in.Many say that what is discussed on here has no repercussions on those at the club, but i beg to differ.I think PB is closely monitored by players, directors press etc and the message is hinting at that as well of course what happens in/from the stands.Anyways nothing wrong with being positive.I have and remain so for what thats worth.

John Steele has told me personally that he doesn't read and is not aware of the comments on any DFC internet forum.

The statement is fair enough but I can't help feeling that it reads like a gypsy's warning.

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54 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

People on here give honest assessments of players or the management based on what they see on the park, during a season where things aren't going well those assessments will be mostly 'negative'. It's a different story at the games where players could potentially hear things being shouted and confidence could be sapped and I certainly wouldn't condone stuff being shouted at players.

If we should just be blindly positive about below par performances or a potential relegation we'd be as well not bothering with fans forums like this. Fake positivity on Pie and Bovril wont see us survive relegation, nor it will have any impact on off the field issues, honesty should be welcomed.

I agree completely with that post.But i think what im trying to say is that fake positivity call it what you want is necessary given the dire position which we are in.And i think that is what is being alluded to.Of course we cannot be happy sitting bottom of the table let alone be content with the off-field problems.Its a bit like watching your kid having a nightmare at the school play and everybody cheers the slightest thing he does to encourage him.Im afraid as shite as that sounds its where we are at.JD and the players just need every ounce of support , moral or financial they can get.Im not expecting anyone to agree with me but i thinks its an honest indication of where we are.

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1 hour ago, lorenzo71 said:

The clear message as i take it from JS statement is POSITIVITY and SUPPORT to lift us out of the quagmire we are in.Many say that what is discussed on here has no repercussions on those at the club, but i beg to differ.I think PB is closely monitored by players, directors press etc and the message is hinting at that as well of course what happens in/from the stands.Anyways nothing wrong with being positive.I have and remain so for what thats worth.

I'm not sure it's referring to people not supporting the team online in the slightest to be honest. As BBPF says we can post on here that we're in a great position, and everything's rosy, but that won't save us from relegation.

This statement goes well beyond the footballing side of things and into the, fundamentally more important, issues that could threaten the club's future. Brabco's neglect of the stadium is creating very real problems that need to be addressed, and the only way these can be sorted is with the fans supporting the club. Not the team. Not the manager. Not whatever player. The club. 

Reducing ticket prices, dropping a division, sacking an unpopular and under-performing manager and having 25% of season ticket holders decide not to renew would be painful for most clubs - let alone a one with owners who desperately want out, and who have caused various issues that have started to cost the club money.

The last line is the key for me:

Quote

The Dumbarton FC board and the Sonstrust will be making further announcements shortly about initiatives to raise vitally needed funds and to make progress in the league. 

We need to give the club backing in whatever way we can, and I'm interested to see what is on the horizon. Too many people need a reality check about the situation that we're in, and hopefully John's statement will illustrate to those who love to complain on Facebook and Twitter (we all know who I'm referring to here) just how difficult a situation we're in.

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4 minutes ago, Ross Forbes said:

We need to give the club backing in whatever way we can, and I'm interested to see what is on the horizon. Too many people need a reality check about the situation that we're in, and hopefully John's statement will illustrate to those who love to complain on Facebook and Twitter (we all know who I'm referring to here) just how difficult a situation we're in.

The worst thing is when people moan and say they won't be back until we have a winning team. They don't seem to realise that without their support it becomes less and less likely to have a winning team. Its a vicious cycle, not exclusive to DFC.

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1 minute ago, FifeSons said:

The worst thing is when people moan and say they won't be back until we have a winning team. They don't seem to realise that without their support it becomes less and less likely to have a winning team. Its a vicious cycle, not exclusive to DFC.

Absolutely. There was a guy going tonto on Twitter about Duffy not having the money to sign anyone, who then made a big point of saying how he wasn't bothering with games because we weren't winning. It's madness. 

Not as mad as the guy not contributing to any club fundraisers because the club wouldn't help financially if he was in trouble mind you. In a bizarre season of fans on Facebook I'm still utterly perplexed by that. 

I'm confident we've got the right chairman and the right board. Possibly for the first time in a very long time. Even if a guy on Twitter insists they should be sacked (in block capitals) after every defeat, injury and birthday message.

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I can't argue with a word of John Steele's article but I fear the future of the club will rely on more than the spirit of the supporters and their fundraising efforts.

We have become caught in a cycle in which a diminishing hardcore of fans is being asked to step up, a situation now not uncommon at certain golf clubs and bowling clubs. And that's a situation which is unsustainable.

I don't have the answers but we've been at crucial points before several times in living memory and we should be thankful we've now got a Board who will do the right thing by the club.

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Why this should come to mind while I was shaking hands with an old friend I don't know, but I suddenly remembered an serious omission from the short discussion on things a certain supporter doesn't shout out every game nowadays: the word 'numpty'.

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15 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I can't argue with a word of John Steele's article but I fear the future of the club will rely on more than the spirit of the supporters and their fundraising efforts.

We have become caught in a cycle in which a diminishing hardcore of fans is being asked to step up, a situation now not uncommon at certain golf clubs and bowling clubs. And that's a situation which is unsustainable.
 

I don't really agree here. Is a community club not what we want?  A community club depends on it's fans and the local community to raise the cash needed. Our old model of letting whichever director fancied it that month to fire in a soft loan and claim it back later is why we're in this shit show right now.

For years I've heard Sons fans talk about the club being a community club and how great it would be to get ownership in our hands, but as we now start to actually carry this out I fear that Sons fans like the idea of a community club more than the reality of it.  Of course the fans are asked to step up and help fund shortfall's, it's our club, if we're not doing it, who is?

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I don't really agree here. Is a community club not what we want?  A community club depends on it's fans and the local community to raise the cash needed. Our old model of letting whichever director fancied it that month to fire in a soft loan and claim it back later is why we're in this shit show right now.
For years I've heard Sons fans talk about the club being a community club and how great it would be to get ownership in our hands, but as we now start to actually carry this out I fear that Sons fans like the idea of a community club more than the reality of it.  Of course the fans are asked to step up and help fund shortfall's, it's our club, if we're not doing it, who is?
Surely the ultimate goal is for the club to be self sustainable? Aka it doesn't require numerous fund raising events just to scrape by.

By all means there is no issue with fundraising when it's required but it cannot be considered a successful long term strategy to barely keep the club alive, nevermind thrive. There's only so much money people can donate before it becomes too much.
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2 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

Surely the ultimate goal is for the club to be self sustainable? Aka it doesn't require numerous fund raising events just to scrape by.

By all means there is no issue with fundraising when it's required but it cannot be considered a successful long term strategy to barely keep the club alive, nevermind thrive. There's only so much money people can donate before it becomes too much.

We're all now very aware of our current situation and why we're here though, fundraising is the only way out of this hole. I would argue that fundraisers should be arranged every season, not just because it raises funds but because it helps build a community feel at the club.

Things are being put in place to help with long term sustainability, new caterers who appear very keen to utilise the function suites to their full potential for example, but right now fans are being asked to help get the club through this and if such a situation arises again then they'll be asked again.  I'm not sure who else we can expect to keep the club alive.

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