Sons reward for our 5-4 extra time win over Annan Athletic on Saturday (a topsy-turvy game where we went two up, then one down then all square at 9o minutes before going one down again but recovering to score twice) in the Scottish Cup* is a home draw against Rangers in Round Four.

We were second last out of the hat (which nowadays is a perspex bowl) with only us and Rangers left.

We won’t win the tie so I would have preferred the game to have been away so that we would have a financial boost from the much bigger crowd that would have turned up to Ibrox but we’ll have to make the mostof what we’ve got.

*The Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.

SPFL Tier 4, New Bayview, 11/11/23.

This is only the second time this season I have watched the mighty Sons of the Rock in action. But East Fife’s ground is only 7 or so miles away from where I live so it seemed only right to turn up.

We survived an early scare when Tony Wallace headed the ball but straight to an East Fife attacker for a one-on-one only for Brett Long in our goal to bail him out.

A minute or so later we took the lead a ball into the box reached Kalvin Orsi who poked it home for his first goal in 784 days.

Thereafter we kind of fell out of it for a while with East Fife knocking the ball about quite well but never really threatening. Then we had a spell where we had four great chances in about three minutes but East Fife’s keeper made one good and one magnificent save and there was a great last minute block to prevent us scoring again. We did get the ball in the net once more but it was chalked off for offside.

The second half was fairly uneventful. Our final balls were just a bit off. East Fife barely looked like scoring except for when Brett Long misjudged a situation, coming for a ball he was never going to get, and was left stranded. Enough defenders got back though to prevent a goal.

The fact that their keeper got their man of the match award kind of sums things up.

I must say Michael Ruth’s centre forward play was superb. He held up the ball and played others in. Sadly he didn’t get enough of the ball in the box to be able to score.We also had players actually showing for the ball at throw-ins. That is not the Dumbarton way.

The ref made some odd decisions. Par for the course these days.

Up front for East Fife Nathan Austin was a shadow of the player he used to be.

Sons’ reward for scraping through the Second Round of the Scottish Cup* on Saturday (3-2 in added time after being 2-0 down against Highland League side Banks O’Dee) is an away tie at Galabank, the ground of Annan Athletic.

Galabank is of course the site of that disastrous 6-0 defeat in the first leg of last season’s play-offs.

Let’s hope the score is less lopsided this time.

*Now the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.

SPFL Trust Trophy,* Third Round , The Rock, 09/08/23

I went to this since it was the first ever meeting between the two sides. It was also an opportunity for me to buy the new home top as seen in the photo below – white top with black and gold stripes down left side of chest.

As to the game; it’s something of a wake-up call. We dominated early possession and made their keeper make a few saves. Then they scored in their first meaningful attack with our defence failing to deal with both the first and the second balls from a corner. Their second was a farce, a defensive error presenting Botti Biabi with a one-on-one he wsn’t going to miss. Declan Byrne did just that though about halfway through the half when beautifully played in, putting his shot just wide of the post.  In all we had no less than four gilt-edged chances in the first half which we spurned, plus another one in the second. Their keeper was certainly player of the first half. Michael Ruth did manage to pull one back after he twisted and turned his defender and sent his shot past the keeper.

Despite Kethen that they would scorelty having a sharpness about their approach play it looked more likely we would equalise but their third was another defensive disaster. We’d been trying to play it out from the back passing across the penalty area and such all second half (manager Steve Farrell must be encouraging this) but a short pass put Harry Broun in goal into bother and his attempted clearance had no chance of escaping Biabi’s challenge for the ball. It rebounded into the net.

I’ve no worries at all that we can create chances. It’s the taking of them that may be a problem. If I was a Kelty fan I would be worried at being so defensively open even though their keeper is certainly up to the job.

It was my first sight of a few of our new faces. Michael Ruth looks a player: whether he is one time will tell.

*aka the Challenge Cup.

Yet more from Dumbarton FC’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition.

Notable former players from before my time:-

I don’t remember John Rowan. Hughie Gallacher was the star of of the late 1950s Sons side which came close to promotion. He’s still top scorer for DFC. John Hosie was the club’s Secretary for donkeys’ years. Robert Robertson was the chairman who was in place when the Sons regained their place in the top flight of Scottish football in 1972. Johnny Graham was a brilliant midfield maestro and holds the record for most appearances for the club:-

Chairman Robertson features in this caricature of Dumbarton worthies:-

Daily Record record of 1926 Scottish Cup Tie. Dumbarton 1-1 Buckie Thistle:-

The replay involved a marathon midweek journey and was followed by Sons’ biggest ever defeat:-

Ephemera. I have one of those 1991 -92 Second Division Championship mugs:-

More from Dumbarton FC’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition.

Boghead was home to the Sons for 121 years. As well as featuring Boghead this board mentioned earlier grounds:-

Boghead’s later days and new stadium at The Rock:-

Temas from the 1880s – 1920s:-

1922 Bergen trip team and others from later in the Twentieth Century:-

On display at the Dumbarton FC 150^th anniversary Exhibition were the then current home and away strips which I featured here.

Home:-

Away:-

Murdo McLeod’s strip from when he was DFC’s player-manager. Plus a programme from a St Bernard’s vs Dumbarton match and a DFC statement of accounts:-

There was also a board displaying Sons’ strips from the club’s original blue and white through black and gold, a brief foray into black and white, before the restoration of black and gold (with occasional white) up to the present day.  These can also be seen on the historical football kits website:-

Fixture flyer from 1984-1985, the club’s most recent season in Scottish football’s top flight, showing the nearly all-white strip worn then:-

The photos in this post were taken at the Dumbarton FC 150^th anniversary Exhibition held in Dumbarton Library towards the end of last year.

The club’s biggest achievement was in being overall Champions of Scotland twice – shared with Rangers in 1891 and won outright the following season. See to the right of photo below:-

The rest of that information board relates to minor trophies, Charity Cups and the Stirlingshire Cup.  I took two photos of it since the angle wasn’t great for getting the whole board in:-

The Dunbartonshire Charity Cup was on display:-

As was the Dumbartonshire Cup:-

The club won the Scottish Cup in 1883 and is one of the few whose names are on the actual trophy as opposed to plinths below it:-

The Festival of Britain (St Mungo) Quaich was won in 1951. The picture below shows the Quaich and one of the mugs presented to the winning players:-

Festival of Britain Quaich inscription:-

The Scottish Football League Second Division Trophy (1972):-

Dumbarton FC, the Sons of the Rock,  became 150 years old in December 2022. To mark the occasion various events were held over the year and a special set of strips was worn for the season.

There was also an exhibition held in Dumbarton Library featuring items from the club’s history. We visited it in November.

Letter of congratulation to Dumbarton FC from A J Cronin + Division 2 Winners Medal 1971-2:-

Scottish Football League Second Division Championship Flag 1992 plus a winner’s medal for that campaign and ticket for the first game at The Rock in December 2000 :-

Scottish Football League Third Divison Flag Toggle 2009 and season tickets for 1972-3 and 2001-2:-

Football Cards, Medals and Photo of Pavilion at Boghead, Dumbarton’s former ground :-

Postcards of Boghead, football cards and medal:-

Share Certificate, coasters and Civic Reception tickets:-

!884-5 season ticket, ticket for first floodlit game at Boghead and club badges:-

Letter to J F Donovan and more coasters:-

Parts from Boghead turnstile:-

Well, we managed to navigate (albeit narrowly) a first tie in the Challenge Cup* – not a common achievement for Sons. We usually get papped out at the earliest opportunity.

Our reward is a home tie against Kelty Hearts, most likely on Sep 9^th.  This will be the first time we’ve played them.

It’s a pity it’s not an away game as Kelty is not far from where I live and it’s a ground I’ve not yet visited.

*SPFL Trust Trophy.