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Camelon War Memorial

Camelon is an area of Falkirk.

The War Memorial is a new one (one of the plaques says, “Erected in 2016”) and sits by the side of the B816 road near Lock 16 of the Forth and Clyde Canal. It’s unusual in being constructed of steel panels each with a jagged cut through it:-

Camelon War Memorial

Reverse  view:-

Camelon War Memorial Reverse View

Inscribed memorial stone:-

Camelon War Memorial

Name plaques and dedication which reads “Erected by the people of Camelon in faithful memory of all their fellow Mariners who gave their lives in time of conflict so that we today should enjoy ans cherish the blessing of freeedom.” Mariners is a nickname for all people from Camelon:-

Camelon War Memorial Names

More names:-

Camelon War Memorial More Names

Camelon War Memorial Names

Johnny Graham

I have just noticed on the club website that Johnny Graham, midfield maestro of that famous Sons promotion team of 1972 has passed away. I can’t convey the sadness I feel at this news.

Johnny’s total of 385 games for Dumbarton FC is the most of anyone who has played for the club, as is his 99 cup ties.

As the club tribute says he scored 29 gaols for the side but assisted countless others. I well remember him scoring a beauty against Falkirk at Boghead in 1970. He got the ball at the edge of their box and flicked it over a defender’s head, whom he ran round to hit the ball on the volley into the net. Sublime.

He also had the unique trick of seeming to let an opposition clearance go over his head in midfield before extending his superb left peg back behind him and without being able to see the ball using the back of that foot propel it forwards again – usually to a team mate. I’ve never seen anyone else do that.

Johnny Graham: 30/12/1947 – 28/06/2022. So it goes.

Dumbarton 0-0 Montrose

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 26/3/22

Well, it wasn’t a defeat, we didn’t lose a goal inside the first five minutes and we ended up with a clean sheet. It could be termed progress.

But we needed a win. Especially since Peterhead beat Falkirk so we’re now four points behind them. And it’s four games in a row now without scoring.

We’re just sleepwalking into relegation.

It could have been different. Yes, we didn’t threaten much in the first half (we didn’t threaten at all) but were reasonably comfortable.

We ought to have scored in the second when a fine Carlo Pignatiello run saw him unselfishly draw the ball back to Paul Paton in front of an open goal but he scuffed his shot miserably.

A minute or so later they were awarded a penalty which looked to be curtains for us. However Kieran Wright in goal made a very good save. It’s his first clean sheet for us. How he must have longed to have a defence in front of him.

Another plus point was Josh Oyinsan’s return. He gives us presence up front but isn’t fully match fit I would say.

Whether or not the appearance as a sub by the long-injured (and long unseen) Kristoffer Syvertsen is a plus was difficult to tell. He again probably isn’t match fit and didn’t do much in his minutes on the pitch to say if he’s an asset or merely a body.

We have five games left, two of them against the top two away. There’s no way we’re pulling this out of the bag.

Dumbarton 0-2 Falkirk

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 19/3/22.

We really do need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.

Three minutes in, Falkirk’s first attack, and Stephen Bronsky totally misjudged a header back to Kieran Wright from a bouncing ball, leaving it far too short. A Falkirk forward latched onto it. Game over. From then on Falkirk only had to stroll through the game.

A fine move from their perspective gave them a second but it was far too easy. It also looked as if Kieran Wright maybe ought to have saved it.

We did have a flurry towards the end of the half with a few corners and a Stephen Bronsky hedaer from a corner that beat their keeper but a defender on the post cleared it. That was our one shot on target all game.

This was utterly dire. I had absolutely no confidence that we would ever score: we could barely put any passes together. I doubt Falkirk will have an easier game this season and they are no great shakes.

That’s three blanks in a row now scoring wise. I simply don’t know where our next goal is going to come from.

We’ve got third placed Montrose next week, a team with double our points tally. How many will they rack up? (Even if they have only scored four more than us in total.)

Falkirk 6-2 Dumbarton

SPFL Tier 3, Falkirk Stadium, 8/1/22.

This just gets worse and worse. They hadn’t won for about as long as – or even longer than – us. Yet we were one down in 8 minutes, two in 13 and three by half-time.

It was four just after the restart and then – mirabilis – we actually scored. And then got a penalty to reduce the deficit by one more.

Normal service resumed by full time with those other two goals against.

Falkirk have been gash all season. We are obviously gasher.

There’s a feeling of dreadful inevitability about all this.

It looks like we are on for the Lowland League in two seasons’ time.

Something needs to change. And soon. Or the club may not even make it to its 150th anniversary in December. We’re not going to attract fans with runs and results like this.

Billy Lamont

I see from the club website that former manager Billy Lamont has died.

He joined us as manager in 1981 after achieving the feat of getting East Stirlingshire promoted from the bottom flight in 1980 (something they’d only achieved four times before then and never since.) He left us in 1984 to join Falkirk but the team he had put together for us went into the top division at the end of that season, the last time we graced the highest echelon of Scottish football.

He left to go to manage Falkirk and gained promotion with them too.

In 1990 he came back and took us to promotion from the Second Division as champions in 1992. That team was good to watch.

His is a record that makes him one of the most successful managers we have ever had and a fondly remembered club legend.

Billy Lamont: 12/5/1936 – 8/10/2021. So it goes.

Falkirk 1-2 Dumbarton

SPFL Tier 3, The Falkirk Stadium, 18/9/21.

Gosh. This is getting to be like the old days when we were good (and beat Falkirk regularly.)

Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be joint top of the table seven games in.

We would have been top on goals scored had we not lost one in the eigth minute of injury time!

Amazingly we are comfortably top scorers in the division. (Mind you, on goals against we would be fourth bottom.)

We’ve also won more times than anyone else.

Long may it continue.

I wasn’t at the game but from the stats Falkirk seemed to have the bulk of the possession. Gratifying we only conceded the once then. Kalvin Orsi and Callum Wilson (his first for the club) got the goals. Maybe Orsi is a striker after all.

Dumbarton 5-0 East Fife

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 11/9/21.

Wow!

What a contrast to the last few seasons.

This was our biggest league win for ten years. (Curiously that one was also against East Fife, 6-0 at their place in our last promotion season.)

Mind you there wasn’t much sign of it in the early stages where both teams didn’t threaten much. But then we got a free-kick which was flighted in by Connor Duthie and headed towards goal by Ryan McGeever. It looked to be going wide but ex-Son Scott Gallacher in the Fife goal palmed it out straight to Ross MacLean who gleefully stuck it away.

For a spell towards the end of the half East Fife had a lot of possession but their best – their only – chance came from a free-kick. Sam Ramsbottam looked beaten but the ball crashed off the bar and out.

Just before half-time a Callum Wilson corner saw Gregor Buchanan get a free header yards out. 2-0.

Things meandered round for a bit second half but we put the game to bed when another Callum Wilson delivery was met by Buchanan again despite the attentions of the defence.

Two more goals from set-pieces gave the result a welcome gloss, Ryan McGeever was left all alone in the box to put away Kalvin Orsi’s knock-back from a long corner before Eoghan Stokes headed in from a beautiful delivery from fellow sub Joe McKee following a short corner to him.

If you can be churlish about a five-nil victory here comes the churl. We didn’t score from open play. Indeed we didn’t create a chance from open play except for Ross MacLean’s dribble and shot from a narrow angle which hit the post.

That’s curmudgeonly though. It was such a delight to watch a Sons second half performance with absolutely no trepidation.

They won’t all be like this though.

Falkirk away next week. I never thought we’d be heading there next Saturday above them in the table. (Even if it is only on goal difference.)

Dumbarton 0-1 Aberdeen

Scottish Cup, Round 3, The Rock, 3/4/21.

We should change our name officially to Dumbarton Nil.

Fair enough they are two leagues above us but they didn’t look great shakes. You might say they were there for the taking.

Admittedly they ought to have won by more then one goal since they created quite a few chances. We were indebted to Sam Ramsbottom and the defence for keeping the score down but on the other hand, that is their job.

But we could have played all week and not scored. (If only that Ryan McGeever chance had fallen instead to Jaime Wilson.)

In fact we have played all week and not scored (except for a deflected shot against Falkirk.) If you’re looking for a reason for our league position it’s right there.

So now we’re likely to be knackered and playing a very good Montrose team on Tuesday night and a not too bad East Fife on Thursday.

The three teams we’ve lost against since the restart are arguably the ones we stood most chance of gaining something from and those games are gone, with zero points to show for them.

Falkirk 1-1 Dumbarton

SPFL Tier 3, Falkirk Stadium, 30/3/21.

Well I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t see it at all. After Saturday I just wanted to crawl away into a darkened room so didn’t avail myself of Falkirk’s live stream. (It was £13.99 a pop too, A bit steep.)

From the comments on Pie and Bovril the Falkirk fans seem to think it’s their managers’ fault. (Yes they have two.)

They also said Sam Ramsbottom was man of the match. He apparently made four good saves. (Though one Falkirk fan disagrees, saying he only had one.)

The other surprising thing is that we scored. New boy Rabin Omar after a route one kick up the park according to the club website.

An unexpected and welcome point but we need three in every game at the minute.

Unfortunately Clyde won away at Peterhead so we’ve gone down a place, and they’ve got a game in hand on us too. Forfar got themselves a similarly unexpected point to ourselves at Partick.

Those losses at home in the past two league games are really hurting now.

Airdrieonians tomorrow night at home is the latest must win.

If we did it would put serious pressure on them.

So we most likely won’t.

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