SFL Div 2, New Bayview Stadium, 26/12/11 (not.)

I had intended to go to this but high winds intervened.

At least, thanks to the internet, I learned about it before I set out. The last two times we’ve had a game postponed at Methil I’d got to the ground – and listened to the football programmes on the radio on the way; without a peep from them about any postponement.

I might not be able to make the rearranged fixture whenever it takes place. I don’t suppose the crowd will be as large as today’s could have been either. A holiday afternoon in balmy temperatures will always beat a freezing cold winter’s evening; which it almost certainly will be.

It seems ages since I’ve seen a game.

William Hill Scottish Cup Round 3, Glebe Park, Brechin, 19/11/11.

We dominated the early stages of this without looking like scoring. Then Brechin took the lead after a deflection meant Jamie Ewings could only parry the ball and the rebound fell to an attacker player. For the rest of the first half we weren’t in it.

The second half wasn’t much to write home about either, and we only threatened when David Winters brought out a splendid save from Craig Nelson in Brechin’s goal. Brechin’s second clinched things and our penalty award was only ever going to be too little too late. It turned out not even to be that as Mark Gilhaney’s penalty was too near the keeper. Brechin then added insult to injury by scoring a third right at the death.

Without Jamie Ewings it might have been 6-0 as we pushed up looking for an equaliser and were left stretched at the back – but then without Nelson in Brechin’s goal Winters might have scored to make a game of it.

It was alarmingly obvious in this game that our creativity and goal scoring threat depends too much on Scott Agnew; suspended for this game.

But at least now we can concentrate on the league.

SFL Div 2, Forthbank Stadium*, 30/10/11

At half-time I feared the worst. We’d had a barrowload of chances, Pat Walker one-on-one with the goalie and the goalie saved it, Brian Prunty and Walker two on one defender where Prunty elected to shoot instead of playing Walker in, plus a few other efforts but nothing to show for it. Stirling had looked poor. That sort of thing usually leads to one ending.

Sure enough Striling came out more brightly in the second half and had more of the ball but didn’t fashion much by way of chances.

Then out of nothing Scott Agnew hit a shot which seemed to get a deflection on its way past their keeper and delight ensued.

But there was still trepidation to come. Stirling had two good efforts one inches (if that) past. From where I sat the header looked goal bound but it edged past the post and Stephen Grindlay made a great save on a one-on-one.

Then a great move saw Prunty played in but his shot went just wide.

A welcome three points even if Stirling were the poorest side I have seen for some time.

The referee by the way was atrocious. He gave us four fouls all game (two more were given by the assistants.) He failed to see a challenge on James Creaney it was so late (the assistant did) but didn’t book the guy. He yellow-carded Kevin Nicoll for a challenge but two minutes later didn’t even give a foul for an exact copy tackle on Scott Agnew.

As I recall this was the ref who gave Andy Rodgers an utterly ridiculous penalty for The Shire against us way back when. Maybe he doesn’t like us for some reason.

*Apparently its now the Doubletree Dunblane Stadium but who could be bothered?

SFL Div 2, Ochilview Park, 15/10/11.

You may have picked up from my mentioning a pub in Cambridge two posts ago that I’ve been away. As a result of being knackered by the driving I hadn’t intended to go to this one but Onebrow said he would if I would and so I went.

I wish I hadn’t.

I now know what the poor home fans at The Rock have had to suffer. It was the bad Dumbarton that turned up for this one. We were appalling.

Stenhousemuir were much more up for it. Scott Agnew wasn’t given a moment’s peace. Two Stenny players were snapping at his heels every time he got the ball and so he couldn’t make any play. Mark Gilhaney tended to wander infield and lose the ball, Martin McNiff had a dreadful game after a not bad start. James Creaney again looked better with Ross McKinnon in front of him but their third goal came from his side. Pat Walker gets pass marks for effort.

The first goal was offside. I was in line when the pass was played forward, the linesman was ten yards upfield of the back four and couldn’t see the offence. The second, a more or less free header from a corner just before the half-time whistle killed the game.

We did get the ball in the net early in the second half but Pat Walker was given offside (by the same sodding linesman) as being in front of the play when Gilhaney shot. We might have made a game of it if that had counted but I doubt it. Stenhousemuir were better in all departments.

Their third was a totally free header by their centre half when the ball came back in after a corner had not been cleared thoroughly.

Scott Agnew’s late free kick was beautifully placed but not much consolation for a poor afternoon.

I also forgot my camera – which was in any case loaded with pictures from my trip away – so there’ll be no photos of Ochilview from this visit.

Next up, on Tuesday night, we’re at home (no points there yet) against an Albion Rovers side stuffed full of ex-Sons. Even though they’re below us and have scored only eight goals I’m fearing the outcome.

SFL Div 2, Station Park, 24/9/11.

A welcome win. But… Something weird is going on.

We haven’t won (or even drawn) at home in the league. Yet away, we’ve won two, drawn one (and lost one.)

We had marginally the better of the early exchanges here though neither side looked likely to score until a run through led to a good save by the Forfar keeper and Brian Prunty just missed the rebound; in the stramash Mark Gilhaney’s blocked shot came back to him and he smashed it against the bar but Prunty was offside and his tap-in didn’t count.

We soon lost the hard running Pat Walker to injury but the sub David Winters scored when the Forfar defence stood still at a Scott Agnew free kick. In oceans of space and with his back to goal Winters fashioned a kind of horizontal bicycle bick to slot the opener.

All through the game Forfar played neat and tidy stuff and tried to pass the ball but generally looked curiously out of sorts. They had several half-chances but no clear cut opportunities.

Forfar’s keeper had at least three good saves though, one from Mark Gilhaney squirmed onto the post before bouncing out.

Our second came when a bit of dig from Scott Agnew in midfileld won him the ball and he despatched Gihaney whose cross was killed by Prunty to set up a volley which he thumped into the net.

Then came the most ridiculous sending off. A nothing situation gave us a throw in on the halfway line and a Forfar player pushed David Winters who fended him off with his hands. The ref scurried over flashing a red card. The Forfar guy escaped with only a yellow.

We managed to hold out without too much torment – though I was looking at my watch a lot – and we seemed quite well organised at the back. Paul Nugent was solid at right back. Loanee Ross McKinnon was okay at left mid but may not be quite match fit.

Apart from the win the most noteworthy occurence was Stephen Grindlay came for and held several cross balls!!!! That’s been missing from his game for too long. (He did miss one later on though.)

A slightly shorter version of this post appeared as “Dumbarton FC, The Sons of the Rock” in The Bayview, Official East Fife Matchday Magazine, Issue 5, Saturday 27th August 2011.

Just what collection of players to wear their team’s colours fans will look back on with fondness must to a large extent depend on their age. Though someone of my years and long experience of following Dumbarton might say we rather lucked into it, young(ish) Dumbarton supporters will no doubt regard the promotion winning team of 2008-9 – none of whom now remain at the club only two short years later – with a rosy glow; albeit forever tinged with sadness at the tragic death of captain Gordon Lennon only a few weeks after lifting the trophy. And that side does have to its credit not only a 3rd Division championship but the longest consecutive playing time without conceding a goal in the club’s history; over 350 mins.

But no-one alive will remember what must be Dumbarton’s greatest achievements; a single Scottish Cup (in 1883) – a time when we were in the forefront of tactical innovation in using the 2-3-5 formation – and twice winning the top division, in 1891 (shared) and 1892.

In my memory Dumbarton have won promotion a total of six times – a seventh lies in the distant mists of 1913 when we were elected upwards – from sixth position! (In those days promotion wasn’t automatic. A Second Division Championship in 1911 still saw us in Division 2 for 1911-12.)

My father’s generation had much less to celebrate. It was fifty long years from relegation in 1922 till the Sons finally lifted themselves back into the top Division, with only the (Festival of Britain) St Mungo Quaich win of 1951 to lighten the darkness. There was, though, a tendency to romanticise the nearly men of the mid to late 1950s; a team that flirted with promotion but always fell short. It featured Tim Whalen and Hughie Gallacher (the club’s all time record scorer with 205 goals overall) whose stays overlapped with those of the long-standing full back partnership of Tommy Govan and Andy Jardine (250 and 299 appearances respectively, according to a website I consulted, most of them together.) I actually remember seeing those guys play but it was the fact that Hughie Gallacher took over in goal one game – no substitutes at all, never mind goalies, in those days – that really sticks in my mind. He was pretty good at stopping them as I recall, but we still lost that game.

One of the promotions was the elevation to the Premier Division in 1984, an adventure that lasted only the one season. A final taste of the elite alas, as we have never made it back. That team featured Bolton manager (and ex-Son) Owen Coyle’s two brothers in its midfield and leant heavily on the goals of Kenny Ashwood.

The Second Division winners of 1991-2, when Charlie Gibson and John McQuade starred, scored the single best Dumbarton team goal I can remember. Cowdenbeath had just equalised in a crucial top of the table clash at Boghead. From the kick-off the ball circulated round the team in a great passing move before, over a minute later, and without an opposition player touching the ball, John McQuade planted it in the net. Promotion was secured on the penultimate day of the season as Cowdenbeath and Alloa, the other contenders, both one point behind, only had each other to play. The Championship was duly sealed in a draw with Arbroath.

League reconstruction (as in 1922!) saw us demoted for 1994-5, placed in the new third tier. With Murdo McLeod as manager the side needed to win at Stirling – who themselves only needed to draw with us – in the last game to be promoted as runners-up. A 2-0 win sent Dumbarton fans into delirium. What happened in the next three seasons, though, was dire. Two successive relegations, including a period of over a year when we did not win a single game, ended up with us bottom of the whole pile in 1998. The following four seemingly endless years of Division 3 football saw our tenure at Boghead, at the time the longest occupancy of a single site in British football, come to an end. In this forum, though, I’d better not dwell on the result of the final game there.

Another runners-up promotion swiftly arrived in 2002. The prolific if frustrating Paddy Flannery (77 goals for the club in 175 games) was the spearhead of that side, with the less heralded Andy Brown a willing side-kick. The promotion hero, though, was goalkeeper John Wight who saved a penalty in the last minute of the last game to make sure we could not be overtaken.

For me, though, the one that sends the memory banks into raptures is 1972. That year it all came together. The club’s centenary season, 50 years since top flight football, the town’s 900th anniversary of Royal Burgh status. Kenny Wilson had an astonishing 38 goals in 36 league games, some of them in vital 1-0 wins. Mid-season he made it onto the scoresheet in a record twelve consecutive matches, and he scored all five in a 5-0 rout of Raith Rovers. And that 38 doesn’t include the free-kicks and penalties he won for Charlie Gallagher to bang in. But big Roy McCormack scored the peach. At Love Street on Christmas Day 1971 he walloped a volley from out near the touchline about fifteen yards into St Mirren’s half. It flew over the keeper’s head, hit the stanchion full on and bounced out beyond the penalty spot. It was astounding. The ref thought it had hit the bar but the linesman gave it. Roy thumped two others not quite so good in the games either side against Alloa the previous week and Clydebank the next. Sweet, sweet.

Other highlights are Jumbo Muir’s waltz all the way from our penalty area through half of the Clyde team at Shawfield before finally putting the ball in the net, Lee Sharp’s belter at Almondvale in 1996, the 5-2 win at Tynecastle in 1982* against a Hearts side desperate for promotion (we were up the park three times in the second half and scored each one) and the 0-0 draw in 1970 in the League Cup semi-final against the Celtic team that made the European Cup Final that season. The replay was 2-2, then in extra time a (Lou Macari?) cross was flagged by the linesman as out of play until Wilson headed it in. The flag mysteriously went down. (Bitter? Me? No. It’s only been forty one years.) We did have a bit of revenge. Celtic had scored another and started to play keep-ball. When we got it back we played keep-ball too. Except we suddenly switched to a quick passing move up the left, put in a great cross and scored. In subsequent seasons we had 3-3 and 2-2 draws at Parkhead in the league. After our second equaliser in the latter of those the ref was looking round desperately for someone to give him a reason to chalk it off. The linesman didn’t help that time.

Yet the real emotion wasn’t for these or any promotion. Somehow the crucial last day relegation avoiders in 1973, 4-1 against Dundee Utd, and 2003, 4-1 again, Raith the victims, have meant much, much more. Perhaps it’s the release of the fear that makes sure it’s so. The hope fulfilled. We non-glory hunters who follow lower league sides don’t get that very often.

Addendum:-
*It seems I have misremembered this game slightly. Big Rab’s blog a week or so ago featured a newspaper clipping which says we were 2-1 down at half time that day. So we were up the park not 3, but 4 times in the second half; and scored each one. Even better.

In his afterword to the article the programme editor says that in addition to being a long-term Sons fan, “Jack Deighton lives in Kirkcaldy and has taught in Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline. Jack knows all about pain.”

New Bayview, like the SHS stadium at Dumbarton, is one of those modern identikit football grounds which has only one stand.

This is the view from the approach road.

And here it is from the car park.

This is the view towards the sea. Note the new Dumbarton away strip – all white with blue trimmings.

And the other end. The pile of rubble behind the fence on the far side of the ground is what remains of the Power Station which was all the view you used to get from the away end.

There’s a video of the demolition here. Several more appear on You Tube.

It is now possible to see this cream coloured building, which I know nothing about.

SFL Div 2, New Bayview Stadium, 27/8/11.

We don’t get days like this very often. Utter dreamland.

At half time it was 4-0 going on a basketball score. Dumbarton were totally dominant. I don’t know what the corner count was but we were in double figures. Whether East Fife were suffering from their exertions against Dunfermline in midweek is problematic (and they also lost a midfielder early on due to a reckless challenge on his part) but they were never at the races here.

The first came from the selfless Pat Walker chasing down a hopelessly lost cause and forcing a corner which was pushed out on the opposite side for another. The Fife defence switched off, Mark Gilhaney took it short to Martin McBride who curled it deliciously into the far corner of the net. The next followed a flick on by Pat Walker from another corner, the ball broke to Prunty. 2-0. The third (from another corner?) was another case of the ball falling to Prunty. The fourth was headered by Jamie Lyden from yet another corner – from the right this time. It squirmed under the keeper, the only one of the six he was at fault for.

I cannot remember when the last time was we were 4-0 up away from home at half time. Neither could the rest of the – actually rather disbelieving, though delirious – Sons fans around me. It may never have happened before.

Then came something else I’ve not seen before. Training apparatus was set out in the interval and the team came out early to do a session.

There was a small flurry by the Fife on the restart but it didn’t come to much. Apart from a little understandable looseness at times given the huge lead we had, normal service was resumed thereafter and again we carved the E Fife defence apart at will. Over elaboration, by Mark Gilhaney in particular, meant no more goals for a while. Then Jamie Lyden came into contact with an opponent in our box. It was soft – though I’d have screamed for it at the other end – and the ref may have felt sorry for the Fife. But so abject were they Jamie Ewings saved the penalty.

Prunty finally got his hat-trick before adding a fourth after a great pass from sub Kieran Brannan following a fine run.

This is probably the first time since the mid 1950s a Son has scored four in an away match. In that famous game – Arbroath 5 Dumbarton 4 – Hughie Gallacher scored all four of ours while Dave Easson got all of Arbroath’s.

It may seem strange that, despite his four goals, Bryan Prunty isn’t my man of the match. But Pat Walker deserves it for his tireless running and getting battered by the defence every time he challenged for a high ball. Prunty actually had quite a few more chances which he hit straight at the keeper.

But overall the whole team was a success – no exceptions. With better final balls and less elaboration we might have had a rugby score.

Jamie Lyden is enough to make you forget Nicky Devlin, plus Jamie has goals in him. Jamie Ewings had only one hairy moment when he played the ball just a little too far round the charging attacker on a back pass but he managed to get rid of it quickly enough.

After our somewhat shaky start the boys should not lack confidence now.

SFL Div 2, Glebe Park, 20/8/11

Amazing the difference a goal makes. I had been going to start this match report with the phrase football can be a cruel sport at times. Yet it can also be the total opposite. One kick of the ball and despair turns to delight.

At half time you could only see one team winning this. Fifteen minutes later only the other. In the end neither did. A switch-back of the emotions.

Witnessing the first half I was at a loss to see how we could have lost 5-1 at home last week. We totally dominated a team who were/are many people’s favourites for promotion. 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game. Scott Agnew neatly finished for the first from a Pat Walker flick on, Jamie Lyden headed the second after running through a static defence. Brechin barely threatened Jamie Ewings only really had one save to make but covered the goal well.

Two minutes into the second half it was pinball in our penalty area. That only ever has one result. The goal gave Brechin confidence. Then the iron law that ex-players come back to haunt us kicked in. Derek Carcary ran through with Alan Lithgow struggling to keep up. The original offence was way outside the box but Carcary finally fell inside it. So: penalty and red card. That ridiculous rule. How, exactly, was the goal scoring opportunity denied? McManus scored it after all. A substitution took off Prunty to allow Nugent as replacement centre half. In the subsequent settling in period an overstretched Dumbarton leg played the ball straight to a Brechin player who went on to score.

From then on Brechin seemed to think they’d won it. If they’d gone for a fourth they probably would have.

As it was, Dumbarton showed character, continued to try to play football, passing to feet and trying to play through Brechin, without ever making Nelson in the Brechin goal work. Until the last gasp equaliser, a beautifully flighted free kick by Scott Agnew.

Brechin’s Paul McManus appears to have the nickname “Shagger.” How very un-PC.

Jamie Ewings was impressive in goal – and not at fault for any of Brechin’s strikes. He dealt with pass backs confidently, made himself big when required, generally exuded competence and never once gave me kittens.

Dumbarton did not deserve to lose this game and throughout played some good stuff. There was more than enough here to suggest that early season gloom might be misplaced. We’ll need to keep things tight just after half time, though. And keep eleven men on the pitch.

I’ve been a bit knackered this week. I started back at work, which is always a shock to the system. That tree I mentioned three years ago – I’ve been blogging for three years? – is looking a bit peaky; but perhaps it always does. Time for reading has fallen drastically.

But I’ve been busy on another count. The man in charge of the East Fife programme has asked me to write an article to appear in the issue for our game there next Saturday (27^th Aug) which got me irrationally excited.

I’ve splurged out 1203 words and I’ll need to cut it for publication. So that’s my weekend gone.

(Well I may go to Brechin today but the prospects aren’t good.)