Sons' sorrow

[O'Kelly Isley III]

45 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

I absolutely applaud that letter from Trust but I think most folk have known for a long time the mess we’re facing.

I think today has been something of a watershed.  Writing as a Trust Board member, the last year or so has been incredibly frustrating in the sense that you read some of the posts on here and want to respond but for various reasons that is not always the correct course of action

Suffice to say that there is currently a very concerning disconnect between the owners, the DFC Board and the supporters, and whilst I don't expect any overnight change we must at least begin to create the Venn diagram that absolutely should be integral to a club like Dumbarton.  That can be helped by honest and transparent dialogue.

We have now asked a number of fundamental and relevant questions in writing; we now expect the club ownership and Board to respond in kind.  The days of rambling Zoom calls, windy rhetoric and vague promises must be over.

 

[the snudge]

Farrell will obviously be getting wind of the supporters frustration and anger. What kind of person stays when he knows he's almost unanimously unwanted?

[Sergeant Wilson]

11 minutes ago, the snudge said:

Farrell will obviously be getting wind of the supporters frustration and anger. What kind of person stays when he knows he's almost unanimously unwanted?

One who has a contract.

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, the snudge said:

Farrell will obviously be getting wind of the supporters frustration and anger. What kind of person stays when he knows he's almost unanimously unwanted?

one as stubborn as his mentor who done us over just like he has 

[FifeSons]

3 hours ago, microdave said:

I've cancelled my standing order to the manager's fund and emailed the club (cc'd the trust too) to let them know and why. I also told them I won't renew my st until the management team have left my club.

I'd encourage others to email the club too since we can't vote with our feet at this time of year.

I've emailed them too.

Hopefully if enough people get in touch, it'll provoke something...

[FifeSons]

I see the usual suspect(s) are defending Farrell/the club on the FB group. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, FifeSons said:

I've emailed them too.

Hopefully if enough people get in touch, it'll provoke something...

I have also emailed,

 

also fully intend on sending back any season ticket renewal I get in the post, ripped into tiny pieces alongside a farrell out and a sack the board notice lol 

[FifeSons]

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/dumbarton-boss-stevie-farrell-says-26916671

Quote

“People can make their own narrative on things. But I’ve only been in League Two once as a manager and I finished joint second in the league.

Do I think I can be the right man to lead Dumbarton to the top end of the league next season? Absolutely I do. I’ve proved that with Stranraer."

Good God. This is actually laughable. He finished 4th (same points, worse goal difference than 2nd and 3rd) and only just ahead of 5th, 16 points behind 1st, and he's trying to make it sound like he challenged for the title or something. The man is beyond deluded.

Tbf if Mackay is lapping up HK's bullshit, its no surprise he's going along with the manager's.

Edited May 10, 2022 by FifeSons

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

5 hours ago, FifeSons said:

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/dumbarton-boss-stevie-farrell-says-26916671

Good God. This is actually laughable. He finished 4th (same points, worse goal difference than 2nd and 3rd) and only just ahead of 5th, 16 points behind 1st, and he's trying to make it sound like he challenged for the title or something. The man is beyond deluded.

Tbf if Mackay is lapping up HK's bullshit, its no surprise he's going along with the manager's.

What the hell is slevering about? He was in League 2 because he got Stranraer relegated and finished 4th. 

What narrative are people making?

[Johnny Red]

Bring back The Far Post, that would be a good start. The club’s PR machine is in free fall.

[Guest]

Having had a think about this, Fan power will most definitely prevail imo. There’s no way the club would sit back and watch whilst masses of season ticket renewals etc aren’t renewed because of one man. 
 

just as an example, 

No season Ticket Renewal, refusal to buy any of the new kits, zero contribution to any potential managers fund, won’t attend friendlies or league cup that we would normally have had to pay in to, until he’s released of his duties 

 

not that I personally want to hurt the club because that would absolutely cripple them what I have listed above…but it would work in ultimately removing Farrell 

[FifeSons]

1 hour ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

What the hell is slevering about? He was in League 2 because he got Stranraer relegated and finished 4th. 

What narrative are people making?

Also, he only managed that over 22 games. Not a normal full-length season. I’m knit-picking there, and it’s hardly the biggest issue re Farrell, but given how ‘finishing joint second’ seems to be how he sold the board on being the man to take us back up, it seems relevant. Even more so considering we were decent for about 9 games under him and then completely fell apart.

It’s bizarre that he’s being sold as some kind of L2 Neil Warnock, who has irrefutable, empirical evidence of having that league completely worked out.

Edited May 10, 2022 by FifeSons

[Sweet Pete]

I've dropped the club an email expressing concerns. Can't really assume that they'll take the views posted on Pie and Bovril as instructive.

[cremola foam]

13 hours ago, BallochSonsFan said:

People want easy answers. Unfortunately there aren't any.

On the issue of Farrell then it comes down to how much it would cost to get rid of him compared to how many fans will stay away. If the club doesnt have the money to sack him then we won't sack him. Fans don't need to like that, but if it's cheaper to keep Farrell and lose season ticket sales than to sack him then the manager is going nowhere. I'd love to see him gone and a new manager appointed. If we can't afford to do that then it raises some very serious questions. There's a tipping point where sacking Farrell is still cheaper than losing season ticket sales and that'll be the thing that determines whether or not we can punt him. 

The chairman's statements since Saturday evening have been unbelievably poor, as have his replies to questions from the trust. You've seen what we're dealing with and what we're trying to challenge him on. Unfortunately we've seen good club board members leave over the course of the season because they can't work with the ownership's constant bullshit. So McKay goes - who replaces him? This Colin Pie character? Henning? One of the 4 Architects mob? Thats no defence of Neil McKay, but it is a question we need answered.

If money is the means of solving our problems, and it could go a long way to addressing the big issues, then we sell the parcel of land with planning permission to a house builder. Except that we can't because it appears that we no longer own it. Major club asset - basically a rainy day, get out of jail option - and it doesnt appear to be ours any more. The actions of our owners have contributed in no small part to driving away directors with solid business experience and are contributing to our lack of options for making changes.

The least I'd expect, and something that the trust are pushing for, is honesty from the board, an acceptance of the scale of the problems we're facing and efforts to cut the bullshit and be straight with fans. We'll keep pushing for it and demanding better. If it isnt forthcoming then things will need to get more militant. I'd still hope that there's a way forward where the club board recognises the need for urgent talks and that in turn leads to a chance for fans to have their say. We need a proper look at the state of the club. Finances. Assets. Ownership's current plans. What it's going to cost to change things. Whether or not we can actually afford to change things. There needs to be a change in thinking within the club board and an acceptance that the current situation can't continue. What those changes are? Its going to depend on exactly how bad our business position is and whether or not the club are capable of improving.

We're long past the point where the club board needs to be brutally honest with the trust and the wider support and where they need to make themselves available for proper scrutiny.

Absolutely all of that. I am really puzzled by this parcel of land business. How can we own it one day and not the next?

[The Moonster]

Would moving ownership of the clubs assets without the knowledge or permission of club board members be illegal? 

[BallochSonsFan]

5 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Would moving ownership of the clubs assets without the knowledge or permission of club board members be illegal? 

It hasn't been done without the club's knowledge. It isn't crystal clear the extent of what has been done. That's something that we're pressing the club on, but the club board are aware of what the owners are doing.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

I'd like to raise the following points.....

Firstly, as a Trust Board member I would wholeheartedly endorse supporters communicating their concerns directly with the club; as you will have already seen the Trust yesterday submitted a fairly lengthy letter of our own but the voice of the individual adds significantly to the collective strength of feeling.  The only caveat I would add is that the tone can be robust and direct, but totally devoid of any abusive or inflammatory language as that will simply be counterproductive - sincerely, it's advice as opposed to a lecture.

Secondly, in discussion on the managerial position at a DFC Board meeting convened on Sunday, the Community Director fully articulated the Trust's opinions on the matter, with the conclusions reflecting the prevailing consensus of the Board as a group.

Finally, there has been recent mention of the club's 150th Anniversary effort.  I'm a member of the four-person Steering Committee, and all of us are Trust Members.  Never mind the disappointment of relegation on football grounds, it was hardly the intro to the 150th anyone associated with DFC would have wished for, not lease ourselves.

However, the Committee works on the basis that an event of of this historic magnitude transcends any contemporary issues or concerns, and crucially the efforts are intended in support of Dumbarton Football Club founded on 23rd December 1872 as opposed to any other aspects or individuals, all of which are transient across its history.  We celebrate Scotland's fifth-oldest club and the first-ever outright winners of the Scottish League. 

The current BoD has been fully supportive and has financially underwritten the initial purchase of home and away anniversary strips and a range of branded merchandise, and we are confident these will find favour with the supporters and indeed collectors of football memorabilia.  There are also a number of events planned and we hope for everyone's support in what is a celebration of our club.

[Guest]

I’m sorry but the absolute bandits that are in charge of us at the minute will only take notice when their pockets are hurt. 
 

so if that involves boycotting pay at the gate games, not renewing season tickets and not buying merchandise then it has to be done 

[Nowhereman]

2 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I'd like to raise the following points.....

Firstly, as a Trust Board member I would wholeheartedly endorse supporters communicating their concerns directly with the club; as you will have already seen the Trust yesterday submitted a fairly lengthy letter of our own but the voice of the individual adds significantly to the collective strength of feeling.  The only caveat I would add is that the tone can be robust and direct, but totally devoid of any abusive or inflammatory language as that will simply be counterproductive - sincerely, it's advice as opposed to a lecture.

Secondly, in discussion on the managerial position at a DFC Board meeting convened on Sunday, the Community Director fully articulated the Trust's opinions on the matter, with the conclusions reflecting the prevailing consensus of the Board as a group.

Finally, there has been recent mention of the club's 150th Anniversary effort.  I'm a member of the four-person Steering Committee, and all of us are Trust Members.  Never mind the disappointment of relegation on football grounds, it was hardly the intro to the 150th anyone associated with DFC would have wished for, not lease ourselves.

However, the Committee works on the basis that an event of of this historic magnitude transcends any contemporary issues or concerns, and crucially the efforts are intended in support of Dumbarton Football Club founded on 23rd December 1872 as opposed to any other aspects or individuals, all of which are transient across its history.  We celebrate Scotland's fifth-oldest club and the first-ever outright winners of the Scottish League. 

The current BoD has been fully supportive and has financially underwritten the initial purchase of home and away anniversary strips and a range of branded merchandise, and we are confident these will find favour with the supporters and indeed collectors of football memorabilia.  There are also a number of events planned and we hope for everyone's support in what is a celebration of our club.

Fourth oldest

[O'Kelly Isley III]

11 minutes ago, Nowhereman said:

Fourth oldest

Queens Park, Kilmarnock, Stranraer, Rangers and ourselves is the recognised order.