This Is Not The Greatest Title In The World, This Is Just A Tribute

[Brian of Nazareth]

March

League

A trip to 11th placed ICT wasn’t the worst starts to a new month George could have had, but with the big guns coming up a boost was desperately needed by the players to avoid a complete meltdown. Suffering from a lack of full backs George opted to play a defensive 3-3-2-2 formation to try and at least get into the game slowly. As it happened Dumbarton started the better side, as chances began to flow initially with Liam O’Sullivan and Willie Stewart occupying the flanks sending in balls for Kiegan Parker and John Jack but neither could finish and George was crying out for a player to put the ball into the back of the net. Neither played could and it was a relief that ICT were just as lackluster upfront. In the second more pressure was applied on either side. Craig Gordon in for the sulking Evans was on guard to stop a few more balls whilst sub Gordon Bennett and Keith MacLeod both could have won it for the visitors. George made subs, bringing on Jim Wilson, Leigh Burton and Gordon Bennett with 15 minutes to go, and those players did hand Dumbarton a slight impetus as Bennett saw cross headed just over by Jim Hunter , before in the87th minute another sub netted another late winner as his reputation was fast developing. Kiegan Parker had run and shot fiercely at Hugh Wylie but the ball was spilled – and from an acute angle Leigh Burton was on hand to net is 4th goal this season. George was delighted and the win returned his side to 6th with a fair bit of confidence restored too.

After the trip to ICT a home game against Dunfermline was due to follow, but the Pars European run ensured that fixture would be played later and instead after a longer break, it was Celtic who visited on the 15th. Celtic were 4th, 7 points above Dumbarton but also realistically out of the title race too, 16 points behind Rangers so they were eager to restore some pride to the side though after recent form George didn’t know whether it would be the side who performed miserably against Dundee or the side that resoundingly beat ICT. He hoped for the former. His opponents had also just returned from trip to Belgium in midweek so tiredness was a factor George wanted to capitalize on. John Jack was facing his old club. 45 minutes after the start and George abandoned the 3-3-2-2 formation, as it was not working. Celtic had dominated – scoring through Rogelio Lopez to break the deadlock. In the second, an improved performance saw a few more chances, to Mark Kerr and Willie Stewart but they were little more than half chances as Celtic still controlled the game. The visitors played out the remaining minutes to secure the win as now Dumbarton were hanging on to 6th by a whisker, hoping that sides below him would slip up.

On Monday 23rd another home game arrived, this time it was Dunfermline who were coming and George started with a 3-3-2-2 style again which surprised many, but he was aware that Dunfermline needed to be contained early on before his side could risk going for broke too early. As it happened the visitors almost did breakthrough on 5 minutes but the defense held the line well, marshaled by Jim Hunter and David Rainford’s goal was chalked off for offside. The hosts kept up their resilient efforts for much of the following period of play as James Evans was on form keeping out Frederic Laurent and Mark Burke. As the home fans looked to half time, wondering if their side would hold out, Simon Davies head butted Tom McManus after an exchange of unpleasantries, and the midfielder was off, and George was smiling. Surviving until the break George restored his side to an attacking 4-1-3-2 approach, bringing on Leigh Burton and Mark Stewart as the hosts now began the brighter side. The extra man advantage saw them have a great deal of possession but at the same time Dunfermline were also very patient, simply defending and not making any rash decisions that would open up a hole. On 68 minutes though the deadlock arrived. A long punt downfield from the visitors was collected by left back John Wright . Wright picked out Mark Stewart down the left in a little bit of space, but when everyone expected him to try and check back inside and find another man in space, he deftly flicked the ball over Bob O’Connell’s head creating some room before finding Mark Kerr at the back post. The midfielder took one touch to control it, bringing the ball more central to the goal before slamming the ball past James Langfield to make it 1-0. After that, Leigh Burton was denied on 2 separate occasions by Langfield as the youngster was close to sealing the points. However, those misses did not cost Dumbarton this time round though as the game was closed out well, and 3 points kept Dumbarton in 6th.

At the end of the month a trip to Dundee United arrived, the penultimate game before the spit and it was always going to be tough contest against the 3rd placed side. Dumbarton were 3 points ahead of Aberdeen going into this game, but after would have played a game more, with the Dons and Well not playing until the Wednesday in April. United had won their last 4 league games in a row and were full of confidence, despite a recent Cup exit. After 15 minutes George reverted from 3-3-2-2 to 4-4-2 as the hosts were 1-0 up and cruising through Paul Di Giacomo. That helped marginally but the hosts were still in control and took a giant step to sealing the game in the last minute of the first half as James Evans was yet again dismissed for a professional foul, his 3rd of the season and Peter Powell converted. In the second, after making more changes, George was happy enough to see his side battling well in the middle. Dundee weren’t as focused as before, and Mark Stewart could have scored, but Craig Gordon was just as important in goal keeping the score line respectable. A defeat arrived as the hosts moved up to second, and George now hoped other teams could do him a favour in midweek.

Other Monthly News

John Wright was offered a new contract, to keep the left back here past the summer, and after a week of mulling it over he signed. Keith Thompson a forward at Hearts in division 1 turned down a loan offer from George, whilst Blackburn kept refusing to allow Steve Reid to go back and play some competitive games.

In the middle of the month European Qualifiers for 2016 were back again and Scotland drew 1-1 with Belgium at Hampden, the visitors having taken the lead before Gary McPherson rescued the Scots. In the second home game, George sat back in his armchair and enjoyed a splendid performance by the Scots defeating the Czech Republic 4-0 with goals from Stephen Sinclair, Willie Howie, Gary McPherson and Brian Black. Gordon Bennett signed a new contract

[Brian of Nazareth]

April

League

The last game before the spilt was ironically against Aberdeen at Cliftonhill. With the Dons having easily won in midweek both teams stood on 43 points, with Aberdeen in 6th so this was definitely one Dumbarton had to win to qualify for the top group. George kept faith with 3-3-2-2 again from the start with Craig Gordon in for the suspended James Evans. Dumbarton began the brighter side as Tom McManus volleyed just wide, and Keith MacLeod wasted a few corners. As Dumbarton steadily contained their frustrated visitors, the hosts scored just before the break to hand Dumbarton the advantage – as Keith MacLeod crossed for Jim Hunter to head into the net and it was 1-0, and with 45 minutes to go, Dumbarton were in the top 6. In the second, Aberdeen were a different side and ruthlessly attacked Gordon’s net, making a crucial early breakthrough with Fredrik Lagemyr, the Swedish midfielder making it 1-1 and the momentum had turned again. George made subs but they were to no avail as a much a changed Dons side were rampant. Lagemyr scored the inevitable winner in the 67th minute, but in truth they could have had several more goals such was their attacking potency, as Dumbarton disappointingly were forced to settle for 7th place.

The Split – Relegation Group

Motherwell hosted Dumbarton in the first of the final few matches, and they were another club who’d had an outside chance of sneaking into the top half. Selecting the side was a little tricky as a few of the squad members had clearly taken a disliking to Craig Graham , a player who would, George conceded, have to leave in the summer. A 4-1-3-2 style emerged, but after 10 minutes Dennis Dindic scored for the hosts as Dumbarton’s season began to pick up speed in the way it was unraveling. Dumbarton tried to respond but failed. Shots were offered but George didn’t expect much success seeing as Kiegan Parker was clearly an over rated bag of shïte, and the others got nowhere the goal mouth, as more yellow cards and results elsewhere saw them drop to 9th in the table, and Willie Stewart and Mark Kerr now had 1 match bans. George drank himself to sleep that night, not wanting to deal with the headache that was his club’s prospects.

Dundee were the next club to visit and George hoped the home crowd would help awaken his side to the slumber they were falling into. Whilst easily safe from relegation George wanted to finish as high as possible. After a slow start to the game, it was Dumbarton who created the first chances. Bennett and Parker both testing Glynn Thompson. Dundee were sleeping and struggling to find any rhythm, and they didn’t wake up until they were a goal down just before half time. Stephen Monaghan had the ball down the right before playing it inside to Mark Kerr . The midfielder exchanged passes with James McFadden before playing in Gordon Bennett who whilst tackled managed to poke the ball home into the net. It handed Dumbarton the lead but also cost Gordon who was carried off on a stretcher in a fair amount of pain. In the second half his replacement John Jack proved to be the key player. He set up chances for Parker to waste spectacularly as Dundee began to get back into the game, putting pressure on Craig Gordon and the defenders. After one effort grazed a cross bar George brought on fresh legs and finally a match killing goal arrived. Mark Kerr lofted a free kick in and John Jack headed in to return Dumbarton to 8th place in the table.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle were next, in an away tie and they were the only side who Partick could catch at the bottom. The gap was 7 points with 3 games left so it was a tall order for Partick but George knew ICT would want to end any lingering doubts as soon as possible. Included in the side were James Scott recalled from a successful loan at St. Mirren and Leigh Burton who was awarded a starting role. The home side began the much brighter side, as Dumbarton were terrible to hardly anyone’s surprise. Mark Kerr was sent off after 22 minutes for a stupid foul and ICT scored a winning goal on 34 minutes through Stockdale. George couldn’t be arsed to show up for the second half, such a write off were his side now. He would begin searching for players that possessed even a modicum of talent as soon as he could. He also apologized to Partick fans for his side’s pathetic showing.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Other Monthly News

Stephen McPherson was on youngster who refused initial contracts that did not have a release clause in, so George had initially given up. After a few months though Leyton Orient came round sniffing, offering the boy a contract. After consulting with his coaches George offered him one too, with a release fee in. He then agreed to move to Orient, and as George accepted the loss, and the compensation fee, Orient rang to request an extension, as they didn’t have the money… Denied!

Gordon Bennett extended his contract, whilst McPherson signed one himself soon after. After the Dons game, which Dumbarton lost 2-1, Craig Graham the central defender launched a scathing attack on the club, calling for serious investment in the summer of the side were to make any form of progress this year. The defender already unhappy with the amount of media spotlight he was receiving, accepted a fine for his outspoken words, even if George privately agreed he had to find some better players to improve this squad somewhere. Bennett then ruined his summer in the Dundee game, his injury requiring a sustained absence of around 5-6 months.

Liam O’Sullivan the 33-year-old left back, decided to join Rushden & Diamonds on a free transfer – the deal going through at the end of the season. Craig Graham was placed on the transfer list as George saw that most of his current players were no world beaters by a very long shot. Kiegan Parker’s appearance in the Dundee cost Dumbarton 400,000 pounds in fees to Leicester too.

At the end of the month Burnley placed a bid for young defender Mark Currie . They bid 26k for the 16 year old and it confused George who simply couldn’t see what had attracted him to them. He negotiated a 20% sell on fee anyway in case the player became some sort of star in the future.

[Brian of Nazareth]

May

League

The last home game of the season saw shock League Cup Winners Kilmarnock come to visit and George prayed his opponents lack of anything to play for might help his crap selection of players force a win. Amazingly Kiegan Parker was one player who took on board the earful he and the side had received from coaches and fans alike to score after 15 minutes from a Paul Miller cross. Of course that little bit of good news was cancelled out by John Melander, who scored on 42 minutes as the hosts began to fall away. In the second another renewed call to arms from George actually saw Dumbarton shockingly retake the lead. On loan defender Steve Taylor , one of the best performers of the day sadly, setting up Kiegan Parker to score again. At 2 –1 up George was mildly happy, only to return to his usual anger with 5 minutes left as Kilmarnock after a sustained period of pressure leveled through Johan Melander again. A point meant 8th was the best his side could hope for, whilst bad results on the last day could see them in 9th. So George prepared for a 9th placed finish.

The bizarreness of the split actually meant the final game of the season would be Dumbarton’s 20th home game, and Partick Thistle would be the visitors. Even though the visitors were relegated, George fully expected them to walk over his band of disenchanted players. To his surprise, by half time his side were 2-0 up, through goals from Colin Yeats and young Leigh Burton just before the interval as Dumbarton offered some semblance of hope for the next campaign. Of course it wasn’t that easy as Eric Cloarec scored 10 minutes after the break. Thomas Craig made it 3-1, after being set up by John Jack before Cloarec reduced it again as Partick took over the last few moments. Thankfully they didn’t score and it was at least pleasant to end an otherwise poor end of season run in with a win as George immediately booked a week’s break in Tazmania to get as far as possible from his players, and then spent a further week vacationing on the moon, benefiting from one of the many new advances in technology since he’d began in 2001.

Other Monthly News

Mark Currie completed his move to Burnley. George escaped capture while trying to poison his defenders. He eventually successfully pinned the blame on a random street youth who didn’t even speak English. Artim Babikuyuk would be in jail for a good 12 years.

Craig Graham , the unpopular centre half had his dream for a move realized when Bristol City came sniffing. An initial 70,000 pound was upped to 100,000 and the next bid was accepted. It took him 2 hours to make up his mind. Elsewhere, unlucky James McFadden would have a long summer, as he would be recuperating from a leg injury sustained whilst mowing the lawn before the game with Partick. Jim Wilson completed a bizarre weekend of domestic incidents, as his hand was bitten off by an aggrieved Alsatian. He would be out a month whilst a replacement hand was found.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Dumbarton Stats

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

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Dumbarton - Wednesday 13th May 2015

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Squad

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No Name Position(s) Nat Born Age Caps Gls Wages Expires Value

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8 Bennett, Gordon F C SCO 19.3.89 26 6 1 £3.2K 28.6.18 £300K

31 Burton, Leigh S C ENG 12.7.97 17 - - £775 4.6.17 £80K

19 Craig, Thomas D/DM C SCO 23.7.81 33 - - £1.1K 21.6.16 £16K

29 Currie, Mark D/DM RC ENG 3.5.98 17 - - £425 24.6.17 £26K

21 Dempsie, Mark D C SCO 19.10.80 34 1 - £2.7K 22.6.16 £80K

1 Evans, James GK SCO 25.11.83 31 - - £2.3K 23.6.17 £170K

12 Gordon, Craig GK SCO 15.9.83 31 - - £3.2K 10.6.16 £70K

4 Graham, Craig D C SCO 17.1.84 31 - - £2.4K 27.6.16 £100K

25 Grant, Gordon D/S C SCO 12.10.90 24 - - £2.1K 10.6.17 £130K

27 Gravesen, Thomas DM C DEN 11.3.76 39 88 5 £1.3K 20.6.17 £18K

13 Hunter, Jim D C SCO 29.11.86 28 - - £2.8K 22.6.17 £150K

30 Irvine, Kevin D LC SCO 17.10.96 18 - - £1.6K 1.6.17 £35K

33 Jack, John AM/F C SCO 28.12.81 33 - - £3.4K 27.6.16 £100K

6 Kerr, Mark M C SCO 2.3.82 33 - - £1.9K 24.6.16 £190K

5 MacDonald, Steven D C SCO 26.7.82 32 - - £2.1K 9.6.15 £2K

23 MacLeod, Keith M C SCO 8.7.88 26 - - £1.7K 7.6.16 £140K

7 McFadden, James M C SCO 13.8.83 31 - - £3K 8.6.18 £80K

34 McGregor, Brian D L SCO 1.2.97 18 - - £500 25.6.17 £30K

11 McManus, Thomas S C SCO 28.2.81 34 15 5 £2.7K 14.5.16 £22K

28 McPherson, Scott DM C SCO 22.3.97 18 - - £525 1.6.18 £60K

14 Miller, Paul F RLC SCO 29.7.89 25 - - £2.2K 22.6.17 £150K

24 Monaghan, Steven D/DM R SCO 11.11.91 23 - - £2.6K 28.6.17 £170K

3 O'Sullivan, Liam D L SCO 28.10.81 33 - - £2.1K 28.6.15 Free

26 Parker, Kiegan F RC SCO 8.6.82 32 17 1 £3.2K 22.6.17 £200K

- Russell, David S C SCO 12.9.96 18 - - £575 19.6.16 £35K

2 Scott, James D RC SCO 3.6.98 16 - - £825 28.6.17 £40K

18 Scott, Kevin D/DM C SCO 1.2.85 30 - - £825 16.6.15 £2K

15 Stewart, Mark M L SCO 16.1.90 25 - - £3K 1.6.17 £110K

16 Stewart, Willie DM C SCO 10.11.87 27 - - £2K 17.6.16 £160K

32 Taylor, Steve D LC SCO 24.11.92 22 - - £1.4K 20.6.15 £450K

20 Wilson, Jim D/DM C SCO 9.9.84 30 - - £2.2K 14.6.16 £55K

17 Wright, John D L SCO 10.5.90 25 - - £1.9K 20.6.18 £80K

22 Yeats, Colin M C SCO 28.8.89 25 - - £2.8K 27.6.17 £100K

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2014/5 Senior Club Stats

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No Name Apps Gls Con Pens Asts Yel Red MoM Av R

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8 Bennett, Gordon 16 (11) 7 0 2 (2) 1 1 0 2 6.85

31 Burton, Leigh 5 (14) 5 0 0 0 2 0 1 6.88

19 Craig, Thomas 9 (6) 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 6.73

29 Currie, Mark 4 (1) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 6.20

21 Dempsie, Mark 24 (1) 1 0 0 0 5 0 1 6.44

1 Evans, James 37 (1) 0 58 0 0 0 3 5 7.23

12 Gordon, Craig 13 (2) 0 18 0 0 0 0 2 7.29

4 Graham, Craig 32 (1) 0 0 0 1 11 2 2 6.79

25 Grant, Gordon 5 (10) 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 6.60

27 Gravesen, Thomas - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ----

13 Hunter, Jim 31 (2) 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 6.79

30 Irvine, Kevin 4 (5) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.33

33 Jack, John 28 (4) 8 0 0 1 2 0 2 6.91

6 Kerr, Mark 32 (6) 6 0 0 2 6 1 2 6.92

5 MacDonald, Steven 4 (4) 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 6.25

23 MacLeod, Keith 17 (4) 2 0 0 5 1 0 1 6.48

7 McFadden, James 25 (5) 2 0 1 (1) 2 2 0 0 6.77

34 McGregor, Brian - - - - - - - - ----

11 McManus, Thomas 12 (10) 5 0 3 (3) 2 1 0 1 7.00

28 McPherson, Scott 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.00

14 Miller, Paul 11 (6) 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 6.56

24 Monaghan, Steven 33 (3) 0 1 0 1 5 1 0 6.56

3 O'Sullivan, Liam 13 (1) 1 0 1 (1) 0 2 0 0 6.79

26 Parker, Kiegan 33 (9) 5 0 0 6 3 0 1 6.88

- Russell, David 23 (2) 12 0 0 4 1 1 5 7.20

2 Scott, James 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 5.67

18 Scott, Kevin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ----

15 Stewart, Mark 21 (4) 1 0 0 2 3 0 0 6.60

16 Stewart, Willie 34 (5) 2 0 0 4 7 0 1 6.69

32 Taylor, Steve 13 (1) 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 6.36

20 Wilson, Jim 11 (7) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.67

17 Wright, John 19 (2) 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 6.71

22 Yeats, Colin 16 (1) 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 6.45

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2014/5 Transfers

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Date Player In From Fee

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1.6.14 Thomas Craig Bristol R Bos

15.6.14 Thomas McManus Charlton Bos

30.6.14 Mark Stewart Bristol C Loan

3.7.14 Liam O'Sullivan Free Transfer Free

14.7.14 Jim Wilson Dundee Utd £210K

14.7.14 Colin Yeats Derby Loan

27.7.14 Mark Dempsie Free Transfer Free

16.8.14 Gordon Grant Free Transfer Free

23.8.14 Kiegan Parker Leicester £200K

24.8.14 Jim Hunter Reading £400K

27.8.14 Thomas Gravesen Free Transfer Free

21.9.14 Steve Taylor Derby Loan

28.9.14 John Jack Celtic £325K

28.9.14 Colin Yeats Derby £160K

6.10.14 Mark Stewart Bristol C £425K

4.11.14 Steve Reid Blackburn Loan

Date Player Out To Fee

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1.6.14 Wayne Chapman Airdrie £110K

4.6.14 Kevin Franck Lommel Bos

8.6.14 Keith Simpson Colchester Bos

10.6.14 Michael Blake Raith Rovers Bos

10.6.14 Stephen Clemence Raith Rovers Bos

11.6.14 Jon Beswetherick Southampton £16K

16.6.14 Ronaldo Released Free

22.6.14 Kevin McDonald Released Free

22.6.14 Terry Kidd Released Free

3.7.14 Gerard Inverness C. Thistle £650K

9.7.14 Mark Moore Released Free

13.7.14 Alejandro Bueno Airdrie £200K

1.8.14 David Russell Stirling Loan

6.9.14 Liam Miller Wimbledon £28K

25.10.14 Kenny Deuchar Partick Thistle Free

23.12.14 Brian King Verdy £160K

17.1.15 James Hughes Plymouth £275K

30.1.15 James Scott St. Mirren Loan

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

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2014/5 Fixtures

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Opposition Ven Competition Res Attend Scorers

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Ashford ENG A Friendly 1:0 3085 B.King

Bromsgrove Rovers ENG A Friendly 2:3 1772 M.Stewart, Moore

Kidderminster ENG A Friendly 1:1 5967 S.MacDonald

Kilmarnock A Premier Division 0:1 15899

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division 1:2 8672 Craig

Dundee H Premier Division 2:1 7567 Yeats pen, G.Grant

Rangers A Premier Division 1:2 36982 Dempsie

Motherwell H Premier Division 4:0 7612 G.Bennett 3 (1 pen), Kerr

Partick Thistle H Premier Division 2:0 7171 Parker, Kerr

Fiorentina ITA A Champions Cup Ph.1 Grp H 2:6 38901 Parker, Kerr

Airdrie A League Cup 3rd Rnd 1:0 6462 McManus pen

Dinamo HRV H Champions Cup Ph.1 Grp H 0:0 10738

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 1:4 12464 W.Stewart

Real Madrid ESP A Champions Cup Ph.1 Grp H 0:4 66348

Celtic H Premier Division 1:3 8543 Miller

Hibs A Premier Division 1:2 14102 Jack

Real Madrid ESP H Champions Cup Ph.1 Grp H 1:3 10759 McManus

Kilmarnock H Premier Division 0:0 6491

Fiorentina ITA H Champions Cup Ph.1 Grp H 1:3 10721 Hughes

Motherwell A Premier Division 3:1 12237 McManus 2 (1 pen), Kerr

Rangers H Premier Division 0:1 8761

Dinamo HRV A Champions Cup Ph.1 Grp H 1:3 37977 Burton

Partick Thistle A Premier Division 2:2 7013 Kerr, Parker

Inverness C. Thistle H Premier Division 1:0 7048 McManus pen

Dundee A Premier Division 0:0 11873

Dunfermline A Premier Division 1:1 11048 M.Stewart

Dundee Utd H Premier Division 1:0 7045 Burton

Rangers A League Cup Qtr Final 1:2 43792 McFadden pen

Celtic A Premier Division 0:2 36908

Hibs H Premier Division 2:1 6515 Jack, O'Sullivan pen

Dunfermline H Premier Division P-P -----

Aberdeen A Premier Division 4:1 15937 MacLeod 2, Jack 2

Aberdeen H Premier Division P-P -----

Rangers A Premier Division 0:1 36980

Motherwell H Premier Division P-P -----

Dunfermline H Premier Division 1:2 7495 W.Stewart

Aberdeen H Premier Division 2:0 6523 Yeats, Jack

Motherwell H Premier Division 3:2 7576 Jack 2, Burton

Kilmarnock A Premier Division 2:1 16037 Bennett 2

Dunfermline A Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd 1:1 4318 O'Connell og

Dunfermline H Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd Replay 1:1 3028 Bennett pen

Partick Thistle H Premier Division 0:3 7148

Livingston A Scottish Cup 4th Rnd 0:0 5119

Livingston H Scottish Cup 4th Rnd Replay 2:3 1992 McFadden, Yeats

Hibs A Premier Division 1:5 14119 Yeats

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division 1:0 8197 L.Burton

Celtic H Premier Division 0:1 9138

Dunfermline H Premier Division 1:0 7794 Kerr

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 0:2 12400

Aberdeen H Premier Division 1:2 6513 J.Hunter

Motherwell A Premier Division Releg. Grp 0:1 12179

Dundee H Premier Division Releg. Grp 2:0 7613 Bennett, Jack

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division Releg. Grp 0:1 9221

Kilmarnock H Premier Division Releg. Grp 2:2 6494 Parker 2

Partick Thistle H Premier Division Releg. Grp 3:2 7508 Yeats, Burton, Craig

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Tables

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Scottish Premier Division - Wednesday 13th May 2015

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2014/5 Table

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Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st C Rangers 38 13 3 4 38 19 9 8 1 18 10 77

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2nd Dunfermline 38 11 9 0 30 11 5 9 4 20 21 66

3rd Celtic 38 9 5 4 29 13 9 5 6 29 22 64

4th Dundee Utd 38 9 6 3 29 15 7 6 7 25 30 60

5th Aberdeen 38 7 6 6 19 16 8 3 8 21 19 54

6th Hibs 38 10 4 5 24 15 5 4 10 19 33 53

7th Motherwell 38 9 5 4 24 15 5 8 7 17 22 55

8th Dumbarton 38 11 2 7 29 22 4 3 11 18 29 50

9th Dundee 38 7 7 6 14 12 5 4 9 13 19 47

10th Kilmarnock 38 7 2 9 18 28 3 4 13 14 29 36

11th Inverness C. Thistle 38 8 4 8 19 16 1 3 14 7 27 34

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12th R Partick Thistle 38 5 5 8 24 31 3 1 16 12 36 30

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Scottish First Division - Wednesday 13th May 2015

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2014/5 Table

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Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st C Airdrie 36 11 6 1 31 8 10 6 2 37 16 75

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2nd Hearts 36 11 7 0 28 8 5 4 9 18 26 59

3rd Falkirk 36 11 4 3 28 15 5 5 8 14 25 57

4th Raith Rovers 36 9 4 5 22 18 6 7 5 24 23 56

5th Queen of Sth 36 8 6 4 21 15 7 4 7 17 18 55

6th Livingston 36 9 3 6 28 17 6 2 10 20 27 50

7th Morton 36 6 5 7 29 26 4 5 9 22 28 40

8th Clydebank 36 4 5 9 17 26 4 7 7 18 23 36

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9th R Queen's Park 36 7 2 9 27 35 2 7 9 12 26 36

10th R Albion Rovers 36 4 5 9 15 30 4 0 14 16 34 29

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Scottish Second Division - Wednesday 13th May 2015

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2014/5 Table

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Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st C Ayr Utd 36 12 2 4 28 18 11 4 3 31 16 75

2nd P Stranraer 36 11 4 3 38 21 6 5 7 33 32 60

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3rd Peterhead 36 9 7 2 25 10 7 5 6 24 23 60

4th St. Johnstone 36 10 5 3 22 15 7 4 7 25 22 60

5th Ross County 36 6 7 5 26 22 7 2 9 21 25 48

6th Arbroath 36 6 6 6 23 27 5 6 7 20 22 45

7th Berwick 36 6 4 8 21 25 5 5 8 23 25 42

8th St. Mirren 36 7 4 7 30 34 3 6 9 23 31 40

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9th R East Fife 36 9 3 6 26 21 1 7 10 14 31 40

10th R Stenhousemuir 36 0 7 11 17 36 3 5 10 15 29 21

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Scottish Third Division - Wednesday 13th May 2015

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2014/5 Table

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Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st C Brechin 36 9 4 5 24 18 11 3 4 27 19 67

2nd P Cowdenbeath 36 9 6 3 24 14 8 8 2 26 18 65

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3rd Forfar 36 6 5 7 24 19 10 6 2 32 20 59

4th East Stirling 36 9 5 4 36 28 7 5 6 33 32 58

5th Elgin City 36 6 7 5 28 23 6 7 5 23 20 50

6th Fort William 36 7 6 5 25 25 7 2 9 23 27 50

7th Clyde 36 7 4 7 30 26 6 3 9 26 31 46

8th Alloa 36 5 4 9 19 26 6 8 4 19 18 45

9th Stirling 36 7 2 9 28 31 4 2 12 21 29 37

10th Montrose 36 2 4 12 9 30 1 3 14 10 33 16

</pre>

b] Awards Round Up [/b]

Team

In the Challenge Cup it was Hearts who proved to be the winners, John Martin scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Livingston – a side who had made a habit of appearing in this final, whilst Kilmarnock managed to use penalties to secure the League Cup, after a 1-1 score after regular time against Celtic, with midfielder Robert O’Neill getting the winner spot kick. The showpiece Scottish Cup in Scotland was contested between Motherwell and Aberdeen and after Motherwell had their keeper Sean Allaway sent off it was easy for Aberdeen who won 3-0.

Abroad, Manchester City were winners of an all English final against Tottenham Hotspurs in the UEFA Cup , the cup they last won back in 2007. The score was 1-0 with Michael O’Neil the hero. In the Champions League Final there was another English side competing, Leeds against Barcelona who had eliminated West Ham in their semi final. Barcelona won the final with Nano scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory.

Individual

Top Goal Scorer in the Scottish leagues went to 20-year-old Paul Millar of East Stirling, with 30 goals in 35 games. The Player of the Year award was yet again won by Mark Koeman though there was justification this time as Mark had been quite superb for his side, with 14 goals and 14 assists. The Young Player of the Year was won by 17-year-old James McDonald of Celtic after a fine year at right back, however Leigh Burton delightedly came third. In the SPL Team of The Year, James Evans earned himself a place after his fine efforts between the sticks.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Summer Dealings

Out

CRAIG GRAHAM – Bristol City, 100,000 pounds

MARK CURRIE – Burnley, 26,000 pounds

KEVIN SCOTT – released

STEVEN MACDONALD – released

THOMAS CRAIG – retired

JIM WILSON – Bournemouth, 55,000 pounds

LIAM O’SULLIVAN – Rusden, bosman

THOMAS MCMANUS - retired

IN

MARK FOTHERINGAM, Everton, 600,000 pounds

MARK FOTHERINGHAM, Tottenham, free

IAN MURRAY, Brentford, bosman

STEPHEN MILNE, Newcastle free

Lisbon Lion Challenge 2015 –2016 – Progress?

Squad Overview

Goalkeepers

James Evans 31 James suffered discipline issues last year with 3 red cards costing Dumbarton in those games. However, although the goals conceded to games doesn’t look fantastic he was still a very important player making key saves that saved 1 or 3 points in a few games.

14/15 Record: 38 starts, 1 sub, 57 conceded, 5 MoM, 7.23

Craig Gordon 31 Craig played a little more the last campaign and at one stage held his place on merit for a short run that he fully deserved, but the weakeness’ in his game, like not being as commanding as he should be at set pieces for example are a reason why he won’t dislodge James as a permanent number 1.

14/15 Record: 12 starts, 2 subs, 17 conceded 2 MoM, 7.36

[Brian of Nazareth]

Defenders

Jim Hunter DC 28 Jim has been a regular in the side with his more honed skills noticeably above his fellow defenders. He sometimes had communication problems with other less talented partners, and for the latter part of the season his relationship with Craig Graham deteriorated but he’s still respected throughout.

14/15 Record: 31 starts,2 subs, 1 goal 6.89

Steven Monaghan 23 D/MR The talented right back did not have a terrific season, though he was a regular in the side. James Scott offers promising competition and hopefully that threat will inspire Steven to work on his game as he potentially could be a key asset at the club.

14/15 Record:34 starts, 3 subs, 1 assist, 6.54

Mark Dempsie 34 DC The experienced centre back proved to be very handy with his presence, filling in and forming solid partnerships with the regulars at the time. With the departure of Graham he will likely be relied upon more often.

14/15 Record: 24 starts, 1 sub, 1 goal, 6.89

John Wright 24 DL John suffered with injury woes for a great deal of the season but still played his fair share. Like most players he can do a lot more for this side, and with the added presence of Steve Taylor he will have to.

19 starts, 2 subs, 1 assist, 6.71

Steve Taylor 22 DLC Steve was on loan for much of the previous year and his extra bit of talent that had earned him a cap was evident – the only shame was he missed a great deal injured. His ability to cover in the centre will be a great asset for George.

14/15 Record: 13 starts, 1 sub, 1 assist, 6.43

James Scott 17 DRC Young James came through the development programme and it was clear the added dineros had worked as James was well liked by the coaching staff. Once he gained his first start as a result of injuries he earned future places on merit. A loan spell to St. Mirren gave him the regular action he’ll need to develop. At 17 he has a bright future and fortunately no minimum fee release clause. George fended off a few bids for him in the summer as his value rocketed.

14/15 Record:11 starts, 5 subs, 1 assist, 6.44

Kevin Irvine 18 DLC Young Kevin enjoyed the benefit of others being injured to earn his first starts since coming through the ranks. That boost has aided his development, and either through loans or more back up appearances, the coming season will be another learning curve for a player with a determined eye to be a great player. Alloa have offered to take his services from us for a season.

14/15 Record: 5 starts, 4 subs, 1 assist, 6.44

[Brian of Nazareth]

Midfielders

Willie Stewart 27 DMC Willie, despite having a problem with the officials was a constant threat in the middle and even when Dumbarton were off form he was one of the better players.

14/15 Record: 34 starts 5 subs, 2 goals, 4 assists, 1 MoM, 6.67

Mark Kerr 33 MC Mark was a superb performer throughout the campaign. Though he may not have been officially credited with too many assists, he still played a pivotal role in breaking up opponents and starting moves. Tough, pacy and a fine finisher. He still has plenty to offer as he enters his twilight years.

14/15 Record: 32 starts, 6 subs, 6 goals 2 assists, 2 MoM, 6.92

Mark Stewart 25 ML Mark was a useful member of the team. Not great, but not a waster either. He played well in periods, but when the team suffered, so did he and he has to prove he can be one of those players to carry a team rather than be dragged along with it.

14/15 Record: 21 starts, 4 subs, 1 goal, 2 assists, 6.72

Keith MacLeod 27 MC The talented midfielder had a pretty good year, surprising George at times with the amount of skill he did posess. Like so many though consistency was a problem, and as much as there were fine spells, there were poor ones too, and that’s way he wasn’t as involved as he might have been.

14/15 Record: 18 starts, 4 subs, 2 goals, 6 assists, 1 MoM, 6.45

James McFadden 32 MC Easily the longest serving Dumbarton player, he is entering his 10th season with the club and after 206 league appearances, a club record he’s also well liked amongst the fans. He still suffers injury breakdown’s though which is a concern for a player in his 30’s but if he can keep coming back from them George is confident he’ll be around to complete the season, though a good year will be wanted to secure a final career ending contract.

14/15 Record: 23 starts, 6 subs, 2 goals, 2 assists, 6.76

Colin Yeats 25 MC Since making his move permanent last year Colin has continued to frustrate. He has played well in the games he had, but injuries and a curious ability to miss the target on so many occasions has cost Dumbarton. He’ll need to improve if he wants to feature more heavily.

14/15 Record: 9 starts 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 MoM, 7.44

Mark Fotheringham 30 MC A signing from Everton in the summer the talented former Dundee man, will boost the quality in the centre area, and will hopefully create and score more goals than those he is replacing.

Ian Murray 34 DM/MRC The experienced midfielder joined on a bosman from Premiership side Brentford and will add more cover and talent to the line up.

Mark McMallister (loan Notts Forrest) AMR 25 Mark is a creative sort, who impressed the scouts and is adding numbers to the midfield, and specifically the right flank.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Attackers

John Jack 33 AM/FC The former Hibernian and Celtic star was a prize asset last year – he was one of the few players who knew how to score, and he’ll again be looked to, with regards to Dumbarton’s success.

14/15 Record: 27 starts, 5 subs, 8 goals, 2 assists, 1 MoM, 6.88

Paul Miller 25 FRC Paul possibly suffered from an expectation to score plenty of goals, which is not the major facet in his game. He’s an attacker who sets them up, and in that regard he did a reasonably good job. However he still lacks a little spark up front to really be a regular.

14/15 Record: 11 starts, 5 subs, 1 goal, 4 assists, 6.69

Kiegan Parker 33 FRC Kiegan was an experienced asset up front but his goal return was certainly a disappointment for George. He played well enough setting a few chances up for others but George wanted the International to take some responsibility and be one of the leading scorers. However, it wasn’t a total disaster, and there’s always room for improvement.

14/15 Record: 33 starts 9 subs, 5 goals, 6 assists, 2 MoM, 6.95

Gordon Bennett 26 FC A nasty injury curtailed Gordon’s season and summer, after he’d already had knee problems earlier in the campaign as Gordon never had a long run to flourish. He had good spells and scored a few when he did so hopefully a recovery from the injuries can help him bid back for his place in the side.

14/15 Record: 16 starts, 11 sub, 7 goals, 1 assist, 2 MoM, 6.85

Mark Fotheringham 30 FC No, not the midfielder from Everton, but instead the capper forward from Tottenham looks to re-establish his career, which faded at the North London Club.

David Russell 18 SC The young graduate from the youth season spent the previous year developing at Stirling where 12 goals, in 23 games in the 2nd division showed he had plenty of talent that could be worked on. Stirling have already offered to take him back for another year which would suit all parties concerned.

John McLean (loan) 23 SC The Southampton striker joins on loan for a few months to see if he can rediscover some form. He has the ability, but mentally question marks have been raised.

James Strachan (loan) 25 SC The Bristol City striker returns on another loan spell, where he still hopes to prove himself. More competition for the others.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Pre Season

George knew this season could be a make or break for him, as the board somewhere in the minds got into their head to expect success on all fronts – which was difficult considering they weren’t even in Europe and he suspected they’d all gone completely crackers. On the upside, for the first time in his career, the board allowed the club to enjoy a few games overseas, and away from the British Isles. A tour of the Netherlands was booked to warm the players up with a final match hosting Fort William before the season opener with Celtic.

The first tie at ADO Den Haag ended 1-0 with Mark McAllister scoring as the players were eased back into competitive action, their long tournamentless summers having affected the waistbands a little worryingly. After that, youngster Scott McPherson was transferred to Leyton Orient after his minimum fee release was met, 275,000 pounds, and George wasn’t too upset. He’d hardly played, cost little but the club had made a tidy profit on a player who would not have featured in the side for a good 3-4 years. James Strachan then scored a penalty in the 1-0 win over SHO in the next fixture. The tour ended with a 1-0 loss at Veendham, though Craig Gordon did save a spot kick. Kevin Irvine then decided to join Alloa on a season long loan before the final warm up game against Fort William at Cliftonhill, where a surprisingly semi full crowd arrived to see their new players. It also proved to be a spectacularly entertaining game too. After Chris Burns put the visitors ahead Dumbarton replied 3 times before half time through midfielder Mark Fotheringham and John Mclean twice. Andrew Goldie made it 3-2 after the break before James Strachan and Stephen Monaghan sent the fans home happily entertained.

Before the season began, midfielder Mark Fotheringham broke down in training with a nasty leg injury, which would sideline him for 2 months, whilst James Scott decided to join Morton on loan as George saw his young kids all go off to prove themselves.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Season 2015-2016 – Living Up To Expectations?

August

League

Celtic at home was no easy start to the season but it would be a way of seeing what kind of team he had now. Evans was in goal, protected by Taylor, Hunter, Dempsie and Monaghan with Murray, Mark Stewart, McAllister and Mark Kerr in midfield. John McLean and Mark Fotheringham were the strikers. After ten minutes the fans were delighted as Dumbarton had taken a 2 goal lead, with memories of the last half of the previous season absent. Mark Kerr set up forward Mark Fotheringham to score inside 90 seconds and then after a John McLean shot was saved, Mark McAllister was on hand to knock the rebound into the net and Celtic were as stunned as George. That pressure continued for another 10 minutes as George felt content. Then Celtic picked up their game and their quality began to show. Lopez Vallejo made it 2-1, and though Mark Stewart restored the 2 goal lead almost immediately, Celtic were still the better side, and just before half time it was 3-2 as Christopher Babangida scored. George told his players to not be too eager to get a 4th straight away as the momentum of their visitors could see them exploit gaps at the back, and as instructed the players then contained their hosts very well in the second half, restricting them to one shot from Mark Koeman. However it couldn’t last and on 70 minutes as Celtic brought subs on, Dumbarton were tiring fast, and players were subbed off, but Celtic would not be subbed as the fans and George watched in dismay as Celtic produced a quite awesome show of clinical finishing to turn the game around. Nick Allen equalized on 76 minutes, before making it 4-3 4 minutes later and with the momentum still with them, killed it off soon after through Mark Koeman and George was stunned again. He congratulated his counterpart Kevin Miller on creating a fine side whilst also re-assuring his players not to be so downhearted, though losing a game 5-3 after being 3-1 up was always going to depress the players. James Evans was particularly downbeat after letting in 5.

Airdrie, newly promoted this season hosted Dumbarton in the next game as George looked to reverse the disappointment of the Celtic game. The only change saw Willie Stewart on the bench for James McFadden who had injured himself again. After attacking early on, it was Airdrie who had the momentum in the latter stages of the first half, scoring through aging lanky striker Peter Crouch, and George was annoyed. How many times would he have to repeat the maxim about turning possession into goals? In the second a renewed effort saw Mark Kerr and Ian Murray be denied before a deserved leveler did arise. Alejandro Bueno, former player brought down Jim Hunter in the area and John McLean converted as Dumbarton were back in the game. After that it was a close game with sides having good chances to take the lead. Bueno was the creative force for Airdrie whilst Dumbarton sub John Jack created and attempted efforts himself. Neither side would break through and the game ended in a draw.

For the home against Kilmarnock the week after, John Jack replaced Fotheringham up front but there were no other changes as George sought a first win of the season. It took a bad start though to fire Dumbarton into action. Mark Weir scored for the visitors on a counter attack, but after that Dumbarton took control and fought back strongly, going close on a few occasions before Ian Murray finally did level it up. John McLean played Mark Stewart in down the left, and the midfielder crossed for Murray to volley in. With the momentum carrying them forward, Dumbarton pressed on, eventually taking the lead on half time. Mark McAllister squared a ball on the halfway line to Mark Kerr and the midfielder took the ball forward before letting fly from 30 yards, the ball giving Westerberg no chance. In the second Dumbarton prevented Kilmarnock from making a quick response and had several chances to kill off the game themselves, with McLean and Kerr [/b] the main culprits. Fortunately though, they would not be punished and a win brought smiles back to the side.

Dundee hosted Dumbarton the following week and it proved to be another tricky match for George. He kept a familiar side, but after 45 minutes he knew he had started too cautiously in his approach as Dundee, who had dominated much of the opening period only to be denied by James Evans looked the side most likely to score a winner. He made a mistake in deciding to wait a few minutes to see if his players could hold on and counter as Marcus Charles scored for the hosts on 55 minutes. A triple substitution followed and an order to attack more directly. 10 minutes later and a spell of pressure brought an equalizer. James Strachan exchanged passes with Mark Kerr before finding John Wright down the left wing. The left back was about to cross before cutting back in sliding the ball along the 18 yard line to John McLean who fired it low into the net and it was 1-1. Dumbarton had the confidence, and almost made it 2-1 soon after but Paul Miller was denied by Glynn Thompson and in the end, George had to thank James Evans for ensuring a point was saved.

Aberdeen away was the final match of the month and George saw it as an opportunity to exact a bit of revenge for the loss last season that put Dumbarton into the bottom half of the split. A slight change to the offense was made, but it still made no difference, as cutting edge was the key difference in this game too. Alfonso scored after 10 minutes, which put the hosts on their way, but it wasn’t as easy as the final score suggested. For 25 minutes after that first goal Dumbarton were dominating creating goals from all over the park. Mark Kerr and James Strachan were thrice kept out by Scott Lawrie, and then Aberdeen scored twice in a minute to stun the visitors. Firstly Alfonso made it 2 and then Stuart Kelly scored a penalty after John Wright was penalized and the game was effectively over before half time. George tried to encourage his side and though they tried their best in the second, self belief was certainly lacking that they could cancel out a 3 goal lead in 45 minutes and it stayed 3-0 until the end.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Dundee hosted Dumbarton the following week and it proved to be another tricky match for George. He kept a familiar side, but after 45 minutes he knew he had started too cautiously in his approach as Dundee, who had dominated much of the opening period only to be denied by James Evans looked the side most likely to score a winner. He made a mistake in deciding to wait a few minutes to see if his players could hold on and counter as Marcus Charles scored for the hosts on 55 minutes. A triple substitution followed and an order to attack more directly. 10 minutes later and a spell of pressure brought an equalizer. James Strachan exchanged passes with Mark Kerr before finding John Wright down the left wing. The left back was about to cross before cutting back in sliding the ball along the 18 yard line to John McLean who fired it low into the net and it was 1-1. Dumbarton had the confidence, and almost made it 2-1 soon after but Paul Miller was denied by Glynn Thompson and in the end, George had to thank James Evans for ensuring a point was saved.

Aberdeen away was the final match of the month and George saw it as an opportunity to exact a bit of revenge for the loss last season that put Dumbarton into the bottom half of the split. A slight change to the offense was made, but it still made no difference, as cutting edge was the key difference in this game too. Alfonso scored after 10 minutes, which put the hosts on their way, but it wasn’t as easy as the final score suggested. For 25 minutes after that first goal Dumbarton were dominating creating goals from all over the park. Mark Kerr and James Strachan were thrice kept out by Scott Lawrie, and then Aberdeen scored twice in a minute to stun the visitors. Firstly Alfonso made it 2 and then Stuart Kelly scored a penalty after John Wright was penalized and the game was effectively over before half time. George tried to encourage his side and though they tried their best in the second, self belief was certainly lacking that they could cancel out a 3 goal lead in 45 minutes and it stayed 3-0 until the end.

[Brian of Nazareth]

oops

Cups

League Cup

The Second round saw a more comfortable tie for Dumbarton, at home to East Stirling of the Third Division. Because George only had a small squad, there were only a few changes to the side, with John Wright, Craig Gordon, Colin Yeats and Leigh Burton amongst those making starts. The first half proved to be comfortable affair with young Burton scoring after 8 minutes from a Paul Miller cross. The youngster made it 2-0 after 25, Miller once again the provider and then it was a hat-trick for the delighted youngster 5 minutes before half time pouncing on a rebound after Keith MacLeod’s shot was saved. With the tie won, the second half was a boring spectacle. Gordon Allan scored for the visitors but it was a fluke, and Dumbarton could have added to their tally, but relaxed and let the youngsters run around for a bit, a place in the third round assured.

Other Monthly News

Brian McGregor the young left back joined Alloa on loan until May. He’ll be re-united with team mate Kevin Irvine who is also there. When Dundee United placed a bid for Mark McAllister George responded by improving on the figure speculated in the press, but in the end Mark agreed to make it permanent because although Dundee United were a better side on paper, he really enjoyed the team atmosphere that had been created by the tight knitted squad.

Stephen Milne arrived on a free transfer after being released by Newcastle. The 22 year old needs to find some regular action to pick up his career again. A young goalkeeper David Urquhart was offered one morning for assessment, and the 16 year old did well enough to earn a 10 year contract @ 180 quid a week, with no release clause or signing on fee. Cheap and bound contractually to be a back up until he’s 25 years old.

[Brian of Nazareth]

September

League

The first match in September was another away game, against 3rd placed Hibs and it would be a tough game, where finishing would be clinical. For this one, George decided to start all out attacking and then change if required. Gordon Bennett was on the pitch for the first time since his injury. After a fast paced start to the game, George thought he’d almost been vindicated when John Jack put the ball past C.T. Bowsley but it was cancelled out for offside. 10 minutes later though and Gordon Bennett did score. John McLean was fouled and Bennett tucked away from 12 yards to had Dumbarton a half time lead, and he knew it would be a tough job to protect it. Laurent Bouzin scored 5 minutes after to make it 1-1 and it seemed Hibs had the momentum. However they lost Jason Collins to injury and that disrupted their play as Dumbarton kept going forward, and then substitute James Strachan made it 2-1 heading in a Mark McAllister cross. That was with 20 minutes to go and an away victory seemed perfectly possible, but defensive frailties allowed Bouzin in again and the points were very disappointingly shared. On a positive to George was though that goals had been scored and in terms of overall play Dumbarton matched their opponents for most of the game.

Motherwell visited afterwards in what was a very welcome home match. There were few alterations to the line up, though Colin Yeats replaced Mark Stewart and Mark Dempsie replaced Gordon Grant . The early part of the first half belonged to Dumbarton who went close through Gordon Bennett , with Dave Skinner the biggest threat for Motherwell. The latter part of the half consisted of a midfield battle pitched primarily between Ian Murray and Martin Gallagher as there were few creative plays. Urging his players to keep attacking down the flanks, George was rewarded with a goal on 51 minutes through John McLean the on loan forward connecting with Colin Yeats’ cross. That boosted Dumbarton and against a side whose composure was disrupted further by losing two players to injury helped keep the hosts in control. Of course no-one was able to relax whilst the lead remained at just 1-0, and it was frustrating for George to witness more shots, like that of sail past the goal mouth. Thankfully the side defended a little better this time and didn’t drop the points.

Dunfermline were the next visitors to Cliftonhill on the 26th as George hoped they could move back towards the top of the table with a win. Gordon Bennett was replaced by Mark Fotheringham up front. After a slow start that saw James Evans tested once, Dumbarton finished the half strongly with McAllister and John McLean shooting at James Langfield. In the second half, a more concerted effort saw a few more chances as Steven Monaghan worked tirelessly down the right providing the forwards with chances to convert. The game seemed to be heading for a draw as Dempsie and Hunter were keeping Cable and Mills at bay, when George brought on Stephen Milne for McLean with 10 minutes to go. 3 minutes later and he grabbed the goal that took Dumbarton into 6th, as he finished a fine move that began with Monaghan at the back.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Cups

League Cup

On the 9th, the same Wednesday as a few internationals Dumbarton played host to ICT in the 3rd round of the League Cup. Several changes were made to the side to allow others to shine. After a close first half that saw Craig Gordon repel two shots, and Leigh Burton force Mick Edwards to be at his best, Dumbarton took the lead in the second. Sub Stephen Milne played in Colin Yeats who hammered a ball, and that goal proved to be the match winner as a dour game played in front of a sparse collection of fans saw little further action and Dumbarton were into the 4th round.

Other Monthly News

Birmingham City made a 130,000 pound bid for Kiegan Parker and though George was about to automatically reject it, he assessed Parker’s worth to the side and instead tried to bargain the price up substantially higher. Whilst waiting for developments on that, George watches Scotland play host to Bosnia on a weekend that could see Scotland confirm at least a play off place for the 2016 finals. Goals from Allan Reid and Brian Black handed Scotland a 2-1 victory and results elsewhere put them within reach of qualifying for an International tournament for the first time in a while. Birmingham withdrew their interest soon after, whilst Blackburn’s Steve Reid moved to Reading for a cut price fee, and George was angry as to why his bids had been rejected.\

He also rued his luck as Leicester signed Nick Allen from Celtic for 2 million pounds. A month earlier and his side may have taken a win on their opening day. In the second round of Internationals other results meant Scotland did qualify for the play offs, with both Belgium and Scotland on 14 points, though the Belgians were top on goal difference.

[Brian of Nazareth]

October

League

After an improved September, Rangers were the tough hosts facing Dumbarton in the first match of month and with Rangers top of the table George knew a point would be an excellent achievement from this game. John Wright replaced Steve Taylor at left back, whilst Mark Fotheringham the midfielder made his debut after recovering from injury, replacing Mark Kerr . The game began in a bizarre fashion as Dumbarton actually completely dominated the half. Rangers were off the pace and at half time there was a stunned mood, as Dumbarton were 3 goals to the good, and even better was it was easily deserved as Dumbarton attacked venomously pressuring Steve Crousden intently. Mark Fotheringham the midfielder scored first after 5 minutes tapping in Mark McAllister’s left sided cross. Then after a long time when Rangers were trying to hold out, Stephen Milne making a start after his recent winner against Dunfermline, knocked a rebound in 5 minutes before the break after John McLean had a shot parried. Then as Rangers almost threatened to pull one back, Dumbarton went up the other end and McLean was on the end of a Stephen Milne pass. George was shocked. The dressing room was full of huge grins. George though remembered to remind them this game was certainly not over, and keeping the tempo as it was, with them in control would be important, especially for the first 15 minutes after the break.

The second half proved to be just as entertaining as Dumbarton managed to win the game, but not without incident. Milne almost made it 4 straight after the re-start but to a few fans’ worry Rangers immediately went and made it 3-1 through Kevin Hardie. After a spell of action at both ends, John McLean and Rangers defender David McCracken were sent off for head butting each other, which was ultimately to Dumbarton’s advantage. After further pressure a magical 4th goal arrived as danced through the Rangers back line to play in Stephen Milne again, the striker desperate to show he was still very much intent on returning to the Scotland fold. Marius Reghecampf pulled one back in the last minute but it could not dampen spirits on the team bus afterwards. George was over the moon and full of kind words for his players, who’d outplayed and ruthlessly disposed of the league leaders. It also meant Dumbarton were now 3rd in the table, albeit having played more games than those below them. The future was bright.

For the trip to Kilmarnock Paul Miller replaced John McLean who was suspended in an otherwise unchanged side. Dumbarton came out the blocks fast but forgot to defend as Graeme O’Neil handed the hosts the lead in the 7th minute. After that the game was again played at a high tempo, Kilmarnock having more numerous chances but it was Dumbarton who sneaked an equalizer on 20 minutes with Mark McAllister setting up midfielder Mark Fotheringham to score his second goal in as many games. He and Stephen Milne had other chances to score but it was still Kilmarnock who were more threatening, and George was relieved to survive at the break at 1-1. John Jack and Ian Murray were replaced at half time by James Strachan and Willie Stewart . 3 minutes after the re-start and Steve Taylor was coming on for the injured Steven Monaghan as all the subs were used up. To George’s dismay the team fell apart in the second half, not looking at all the side who’d performed miracles at Rangers. In 2 minutes Graeme O’Neil had completed his hat-trick and late on Jesus Mendoza made it 4 as George became very frustrated with the lack of consistency. He decided to keep an eye out for any talented centre halves or even goalkeepers who became available on the market.

The trip to bottom placed ICT saw a few shuffles in the side with the recalled James Scott suspended, and Monaghan injured for a month. Ian Murray went to right back, and Gordon Grant came in at centre back too. Craig Gordon was in goal. The first half saw a battle between key players in the midfield: Gerard and Neil Hughes for ICT, and Willie and Mark Stewart for Dumbarton. They both created and prevented moves fairly equally, with no side really edging the other. Stephen Milne having the best chance to open the deadlock. The second half proved to be a similar affair, even when subs came on for both teams. Grant Graham and Gordon Bennett were both as effective. With 10 minutes to go Dumbarton seemed to have won the game as Bennett won a free kick 20 yards out on the right corner of the box, and Steve Taylor curled it in. Sadly ICT gave it their all in the final few minutes and the points were shared when Grant Graham, the former Dumbarton player headed past Craig Gordon with 2 minutes left and Dumbarton were 7th after 11 games, though in fairness they’d only had 4 home games so far.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Dundee United visited Cliftonhill on the 25th as George looked for a return to the ruthless at Ibrox, a big boost was the return of striker John McLean who replaced James Strachan up front. Scott Wright made his debut in defense. Gordon Bennett replaced Stephen Milne up front . From the outset Dumbarton were the hungrier side and Neil Johnson seemed set for a busy afternoon in goal for United after Mark Kerr hit the bar inside 20 seconds. The pressure didn’t stop and a fantastic 17 minute spell in the first half yielded 3 goals. Mark Kerr capitalizing on a loose ball in the 6 yard box in the 14th minute, before Mark Fotheringham , the midfielder pounced on a rebound from a John McLean shot 10 minutes later. The a few minutes after as Dundee seemed to be settling, McLean made it 3 accepting a pass from Fotheringham with glee. In the second it was another case of holding out initially and when Ian Hume missed two chances in succession on 5- and 55 minutes, Dumbarton controlled the rest of the game, the spirit broken from their visitors. They were almost too complacent as Hume actually did score in the 87th minute but the win was not in doubt, and George was a happier man again. It seemed McLean and Fotheringham were going to be key assets to their success this season

The final game of the month was again at home, with Aidrie visiting on the 31st and George wanted to end the month as he meant go on in November with a win. Leigh Burton replaced Gordon Bennett up front whilst James McFadden replaced Mark Kerr . After 7 minutes the game was in Dumbarton’s favour as Gez Parkes, their goalkeeper was sent off – and Mark Fotheringham , the midfielder put the ball in the back of the net. Surprisingly no more goals arrived before half time, as the visitors looked to defend deep as much as possible, hoping to wear the hosts down before countering. At the interval George simply told his players to go for it and grab a second goal to kill the game off. He replaced Gordon Grant with Jim Hunter and sent them on their way. Airdrie though kept at them and Gordon Craig could have leveled it up after 10 minutes but Evans denied him. Burton was then replaced with Stephen Milne and Mark Stewart came on for James McFadden , but still another goal wouldn’t arrive. Airdrie then attacked a little more as their confidence grew but Hunter and Wright denied them. The game finished 1-0 and George was a little relieved afterwards as they moved up to 4th spot.

Other Monthly News

John McLean received a 2 match ban for his dismissal against Rangers, but it didn’t stop George deciding it was worth making a bid to sign him permanently. The move was sealed within days for an initial 400,000 pounds with double that arriving depending on appearances, and George believed it was well worth it.

On the 10th Scotland were in Belgium for the final games of the qualifiers, and it was a case of win and you qualify, anything else and the Tartan Army were into the play-offs and for the game George had front row seats. After 20 minutes George felt he was a bad luck charm and considered leaving as the Belgians took a 3 goal lead. He stayed, but the result was not in doubt. Stephen Walker grabbed a consolation late on as Scotland headed to the play offs.

Partick Thistle made a 140,000-pound bid for Keith MacLeod and George, who actually had no choice as it met a fee set in Keith’s contract, accepted it. He had over the past year tried to negotiate it out of the clause but Keith and his agent had held firm and refused. Now 1st Division Partick were sniffing. George was surprised to see him consider it, and even more so when he agreed terms to drop down a league. Clearly he wasn’t happy.

James Strachan extended his loan spell for a further 3 months with the club paying 70% of his wages. Queen of the South defender Scott Wright arrived for 190,000 pounds, after impressing for his club in Division 1. The 29 year old has a solid build and should prove to be good signing. George surprised himself when he rejected a loan bid from Telford for Leigh Burton but it was more testament to the fact George had faith in the player – and he didn’t want him playing in the English Conference either. He could cut it at a higher level than that.

[Brian of Nazareth]

November

League

A trip to Motherwell started the month and once again George ended up seriously exasperated by his side’s inconsistencies. A very open game saw the game tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes though in honesty there could have been several more goals than that. Jim Hunter equalizing a goal from Beckett after 15 minutes. Then as the game seemed to be going in all square at half time, George watched in aghast as his defense went missing conceding 2 within a minute, both going to Beckett again as the poor defending screwed his side’s chances of getting back into the game. In the second attacks did come, and Sean Allaway was on good form, but John McLean was awful up front. Scott Wright then picked up a 3-match ban for his red card late on, and after that the home side scored two more goals through Nikos Dokos and Daniel Costa as Dumbarton slipped back to 5th. They had the best goal scoring record in the league after 14 games, but the defensive was the worst by a long shot, worse than even the combined efforts of the 2 teams above or even the two teams below!

Celtic hosted Dumbarton next and George was very, very worried about how his defense would perform after the terrible display against Motherwell. An extended break had allowed the team to regroup and players to recover from injures as a defensive style was adopted. The full backs would not attack at will, and the players would not try to close down their opponents back to their goal line either. It didn’t work as Mark Koeman scored twice in the first 7 minutes. Celtic then proceeded to dominate the game as Dumbarton didn’t get a look in. Craig Gordon was kepy busy saving shot after shot way into the second half as the score was kept respectable. Subs and tactics were changed but it made no difference. Obliterated and defeated, George was glad it was only 2-0.

The home game against Hibs on the 28th would be a chance to see which side would turn up on home soil. James Strachan, Mark Dempsie, John Wright were given starts, as Dumbarton started again with the style that defeated Dundee United. It turned out to be a slow start as Hibs threatened through Allan McEvoy and Tony Bradley. Midway through it, the gears changed notch as Dumbarton improved when the players realized they weren’t facing a Celtic superstar side. Their opponents were in 5th just above Dumbarton. On 28 James Strachan scored the opening goal after a long solo run from the half way line. 5 minutes later it was 2-0 as Strachan turned provider, crossing from Mark Fotheringham to score his 5th in 8 starts for the club. That settled the side and at half time it seemed over. In the second the players ****ed up again. Rune Johannssen and Allan McEvoy scored twice in two minutes with 15 to go to tie it up and crap finishing from Bennett and Milne meant two points had been dropped as George wanted to end this terrible month as soon as possible. It had yield 1 point, 9 were conceded and a star striker had picked up a lengthy injury – it was one to forget.

Other Monthly News

With Steven Monaghan returning to fitness, George felt he couldn’t refuse St. Johnstone’s offer to loan James Scott until may. The youngster had returned for a couple of games but now he could carry on gaining experience at Divison 1 level regularly. John MacLean will be out of action for two months after falling out of a window.

Scotland were paired with Bulgaria in the play offs and George saw both matches personally. In the first leg, away, the game was relatively dull until Bulgaria scored in the second. Scotland tried to come back but it stayed that way and George like his fellow countryman was feeling apprehensive going into the second game. Neil Hamilton made it level after 30 minutes as the contest really became quite tense and then on the stroke of half time many Scots were celebrating as Chris Hamill scored to make it 2-0 on the night. In the second an electric performance from the same goal scorers made it 4-0 as finally Scotland had qualified for a championships.

Dumbarton ended the month in 8th.

[Brian of Nazareth]

December

League

Dundee United away was the first league game month and George wanted to forget November with an improved performance. The aside that put out wasn’t the most familiar, with Paul Miller and Gordon Grant in the starting eleven, but it was still one capable of causing a threat. As George’s cavalier tactics continued to play havoc with his defence, the hosts scored through Alan Cawley after 11 minutes. That sparked a fierce Dumbarton response and Neil Johnson had a superb game, making saves left right and centre. Eventually a deserved goal did arrived as Mark Fotheringham whipped in a pacy cross that James Strachan swept home, but the complacency brought on by that goal infuriatingly allowed Dundee United to score almost immediately again through Christian Benitez and it was 2-1 at half time. In the second, the play was mostly dominated by a strong Dumbarton offense, but weak finishing seemed to send Dumbarton towards another disappointing loss. However, with 15 minutes remaining, the hosts had defender Tom Oliver sent off for verbal abuse and Dumbarton sent everyone forward and finally pulled it square through Kiegan Parker , the forward scrambling home a ball after a melee in the box. 2-2 and a point plus good performance satisfied George. They were 8th after 17 games, but 10 of those had been away ties, and with places 3-9 so tight, moving up the table would only need a couple of back to back wins.

Rangers visited Cliftonhill on the 13th, eager to atone for the last meeting and to put pressuer back on Celtic at the top. John Jack replaced Paul Miller up front whilst Mark Stewart came in for Mark Fotheringham . A fast action game began from the off with Gordon Grant and James Strachan both close to scoring. However, then Rangers took the initiative as Emanuelsson scored. 10 minutes after and Kevin Hardie had made it 2, and George saw his side’s promising hopes fading by the second. Fortunately a surge at the end of the half gave hope as Mark McAllister scored after Steve Taylor hit a long ball into the area. At half time George had hope. He brought Kiegan Parker and Stephen Milne on and ordered a more attacking style to combat Rangers. After an exchange of efforts on both goalkeepers, Ian Murray did score, set up by Parker . However, Rangers responded quickly and with 10 minutes to go restored their lead via Kevin Hardie again. Gordon Bennett then came on to bolster the attack and his presence helped force an 87th minute equalizer. Bennett found Murray on the right, and the midfielder looped in a high cross that Steven Milne reached first to head into the net. Inside 60 seconds it was almost 4-3 Dumbarton as Parker put the ball in the net, but an offside decision was called upsetting the fans greatly, and a point was shared.

The point was decent, but George knew he had to start winning again, so when Dundee came to visit the following week he tried to put out his most effective attacking side. Bennett, Yeats, Parker, Scott Wright, and John Wright all came back into the line up as the 10th placed side visited. Gordon Bennett proved his start was well worth it as it was his goals that won the game for George. A close first half that saw very few chances, also saw efficiency that George promoted for such a long time, with Bennett scoring from both his chances. The first arrived from a Colin Yeats cross on 23 minutes, and then 12 minutes later James Strachan squared it for the player to head in and it was 2-0. Surviving a late flurry, Dumbarton came out in the second half a tough side to breakdown as George emphasized the importance of protecting leads. A yellow card for Scott Wright saw him replaced by Willie Stewart immediately as George looked to crack down on discipline issues affecting the side for the most of the season. A controlled game helped the team run out the win, as Dumbarton retained 7th place and a degree of contentment was in the air, though there was still plenty of work to be done.

[Brian of Nazareth]

With the festivities ensuring games arrived thick and fast, Dumbarton had two games on the 22nd and the 26th, fortunately both were at home. The first was against ICT, managed by Scotland coach Neil Sullivan but also bottom of the table and struggling. George saw this as a must win. 3rd – 9th was separated by 3 points, and with Dumbarton in 8th he couldn’t afford to fall any further behind. Craig Gordon was in goal, with John McLean making a very welcome return from injury. Steve Taylor came in at left back. From the off it proved to be a fairly easy game for Dumbarton as ICT offered no threat whatsoever, as Gordon needn’t have really been there. Of course this would only helpful if Dumbarton could score. Colin Yeats and John MacLean both could have done better. Fortunately though as injury time loomed in the first half, Steve Taylor scored, In the second 45, the tale was similar. James McFadden came off the bench but made little impact, as the 32 year old looked a fraction of the player he used to be. At the end of the game, ICT were finally killed off by Colin Yeats , punishing a spill by Mick Edwards after a John McLean half volley.

The next home game would be a completely different prospect though as leaders Celtic came to visit. George was unsure how to approach the game as the visitors would likely overrun anything he tried but he had to think of something. He decided to go for consistency and actually play how he wanted to see how the Celtic side reacted, and in the first half again it seemed to be working ok as Craig Gordon’s goal was guarded well, the pity being John McLean did not appear to be match fit yet and Mark Kerr was off form too which severely weakened Dumbarton’s offensive threat. In the second period Celtic scored after 52 minutes, one mistake from John Wright which would cost the hosts the match. Wright later picked up a yellow card that would bring another 3 match suspension for discipline problems. Nicky Derby parried Gordon Bennett ‘s shot late on but that was the nearest Dumbarton came to getting back into the match.

The last game of the month was another match, this time it would be Aberdeen visiting the ground and George felt his improving defense would be able to cope with their threat. Mark Fotheringham made a very welcome return to the midfield, with James Evans also returning to goal. However a slow start saw the Dons go ahead after 20 minutes through Ceballos Silva. It didn’t incite much of a reaction initially either as Aberdeen seemed to be coasting to half time with their lead, when out of the blue Willie Stewart sent Mark Fotheringham free, and the midfielder made a fine return to the side with a low finish. The half time whistle then sounded and the momentum had turned. In the second after a few minutes of strewn passing from both sides, Kiegan Parker made it 2-1, after a flicked cross from Paul Miller . As Aberdeen tried to fight back, George gradually brought on his 3 subs and they helped seal the victory. Steven Monaghan and Fotheringham exchanged passes to set Willie Stewart up in the 80th minute to kill off the result, and then sub Mark Kerr played in fellow sub Gordon Bennett to make it 4-1 right at the death, and Dumbarton were up to 6th in the table, beginning to pull away from the others slightly.

Cups

League Cup

The quarterfinal at home to Partick Thistle started the month and George hoped it could be used to wipe out memories over a poor November. The first half was welcome as Paul Miller and Mark Fotheringham the forward scored, but in the second the game was a lot tougher as Partick Thistle were on top. Fortunately they didn’t break through as a confidence boosting win and clean sheet from Craig Gordon sent Dumbarton into the semi finals, and the players now hoped to avoid Celtic in the draw for the semis. So that’s who they got as George knew luck was not with him.

Other Monthly News

ICT right back Alan Paterson agreed to move to the club in the summer on a bosman, the player also very capable of playing in the centre too. St. Johnstone took young Leigh Burton on a months loan. Ian Murray decided it was time to hang up the boots at the end of the season. Mark Fotheringham missed two weeks of December with an eye injury sustained in a stick fight with his 7-year-old son.

Craig Gordon signed an extension to his contract, staying for one more year. Mark Fotheringham and Willie Stewart both followed suit soon after. John Jack was placed on the transfer list though after lethargic performances, and on the last day a bid from Mansfield was accepted. He rejected that offer, but did agree to a bosman move to Partick Thistle instead – not that he’d be getting much footballing action in the meanwhile.

[Brian of Nazareth]

January 2016

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Premier Division - Saturday 2nd January 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st Celtic 23 9 2 0 20 3 5 3 4 14 11 47

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Dunfermline 23 6 5 1 17 9 6 4 1 22 11 45

3rd Rangers 22 6 4 2 21 11 5 3 2 11 9 40

4th Aberdeen 23 7 3 2 17 8 2 5 4 9 14 35

5th Hibs 23 5 3 3 13 12 4 4 4 12 14 34

6th Dumbarton 23 8 2 2 24 14 1 5 5 13 25 34

7th Dundee Utd 23 6 4 2 18 11 1 5 5 8 13 30

8th Motherwell 23 6 6 0 17 7 1 3 7 7 17 30

9th Kilmarnock 23 5 3 3 17 12 3 2 7 10 18 29

10th Dundee 22 5 2 3 8 7 1 3 8 5 15 23

11th Airdrie 23 2 4 5 8 12 1 2 9 6 16 15

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12th Inverness C. Thistle 23 2 2 7 5 13 0 1 11 2 22 9

</pre>

League

Airdrie hosted Dumbarton in the 5th before the league split, and it was the last game for Scott Wright before his suspension kicked in to. Craig Gordon returned in goal. The improvement continued with a top performance. The first half though showed only vague signs of what was to come in the second. One shot from the hosts, which Gordon comfortably saved, whilst George gave thought to subbing off John McLean and Mark Fotheringham after lacklustre displays initially. The decision to trust to instinct and keep them on proved to be well worth it. In the second Dumbarton came charging out eager to make their pressure count, and John McLean hit a beautifully arched left foot shot from 30 yards into the net from 25, maybe 30 yards to put them on their way. 6 minutes later it was 2 as Dumbarton over ran their opponents. Colin Yeats set up Mark Fotheringham , before James McFadden fed in Gordon Bennett to make it 3. A victory assured, it was made that little bit easier when Alejandro Bueno was sent off after 75 minutes. Almost immediately a 4th goal arrived to mark Dumbarton’s superiority. Play down the right form Bennett and Fotheringham set up Paul Miller who headed in. An excellent victory temporarily put Dumbarton into 4th spot, and 25 days later this fixture would be renewed in the Scottish Cup.

Cups

Scottish Cup

Airdrie were the hosts in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup, a competition George had never enjoyed much success in, but confidence was swelling after defeating their opponents in the league. Few changes were made to the side, though Paul Miller was replaced by Steven Milne up front. David Urquhart the young sub goalkeeper was also on the bench. Willie Stewart replaced Ian Murray . It turned out to be quite a different game though. Mark Nelson scored his 100th goal for Airdrie after 2 minutes, and later on as Dumbarton tried to find some cohesion Scott McKeown made it 2-0 after 23 minutes, the home side seemingly in control. Dumbarton were playing too cautiously and Mark McAllister and Gordon Bennett were so slow around the park, George told coach Derek O’Neill to perform a drugs test on the too after, they must have been toking something heavily before kick off. They were withdrawn at half time, and thankfully their replacements did a much better job in the second half. After 10 minutes Willie Stewart ran purposefully towards goal before playing in Stephen Milne to score. Stewart was then the architect in creating the late equalizer too, grafting hard to win the ball, before sending the ball wide where it was met by Mark Fotheringham , and the midfielder came back inside and curled a beauty into the top corner to force a replay.

Other Monthly News

Paul Miller was the victim of a GBH in the town high street one night and the broken ribs suffered, along with the lacerations along his jaw would keep the forward out for two months, very unfortunate for the player who was really beginning to prove himself.

George bid farewell to his assistant manager Derek Lilley who wanted to have a bash at the number one spot, becoming Hearts manager midway through the month, within days he was also receiving plenty of rejections from those he sought out.

[Brian of Nazareth]

February

League

Dundee, currently 9th hosted Dumbarton to start February and there was a return to the line up for Steven Monaghan and Gordon Grant. It would certainly be a tough game as the hosts looked to recover from recent poor form and as such they were much the better starters. Erik Espedal and David Thompson both with chances to score in the first 20 minutes, but Evans denied both. Colin Yeats had Dumbarton’s only effort in a slow but goal less first half. That changed not long into the second half as George told his side to throw a little caution to the wind. It seemed as though they threw too much initially as Erik Espedal scored unmarked 3 minutes in but the benefits paid off as 2 goals in the next ten minutes turned the game around. Mark Fotheringham found Mark McAllister in space and the midfielder ran, evading challenges from Espedal and Mohammed as he bored down on goal, powering a shot past Glynn Thompson. 4 minutes after that and John McLean had made it 2-1, this time from a corner taken by Fotheringham . That cued a nervous game for both managers as defenders were in the spot light, making no mistakes at all to keep the scores as they were. Subs late on helped ensure legs didn’t tire at the end, and an excellent victory kept Dumbarton in the top 5, only below Hibs by 1 goal.

Back at Cliftonhill, Motherwell were the visitors and they were a side who’d just dropped off the pace recently as the top 6 had opened up a 9 point gap. With a 7 point gap to 10th and 14 point gap to 11th, they were also a side who were going nowhere fast, but having defeated Dumbarton 5-1 last match George was determined to exact some revenge. The same team were put out, but irritatingly the performance was worse as finishing proved to be a problem and the defense were looking shaky. It was 0-0 at half time and prospects looked ok for points, but in the second half Motherwell were the better side, and deservedly went ahead on 64 minutes through Rob Beckett. Dumbarton rallied and created several chances, leveling 5 minutes later through Mark McAllister but the defense went to sleep again as the visitors snatched a late winner via aging Hugh Murray to steal the points, and though the players should have scored more, George was fed up with consoling them over having chances – they needed to put that frigging ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis not every other game.

A few days later and Dumbarton were traveling to Hibs, rivals in the league to try and rectify the loss to Motherwell. John Wright came in at left back, whilst James Strachan returned up front. A slow start encouraged the hosts, who took the lead on 15 minutes through Allan McEvoy and George worried another downturn in fortunes had been brought on by the Motherwell defeat, as the hosts tested Evans after that, but Dumbarton gradually began to wake up, and an excellent team move that involved Steven Monaghan, Mark Fotheringham and James Strachan saw Colin Yeats volley into the net. Yet the weakness that haunted George Cameron’s sides over the years, as relief at scoring saw the players let up a moment and Rune Johannsson ensured Hibs had the half time lead. After making a few changes a few minutes into the second half, Dumbarton did pick up their game, and maintained it as it was the hosts who held on. The dismissal of Peter Benstock for the hosts helped Dumbarton, and after Gordon Bennett was denied twice by finger tip saves, Ian Murray did score, heading home a Mark McAllister corner with 5 minutes to go and the points were shared.

On Wednesday 24th after the cups, George and Dumbarton were hosting Kilmarnock at Clftonhill and changes needed to be made. Steven Monaghan was dropped after a string of tired, poor performances, with Ian Murray filling in at right back, whilst there was an unfamiliar pair of strikers up front with John McLean partnering Leigh Burton . His namesake was also in midfield. Only a few minutes were played when Monaghan came off the bench though, replacing the injured Murray. 4 minutes after and Dumbarton scored with the first real attack of the game. John McLean headed a ball across goal, and Mark McAllister was there to collect and curl it in. That was the cue for a dominant spell from the home side as chances arrived in abundance, and excellently 2 more goals arrived before the half was up. Leigh Burton made it 2 on half an hour before a Mark Fotheringham chip could only be parried and Colin Yeats scored. At half time it would seem to be a comfortable win. Not with Dumbarton however. Complacency and over confidence saw Kilmarnock soon work their way began into the game, unsurprisingly pulling one back on 59 minutes through Danijel Brakjovic. 10 minutes later it was 3-2 as Stuart Johnstone scored and the players finally realized their lead was under threat and began to work again. It was difficult stemming the tide of a surging Killie team but a counter attack on 83 minutes did kill it off. Mark’s Fotheringham and McAllister combined with Leigh Burton to create a simple opening for sub Kiegan Parker who lashed it in and that was that, 3 points very much worth it, in light of Hibs surprise victory at Rangers too.

A very busy month finally ended on the 27th with a trip to Aberdeen and there were several tired legs. Burton, Monaghan, and Hunter were amongst those dropped from the line up. The game would be a tough one against a side still in Europe and the Scottish Cup and in 4th place in the league. After a 3-0 loss and a 4-1 win though it could still go either way. 2 minutes in and it seemed to be heading the way of the 3-0 match as Lagemyr scored for them again, but Dumbarton did rally and it was 1-1 20 minutes later as John McLean finished James Strachan’s cross and the visitors enjoyed a spell in the ascendancy, in terms of possession. On the stroke of half time the game changed for the worse as Aberdeen made it 2-1 to hand them the momentum. Alfonso scored, and then 2 minutes after Lagemyr made it 3-1 as Aberdeen took control. Pathetic defending and poor support from midfield then saw a 4th score as February ended on a very low note – Alan Davison scoring the final goal. A defeat followed and Dumbarton were in danger of slipping away from the top 4, 4 points adrift with 9 games left.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Cups

League Cup

After 3 league defeats to Celtic the odds were clearly against Dumbarton – and 2 of those defeats had been at home. This tie was on neutral ground, though the Celtic fans didn’t feel that way as they felt forced to play at Ibrox, but George knew his side could not afford any errors of they were to avoid defeat. Bennett replaced Strachan , Steve Taylor replaced John Wright , Willie Stewart came in for Ian Murray and Mark Kerr replaced Mark Stewart . A tight first half convinced George he had made the right choice tactically as Dumbarton were keeping the ball well and also finding room to fire off a few hopeful long range shots. When Celtic threatened to take control through Mark Moore’s goal on 19, the quick response via a Gordon Bennett penalty kept spirits up and the remainder of the half was even – until a howler of an error from Steven Monaghan allowed in former Hibbee and Rangers striker Antonio to score. It was a crucial goal that gave Celtic the lift at half time. After the break George told his players to attack as Celtic sat back. Bennett, Yeats and McLean all could have made it 2-2 as Dumbarton desperately tried to score, but it was to no avail and sadly the final whistle sounded and it would be a Glasgow final once more. George was proud of his players though – it was their best performance yet, and maybe the next time the two met there would be a change in victors.

Scottish Cup

The first Wednesday of the month saw the replay for the 3rd round. The reward it seemed would be hosting either Rangers or Dundee in the next round – and George was determined to enjoy some success in the cups this year. A few changes were made as a few players were still suffering from the initial clash, like Mark Fotheringham and Steven Monaghan but otherwise the team was unchanged. A brighter start did occur but it was not a confident performance even though Dumbarton took a 2 goal lead going into half time. Mark Kerr who hadn’t really been on fire recently scored first on half an hour set up by Mark McAllister , before Kerr turned provide for James Strachan to stroke home. George urged his players to be a little more solid, but they didn’t get the message until after Mark Nelson reduced it to 2-1 on 51 minutes. That then saw Dumbarton play better and up a gear. A meager crowd was then cheered up as John McLean secured the victory after McAllister’s shot was parried. A 4th round tie with Rangers resulted.

After the midweek loss to Celtic in the League Cup, George was faced with the task of lifting his players for the 4th round match with Rangers. It was at least at home where rousing support would help to a degree. Changes had to be made to accommodate fitness as George tried to balance his side out. Ian Murray in for W. Stewart was a main change. The first half was a tough one, though it ended better than it started. Rangers attacked from the off with Marius Reghecampf and Rui Carlos having a handful of chances to open the scoring before Reghecampf did so on 23 minutes. The hosts looked weary, and wanted to survive until half time, but a rousing final 10 minutes saw James Strachan tie it up before the interval, volleying in a Mark Fotheringham cross as confidence soared. The second produced a more even half as the home side realized they could win the game and both goals were peppered with efforts, Gordon Bennett missing 2 before he was subbed for John McLean . That sub made a big impact though as after Rangers were denied by James Evans just past the hour, a serious of counter attacks led to the match winning goal from John McLean – the striker accepting a pass from Fotheringham who’d been played in by Ian Murray . With 15 minutes to go, the atmosphere was electric. The fans were tense, hoping to see their side hold on, whilst Rangers threw on the cavalry to try and equalize. The sound of the final whistle this time proved to be one of the sweetest George had heard in a long time.

Other Monthly News

After failing to attract any other coaches or assistant managers to replace Derek, George instead handed the role to good friend Thomas Gravesen . Gordon Grant was out injured for a month after a storm blew a tree down across his car.

James Strachan extended his loan spell until the end of the season after impressing in his more recent performances. A permanent move may be considered in the summer. At the last check, all the youngsters are thoroughly enjoying their first team experience at a lower level and they may even have the ability to challenge for a first team spot next season. James Scott was ordered back from St. Johnstone early to assist with the defense.

[Brian of Nazareth]

March

League

Dunfermline were the first visitors in March and George demanded a much tougher display defensively against the 3rd placed team. On a minor positive Celtic had bought their forward Andy Mills 2 days before the game, which eliminated a slight portion of their threat but it, would still be a tough game. It contained the most enthralling end to a game George had witnessed, but before that there was the bad injury suffered by James Evans in a clash with Dunfermline defender Piotr Moskal. Later scans would reveal that cartilage damage had occurred and he would miss the rest of the season. Craig Gordon came in and did a fine job when tested, but fortunately that was very rare as the visitors seemed to miss Mills’ presence. Frederic Laurent fired wide three times, whilst James Langfield also kept out John McLean. In the second half the tight battle continued. Mark Kerr came on after half an hour and added a little creativity to the midfield but still the game remained score less. With 8 minutes to go, the game came to life. Liam Ryan thought he had handed the visitors victory with a solo goal, but 45 seconds later it was 1-1 as Mark Fotheringham hit a right-footed shot after Mark McAllister’s corner. End-to-end action broke out. On one of them as injury time approach Dunfermline put the ball in the back of the net but as Aaron Cable turned to celebrate the linesman’s flag halted him in his tracks and it was still level. The very next play from Dumbarton brought the winning goal, John McLean scrambling home after Fotheringham sent in a hopeful ball and Dumbarton were fortunately still very much challenging for places.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Premier Division - Tuesday 8th March 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st Celtic 30 11 2 2 23 6 7 4 4 17 12 60

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Rangers 30 6 6 3 22 13 8 5 2 16 10 53

3rd Dunfermline 30 7 5 3 18 11 6 5 4 26 18 49

4th Aberdeen 30 10 3 2 25 11 3 6 6 11 16 48

5th Hibs 30 8 4 3 21 14 5 5 5 14 16 48

6th Dumbarton 30 10 2 3 31 19 3 6 6 22 32 47

7th Dundee Utd 30 7 5 3 21 14 2 6 7 11 18 38

8th Motherwell 30 7 8 0 19 8 2 3 10 9 23 38

9th Kilmarnock 30 6 6 3 20 14 3 2 10 12 24 35

10th Dundee 30 6 3 6 12 14 1 4 10 6 19 28

11th Airdrie 30 4 5 6 13 19 2 4 9 9 17 27

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12th Inverness C. Thistle 30 4 3 8 8 15 0 2 13 5 28 17

</pre>

The next league fixture did not arrive until the end on the 30th as George and his weary men traveled to Ibrox to face Rangers, a side who were possibly more concerned with progressing in the UEFA Cup than trying to mount an unlikely challenge to Celtic’s lead at the top. Nevertheless it would still prove to be a tough match. Gordon Grant returned to the defense, as Dumbarton began the half under pressure straight away. Rangers attacked for all it was worth, registering 8 shots on target, as George was glad only the one effort from Kevin Hardie had breached Gordon’s goal. George made 3 subs at half time, bringing on James Scott , Ian Murray and Gordon Bennett as he tried to encourage his side to play to their strengths. This proved to work very well, and in the first 20 minutes after the break, Dumbarton had a few shots on goal themselves, more than matching their counterparts. James Strachan then squared the game up on 63 minutes after a Mark Stewart free kick from the left touchline. Samir Abdullah and Richard Shaw then proved to be the players that threatened to restore Rangers lead as they responded in kind, but Craig Gordon was enjoying a fine match in goal keeping Dumbarton in the game.

Then remarkably, as Rangers pressed forward again, they seemed to neglect their defensive duties and on a quick counter, John Wright sent the ball long up the field where James Strachan reached it first before chipping it over the advancing Steve Crousden and Dumbarton were 2-1 with barely 3 minutes left. Rangers unsurprisingly fought hard to get back into the game but desperate defending ensured George and his players left with another fantastic victory to end a successful month for George, the side now in 4th after 31 games and only 2 points off 2nd placed Rangers.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Cups

Scottish Cup

Hibs hosted Dumbarton in the 5th round, and having eliminated Rangers before hand George knew his side had the ability at least to win this tie. With only 1 point separating the sides in the league it would be a tight game. Craig Gordon came in for the injured Evans . The half began tentatively from both sides, neither one nor other willing to risk making a mistake. Hibernian were the first side to be a little more adventurous and it rewarded them with a goal on 19 minutes through Rune Johannssen, the defender beating Gordon with power to make it 1-0/ The hosts then had the confidence to control the half after that, piling a little more pressure on as Dumbarton struggled. This time though, a failure to score helped Dumbarton, and a counter attack late in the half saw John McLean lay the ball off for Ian Murray to score. At 1-1 both sides had an eye on the semi finals, and the second half continued at an even pace. George made fresh changes as his side sought to win, but their fluidity down the left was ruined with a horror injury to Steve Taylor that would see the full back in and out of hospitals until June, his bone protruding Dave Buust style from his leg. In the end a draw meant the sides would do battle again at Cliftonhill the following Wednesday.

A yellow card to Steven Monaghan meant he was suspended for this game, and Ian Murray filled the right back spot again as James Scott was cup tied. He draw also boosted both sides’ spirits as the winner would contest a place in the final with 1st division Livingston. John Wright came in at left back, and Gordon Bennett partnered John McLean up front. In front of an almost packed crowd Dumbarton began the brighter. Mark Fotheringham had 2 efforts in quick succession – one parried wide by C.T. Bowsley, the other over the crossbar as George prayed his side would find the back of the net. Those chances though proved to be the closest either side came to scoring in a half dominated by midfield battles, and gusty conditions, that caused the ball to inevitably miss it’s intended target by a good couple of yards. In the second half, a spurt from Hibs had George definitely worried for a time as Higinio San Gines and Jesper Arvidsson were easily winning the battles against Wright’s J + S and Dempsie and Murray . Changes were made, with Hunter, Miller and a little later on Leigh Burton all coming on, as Dumbarton looked to find a late winner from somewhere. It never materialized though and the game was headed for extra time. 2 sides filled with weary legs, eager not to make a telling error ensured that the added 30 minutes were uneventful. Any loose ball was crowded down quickly and no opportunities arose. The match, would be decided on penalty kicks.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Round 1:

Jim Hunter lost the toss with regards to ends, shooting at the away fans but they were the first to go as Colin Yeats carefully steadied himself before knocking the ball powerfully in to give his side a psychological boost.

Tony Bradley took Hib’s first kick, and the nerves were very much in the air. He took a short run up, but scuffed his kick wide of the right hand post and the home fans cheered loudly.

Round 2 Mark Fotheringham , Dumbarton’s Mr. Reliable/Fantastic, was up next. C.T. Bowsley had no chance with the cool-as-you-like penalty to make it 2-0.

The pressure on Jesper Arvidsson grew as he had to score for Hibs to fathom hopes of getting this shoot out back on level terms. He sent it to the right corner – which was just where Craig Gordon was to tip it away and Dumbarton could see a semi final approaching.

Round 3 John McLean stepped up to take the traditionally vital 3rd kick – and true to his form, dispatched it confidently – the pressure well and truly resting with the visitors.

Both sides were still showing team camaraderie with the well known huddles, arms linked together as a circle was formed. After a pause Derek Anderson, left the circle, moved quickly to place the ball and this one was in. 3-1.

Round 4

With the opportunity to send Dumbarton into the semi clash with Livingston, Willie Stewart stepped up. The midfielder was confident, he eyed up his spot carefully, hit the ball right footed, but then came the wince as the sound of ball on woodwork saw the spherical object rebound to safety and a few Hibs fans began to lift their spirits.

Rune Johansson, a defensive midfielder who had caused Dumbarton problems over the past season, was next. He had to score. He didn’t – blazing it Chris-Waddle style over the bar and the stewards were kept busy trying to stop a mini pitch invasion attempt as George celebrated with his players.

Other Monthly News

Mark Fotheringham broke a new club record with his 12th assist of the season against Dunfermline, whilst Paul Miller returned to full training. Craig Fleming arrived on loan to support the goalkeepers. James McFadden suffered a nasty head injury after being assaulted by thugs one night, and the midfielder would miss the rest of the season.

Celtic defeated Rangers in the League Cup Final and George was keeping an eye out over places available for Europe the following season. 6 had qualified last time round so there was still a strong chance Dumbarton could make it this season.

[Brian of Nazareth]

April

League

Dumbarton hosted Dundee United, in 7th place, as the Split neared. Though Dumbarton were guaranteed a spot in the top 6 George didn’t want to stop there as he hoped to secure as many points as possible in the battle for European spots, contested by 5 clubs below Celtic. Mark McAllister replaced Fotheringham in midfield, James Scott came in at right back and Gordon Bennett started up front. A bright start saw McAllister put the ball in the net, before it was called back for offside, but not long after Gordon Bennett did score as the hosts took charge. The defensive worries that had plagued George’s side for most of the season were pleasingly absent as Dumbarton went into the break at 1-0. The second half began in similar fashion as the first 20 minutes saw more pressure and another Gordon Bennett goal from a loose ball made it 2-0. That goal did spark Dundee United into life though as they had a short period of control, with Javier Sola and Paul Di Giacomo threatening. George brought on substitutes with 15 minutes to go though and they helped keep the work rate high as Neil Johnson’s fine reflexes kept the score at 2-0. It was an excellent victory from George’s point of view, and results elsewhere lifted them into 3rd. Celtic had suffered defeat to Rangers as the title race was suddenly not quite as dead as people thought, whilst Aberdeen lost at home to Hibs.

The final match before the split involved traveling north to almost certainly relegated Inverness. They were 14 points adrift with 6 games remaining. George handed starts to Kevin Irvine at left back and Mark Fotheringham up front for this game, whilst changing the midfield round again. The desperation of the hosts though saw ICT the more urgent side, creating all the chances, and it was no surprise that former player Grant Graham gave them the lead at half time. George brought on Willie Stewart and Kiegan Parker for two under performers and it made an instant impact. Willie Stewart crossed for forward Mark Fotheringham to score. Dumbarton then took the initiative, scoring again 10 minutes later through Kiegan Parker – the forward heading home a corner, also taken by Willie Stewart . The hosts were desperate and fought strongly to try and get back on level terms, but simply couldn’t do so as Craig Gordon was relishing his extended stay in goal, and ICT in the end lost, their sole remaining hope only just alive as Airdrie had also lost where a win would have relegated the northern side. Dumbarton meanwhile were up to 3rd, on 56 points, 7 behind Celtic, 4 behind Rangers, 1 above Hibs, and 5 above Aberdeen. The final round of games would prove to be very, very interesting with the clubs so narrowly separated.

Cups

Scottish Cup

The semi final with Livingston had brought interest from the whole of the town as thoughts of the club reaching the final of a proper cup competition for the first time in several decades was bandied around. This was perhaps a touch unfair on Livingston who had earned their route fair enough with some impressive performances but George couldn’t deny his side stood a strong chance of making it to Hampden. Changes to the side from the previous fixture at ICT included the return of John Wright, Colin Yeats and Kiegan Parker to the starting line up. Aberdeen had unsurprisingly defeated Queen of the South in the other semi final, so the final opponent was known before the game.

The first half of the game, to George’s relief proved to be all one-way against the nervous division 1 side. Dumbarton were creating space, plugging gaps of their own, and generally causing a nuisance to Livingston’s’ defense, but John Dodds was having a heroic game in goal. Mark Fotheringham 1 and 2 were both denied on a few occasions by the 35 year old, and Colin Yeats was sending several long range efforts near him or over his goal, as the only failing to Dumbarton’s dominance was a lack of goals. The second half continued in much the same way with all the shots focused on Dodd’s goal and he kept sending the ball back again as the underdogs held on. Gordon Bennett and John McLean then came on with 15 minutes to go to add spice to the attack, which they did but STILL no goal seemed forthcoming. In the final minute of added time, one final attack prevailed. Jim Hunter played a well executed pass up field to McLean who headed sideways to Gordon Bennett . Bennett then tried to find Colin Yeats in the area, he did, but the midfielder was forced wide and out of the box again. Keeping hold of the ball he curled the ball round advancing defenders as it fell plumly at the feet of McLean 20 yards out. The striker sidestepped a challenge, steadied himself before belting a ball powerfully into the net! It was 1-0 and Dumbarton had finally scored! More to the point they were also going to the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden for the first time in more than a hundred years – their last victory their in 1897 and it would be a highly special occasion for the small town.

George was beside himself with joy too, 28 shots, 24 on target had finally paid off at the death, and he was now so close to realizing one of his boyhood dreams. Hooray!

[Brian of Nazareth]

The Split

Dumbarton hosted Celtic in the first split match and there was an air of excitement amongst the fans of the top 6 clubs. It seemed that not even the title race was over and that anyone could finish in the top 3 at least. George silently hoped his side could sneak a repeat of their 2nd placed finish of 3 seasons previously. James Scott and Paul Miller were 2 of several changes to a side exhausted by their midweek efforts in the Cup. The first half saw a sluggish start from the hosts as Celtic were the better side. Clive Moore had a goal ruled out for offside before a Mark Koeman penalty, won after a trip by Willie Stewart put them ahead. Surviving until half time, Steven Monaghan then came on for the injured Jim Hunter , and Ian Murray replaced Willie Stewart . In the second Dumbarton were given a route back into the game as Mark Kerr equalized out of the blue on 50 minutes. Thoughts that the home side might control the tempo were swiftly extinguished however as the pacy Clive Moore beat the offside trap to make it 2-1 after 65 minutes. To Dumbarton’s credit they responded firmly. Defending deep, but without panicking. They waited for a chance to arrive patiently, and when it did arrive it was taken. James Strachan [/b tieing the game up again on 75 minutes heading in a [b] Paul Miller cross. The side then adopted a very defensive approach for the final 15 minutes to contain their rampant visitors. Balls were simply smashed long, with little effort to chase the ball made. Craig Gordon did his part too in blocking successive shots, as a point was earned. Dumbarton did drop to 4th after Hibs won their game, but the more difficult of the 5 games had probably just been played. Rangers home defeat to 5th placed Aberdeen spiced it up even further as the top of the table now looked like this:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

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Scottish Premier Division - Saturday 16th April 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

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1st Celtic 34 11 2 3 23 7 8 5 5 22 16 64

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Rangers 34 7 6 5 26 17 9 5 2 17 10 59

3rd Hibs 34 11 4 3 26 14 5 6 5 14 16 58

4th Dumbarton 34 11 3 3 35 21 5 6 6 26 34 57

5th Aberdeen 34 10 3 3 25 12 5 6 7 18 20 54

</pre>

Aberdeen away was the next game and it would show fans a little of what they could expect to see in the Cup Final at the end of the season. For now though George was only thinking about this game. James Scott moved into the centre to replace the injured Jim Hunter with Monaghan at right back. Mark Fotheringham the midfielder replaced Mark Kerr . A bright start from Dumbarton saw Scott Lawrie tested several times inside the opening 15 minutes but none of the chances went in. Aberdeen then responded briefly before John Wright was removed due to injury, replaced by Gordon Grant acting as a makeshift left back. It took a few moments to regain their momentum but when they did it brought a goal as midfielder Mark Fotheringham scored his 10th goal of the season, collecting a pass from Gordon Grant . A half time lead seemed inevitable until Jesus Silva equalized deep into stoppage time and no side seemed clearly the better.

An explosive start to the second half brought excitement to the fans and fines for the defenders as the rest of the games goals was all scored inside 12 minutes of the restart. Paul Miller set up John McLean to volley in on 50 minutes before an instant reply from Alfonso cut short the celebrations. After a slight pause, Dumbarton then made it 3-2 as belted a free kick in, but once more a lack of concentration cost them as Alan Davidson equalized within 2 minutes. At 3-3 hearts were in mouths as no –one knew what to expect next. Well, what they got was a complete lull in play as no further chances arrived for 25 minutes. Both managers altered substitutions and tactics as both sought a vital victory, and when John McLean was set free George thought it arrived, but the ball agonizingly hit the left hand upright and bounced to safety as a draw resulted. Draws proved to be the common theme that day as Hibs came from behind to draw at Celtic 3-3, whilst Rangers continued to lose momentum as their season began to spiral out of control as they were held at home by Dunfermline – this only days after their UEFA Cup exit in the semis, at the hands of Aberdeen no less.

The end of the month saw a huge game for Dumbarton as they traveled to Hibernian, directly above them by one point. The line up was unsurprising, though there was a place indefence for on loan Andrew Thompson as injuries ravaged the back line. Kevin Irvine was at left back. The match started with the hosts on top of the game, as Dumbarton seemed to tire quickly. Craig Gordon was very busy in goal for the first 15 minutes. Then the game died down as both teams tried new ways to break through, but they read each other very well as the battle tension heightened. Out of the blue Derek Anderson scored on 38 minutes to hand the hosts a half time lead, and they were in pole position for 2nd spot at that point. In the second George, made changes and his side gradually managed to graft and craft themselves chances. The lack of luck with the final touch though seemed to point to a disappointing loss that would almost certainly rule them out of a real chance of grabbing second – until with 12 minutes to go Dumbarton won a free kick. Mark Fotheringham took it – and it rebounded off Rune Johannssen as the complexion of the game changed dramatically. A last few minute flurry kept the fans on the edge of their seats but yet another draw prevailed. Celtic had won at Ibrox as they finally secured the title with a 2-0 victory, but that also meant the race for 2nd was wide open with 2 games left. Rangers led with 60 points, whilst Hibs edged Dumbarton by 1 point 59 points. Aberdeen’s draw at Dunfermline saw them lie on 56 points, probably out of the running.

Other Monthly News

Mark Stewart didn’t envisage his night ending in hospital after a seemingly innocent game of monopoly with his family, but then disaster struck. A gal force storm gathered pace and a pylon came crashing down through the glass paneled roof knocking Stewart out. Fortunately it’s only turned out to be mild concussion. He’s dog did die in the incident though. Jim Hunter suffered nasty injury too, though his was more routine on the pitch against Celtic. He’d miss the final month of the season, and it would be a big absence.

Andrew Thomson a 20 year old defender at Blackburn arrived on loan to help out with the shortages. With only 3 games left in the season Kevin Miller shocked Celtic by leaving his post as manager, the title not yet secure by any means to join Barnsley of the EPL. James McFadden returned to full training after a lengthy absence.

[bjorn]

this is a great story BoN, let's push for the tittle now

[Brian of Nazareth]

thanks for following Bjorn - though I think the title's a little unrealistic now, I'm going for the Cup

May – The End of the Season

League

James Evans made a return to the penultimate match of the season, a home match with Rangers awaited. As the end neared, the significance of each match multiplied. Ian Murray replaced Willie Stewart in midfield as George told his players to be confident about the match. They were so confident a goal arrived after only 4 minutes thanks to Gordon Bennett who pounced on a rebound after Ian Murray’s initial shot. However that lasted only 10 minutes as Rangers grabbed a leveler through Reghecampf as again the side’s could not be split. For the rest of the match the reason for no further changes to the score was due to James Evans and Steve Crousden as both goaltenders were inspirational at the back, both surviving spells of pressure and denying respective strike forces. Indeed, Steve Crousden’s save at the end of the 87th minute from Mark Fotheringham was possibly the biggest. Elsewhere Hibernian had turned over Aberdeen 2-0 to grab 2nd with 63 points. Rangers were 3rd with 61 and Dumbarton on 60 effectively saw their 2nd place hopes dashed. As Hibs held a plus 12 goal difference to Dumbarton’s 6. It was unlikely that would be overcome on the final day’s play.

Steve Taylor made a welcome return after injury for the final game – a trip to Dunfermline. European football was possibly already assured, given that Aberdeen in 5th were also the FA Cup opponents for later that month but George wanted to end on a win, and not another draw! Hibs were traveling to Rangers in what would be a huge game with regards to who made it to the Champions League stage. Dumbarton made a poor start to their game though, conceding within 43 seconds, as Petter Mansson was given far too much space to shoot. That didn’t even inspire much of a response either as a side already focused on their summer holidays or the impending Cup Final could be motivated. A triple substitution plus a few loud words sounded an improvement in the second half as James Strachan and Bennett went close, but there wa simply not enough hunger in the side as they slipped to a sloppy 1-0 defeat, leaving them 4th. Rangers defeated Hibs to overtake their devastated opponents and claim second spot. That was a good season from George’s point of view, but of course it was not over just yet, as there was still one more game to play…

Other Monthly News

James Evans returned to full training with 2 games left to go, and he would be reinstated. John McLean picked up an injury cycling though and would miss the end of the season. The club were awarded 450,000 pounds for finishing 4th.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Scottish Cup Final Special Update

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>

Romance Is In The Air For The Purist

by. John Rebus

For those of us enamored with the idea of Scotland maintaining it’s traditions and heritage, and I would expect that to be quite the majority, many fans will be taking a special interest in this afternoon’s Cup Final that is being contested between Dumbarton and Aberdeen.

George Cameron was a man who burst onto the scene full of words, and many dismissed him as an idealist, bordering on the xenophobic fronts with his rants vis-à-vis the decline of Scottish football. The influx of foreigners was he said at the time:

“ A travesty upon our great nation of heroes. Where are our Lisbon Lions again? Why is the top division dominated by the two teams who can afford to go out and buy all these stars – destroying the development of youth?â€

Now, after 16 years of toil, George, with his Dumbarton side, his team of more than 10 years since suffering the sack at Fort William, has managed to take a big step towards making an impact at home and abroad. Their progress has been considerable, though the irony cannot be forgotten.

This was a side that achieved it’s initial lofty heights with the aid of foreigners whom George did indeed come to respect as players, and recognized their talents. 2 years ago when he finally found the courage to follow up on his convictions, and abandon the talents of Gerard and Bueno to name a few.

Another recent interview that was broadcast on BBC Scotland saw George explain his mixed emotions again as to how he took his side to the top flight and also his ambitions for the future.

“ Of course, when you consider my initial comments my record can be questioned I understand, but as I did explain beforehand, Scots who had a sufficient ability to play were not available, nor really were they interested! We had absolutely shocking training facilities at the club, which was yielding no youngsters at all, what do you expect? I was desperate, and I swallowed some pride, brought in quality above nationality and it paid off, now after 2 years we have the stability and the ability to go on, and regardless of the outcome in the Cup Final, it will be my proudest moment to walk out leading the boys onto the pitch.

You only have to look at the youngsters that have come through since we invested in facilities to see the benefit for Scottish football in general. The youngsters are getting the attention and game time they deserve and I intend to continue to help showcase such talent as long as I am manager at this club, as it will be the only way Scotland will be able to make any credible attempt at the major championships.â€

Mr. Cameron now faces the prospect of his side winning their first piece of silverware – the highly prestigious Scottish Cup, and with Aberdeen the opponents Dumbarton certainly aren’t the underdogs. Both sides have fine records this year, and have recorded convincing wins over each other making this one of the toughest finals to predict in recent seasons. Aberdeen manager Alun Armstrong has already won the Manager of the Year award, and he will be looking to go one better as well.

How They Got There

Dumbarton Their campaign very nearly ended as soon as it began with a tie at Airdrie. The division 1 side went 2 goals ahead in the first half before a second half rally inspired by Mark Fotheringham forced a replay. That replay was won easily and a 4th round game with Rangers was the next test. A fine performance from the whole side saw Dumbarton sneak past as John McLean grabbed the winner. Another tough game followed as Hibernian hosted Dumbarton in the fifth round. The Edinburgh side took an early advantage, before Ian Murray ’s first half stoppage time goal forced a replay, one that was just as close, eventually decided on penalties as Craig Gordon made the saves. With the tough matches over Livingston were no match for their opponents in the semi, but despite a monumental effort the ball simply refused to go into the back of the net, that was, until John McLean popped up and scored the winner in the very last minute to get Dumbarton where they are now.

Aberdeen The Don’s campaign began in much easier fashion with a 5-0 romp at Brechin, with Roberto Camacho starring with 3 goals and 2 assists. The 4th round proved challenging though as Dunfermline held them to a 2-2 draw initially and then in the replay that followed it took a penalty from Stuart Kelly after 86 minutes to send Aberdeen into the 5th round. Amid a hectic schedule in the league, cup and Europe Aberdeen were aided substantially in their clash with Celtic when Celtic had their goaltender Nicky Darby sent off and Stuart Kelly scored. It proved to be enough to lead to a semi final clash with Queen of the South of the first division. It proved to be a straight forward affair and a Ceballos Silva hat-trick took the Dons into their first final

Odds

Ladbrokes: Dumbarton, 4/1 , Aberdeen 3/1

Coral: Dumbarton 6/2, Aberdeen 7/3

Bet365.com: Dumbarton 2/1, Aberdeen evens

Key Players

Dumbarton : For George, the agility of James Evans will be a key issue after a lengthy absence. His performances have been very credible this year, though the records might not show it – he is still a vital presence in the Dumbarton back line. Jim Hunter the solid centre back is the fans favourite and his return from injury will provide a welcome boost to a side that had struggle to contain opponents throughout the season. In midfield, the masterful Mark Fotheringham will be the jewel in George’s side, having made a superb debut season since his summer move. At the heart of many an attack he has weighed in with as many goals as he has provided, and his form could decide it. In attack the main threat is still John McLean though since his injury he never performed as consistently well as beforehand though

Aberdeen : Scott Lawrie is the man who has helped Aberdeen sustain challenges on several fronts this season, including a UEFA Cup run that only saw them lose by a single goal to Fulham. With qualification assured the pressure is ever so slightly less. Torsten Falk is the defenseman who has played every single minute of Aberdeen’s season so far and he has deservedly done so, the 6 foot 4 inch rock a thorn in many opponents presence. In midfield Frederik Lagemyr and Alan Davidson are the key threats for the Dons, the aging Swede has a fine record against Dumbarton whilst Davidson, before his move to Rangers, will be looking to leave on a high.

Our Sports Panel seem to be quite split on the outcomes. Paul McIntosh, Devon Smythe and Henry Walters are backing Dumbarton, whilst Pete McInlock, Heather Locklear and myself favour the Dons. What’s your verdict?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Brian of Nazareth]

Scottish Cup Final 2016

Saturday May 28th

Dumbarton v Aberdeen

The Teams

Dumbarton: (4-1-3-2) James Evans, Scott Taylor Jim Hunter, Mark Dempsie, Steven Monaghan; Ian Murray, Mark Kerr, Mark Fotheringham, Paul Miller; John McLean, Gordon Bennett. (subs: Craig Gordon, James Scott, James McFadden, Paul Miller, James Strachan )

Aberdeen: (4-4-2) Scott Lawrie, Donato Dorronsoro, Darren Williams, Chris Armstrong, Torsten Falk; Carl Murphy, Stuart Kelly, Alan Davidson, Frederik Lagemyr; Jesus Ruyman Ceballos Silva, Unai Alfonso. (Subs: Alan Malone, Terry Hill, Dennis Norman, Steve Taylor, and Adrian Foster.

First Half

George felt a tingling sensation tickle the back of his spine as he walked out onto the turf, leading his players into action. It was his proudest moment and he was shocked to see his aging father and sister Heather had also made it to the game. Their relationship had dwindled over the years, as the old man was still upset by his failure at Fort William. However, since George had adopted the Scots approach he’d revived his interest. Heather just wanted an excuse to miss work.

The players lined up on the pitch in their clear cut formations, 4-4-2 against 4-1-3-2. The cool spring sun aided by a westerly breeze made for delightful conditions to play the final in. Referee Alan Vernazza blew his whistle, and Dumbarton started proceedings, in their first Cup Final, and George just prayed his side wouldn’t freeze.

After 5 minutes the first opening was created. The two sides had struggled to pass accurately as the big stage seemed to affect both teams, regardless of experience. Unai Alfonso broke free down the right before swinging a cross into Alan Davidson and the midfielder took a step before volleying. It missed by a foot but the first threat had been made.

Within 2 minutes and Dumbarton were breaking down their right with Steven Monaghan , the right back chipped forward to Gordon Bennett The forward found Mark Fotheringham just inside the right corner of the area and with space to maneuver chips to Mark Kerr who heads firmly into the net! The fans erupt momentarily in delight but are quickly silenced by the referee who spotted an infringement on goalkeeper Lawrie and it remained 0-0.

Aberdeen responded to that quickly as they broke with thei next attack in the 9th minute. A free kick launched up field by Scott Lawrie was headed back by Alfonso, as it found his team mate Ceballos Silva. The Spaniard found some room before unleashing a thunderbolt strike past James Evans into the back of the net as Aberdeen scored the opening goal in the Cup Final, a grimace appearing on George’s face.

Dumbarton wanted to get back as soon as possible and almost did 5 minutes later as Paul Miller from the right side sent in an inviting ball into the 6 yard box, where John McLean reacted swiftly, but to no avail, the ball superbly kept out by Lawrie as a corner resulted. The corner was a poor one.

After slight pause in play, Mark Fotheringham went close with his first shot, but Lawrie saved. In the build up to that effort Paul Miller had pulled a muscle and had to withdrawn from the field of play and to the applause of the Dumbarton section, James McFadden , the longest serving payer made an earlier appearance than expected.

Aberdeen then took the upper hand in the latter stages of the half, as buoyed on by their lead, displayed more confidence in their ability. Defender Chris Armstrong headed wide as Ceballos Silva began to annoy the Dumbarton defense. On 35 minutes after slinking past two challenges, Steven Monaghan took him down with a very forceful challenge. He picked up a yellow card as the Spaniard feigned serious injury, only to get up within seconds of the yellow card being produced to laugh in Monaghan’s face.

Dumbarton had one final chance before half time to get back on level terms, as a long ball from Steve Taylor caught Torsten Falk unawares and John McLean ran towards goal trying to position himself best for the shot. After a brief moment of dallying he let one go from 20 yards but Lawrie saved comfortably, as the half time whistle sounded soon after.

* * * *

[Brian of Nazareth]

The Second Half

George entered the dressing room with harsh words for a few of his players. Monaghan was punished for his ill discipline by being replaced with James Scott , the fast maturing right back, whilst Mark Kerr and Gordon Bennett were encouraged to buck up their ideas in the second half if they didn’t want to be on the losing side.

A pacy start soon after Mr. Vernazza signaled Dumbarton’s intent on getting back into the game as they were very close to an equalizer. Mark Kerr found John McLean with a ranging pass from halfway, and the forward quickly played the ball to Mark Fotheringham to avoid the challenge. Fotheringham then spotted Mark Kerr hovering outside the “D†and an excellent lay out to Kerr saw a shot fired sizzling past the upright.

Fotheringham then found himself in a spot of bother after tangling with Torsten Falk on the halfway line. Words were exchanged the two, but it was Mark’s shove that earned him a yellow card. George was concerned – this was no time to be losing discipline, with 35 minutes to go there was still plenty of work to be done.

10 minutes later, he made up for his error. Mark Kerr had the ball in the centre of the field when he signaled sutly for his colleague to make a darting run diagonally to the left. As he commenced the run, Kerr lofted the ball high in the direction Fotheringham was running to. He collected it briefly, took a step inside the area before letting fly. Scott Lawrie parried initially but he pounced on the rebound and it was 1-1! George was delighted and celebrated exuberantly with the bench as his side had drawn level.

It was at this point that Aberdeen realized they were a part of this match too and they upped their work rate. On 77 minutes Alan Davidson gathered the ball, skipping past the initial challenge from Gordon Bennett , moving closer to James Evans’ goal all the time. Before a player opposed him he tried his luck from 40 yards and was as close as you could get to scoring, with Evans at full stretch to tip the ball behind for a corner. Stuart Kelly took the corner but the inswinger went too far and the threat had been averted.

Dumbarton’s desire to grab the winner was pleasing George but it was also a worry, as his players were having a difficult time of finding any form of self control. Unai Alfonso was trying to incite tackles with legs left hanging, but George believed his players wouldn’t fall for the trick. Mark Dempsie did though and the centre half received a yellow. There were only 9 minutes left though, so it wasn’t such a crisis.

Kiegan Parker replaced retiring midfielder Ian Murray with 7 minutes to go as George looked to find a late winner. Ian, who had long since decided to hang up his boots received a wonderful reception from the fans for his years contribution to the clubs success and at that point in the game it was still tied.

The fans were prepared for it, the press were prepared for it, and psychologically so were the 2 managers. Extra time was looming and they knew it. They were all praying however that their players weren’t and that focus would be held by all of that teams’ members until the final whistle, whether there was an outright winner or not. Now not all of these players did focus to their maximum, and it would prove to be unfathomably costly for one unlucky side.

[Brian of Nazareth]

ok, before I sod off, I might as well update this til the end. No point stopping after 12 pages really

***

The loose ball in midfield was picked up by Mark Kerr . He took it forward 2 steps before losing it to Ceballos Silva, the Spanish forward for Aberdeen. Silva then carried it forward, and he had no challengers in sight, as they all desperately tried to catch up with him. The check back inside forced him to get rid of the ball and his hopeful pass was intercepted by James McFadden . McFadden began to stride forward purposefully before a hefty challenge and blind eye from the ref saw Aberdeen attack once more. Silva picked up the ball and crossed to Stuart Kelly on the right. The midfielder crossed to Frederik Lagemyr in the area. The unchallenged Swede then headed back towards the “D†to Alfonso. Alfonso shot. Alfonso scored.

George looked stunned. For a moment he outright refused to accept what had happened. Aberdeen had scored, the clock read 92:02. There had been 2 minutes of stoppage time awarded in this game. He blankly stared at his players lining up again. He barely registered the double whistle sounds in quick succession. First the one that re-started the game, and then the one that ended it. His hand shook that of Alun Armstrong whilst his mouth simultaneously proffered words of congratulations, but it all seemed so absent, meaningless. It was as if his moment had been snatched away. His mind, detached from the actions of his body pondered thoughtfully, still unable to take in that goal. He had lost, with the last kick. In the Scottish Cup Final. His first ever final. With 16 Scots in his squad. The sliver medal meant nothing. Who cared about that? A reminder of failure? Of the day his side had lost? No that would not do. He accepted it with grace, but with the knowledge that no sooner had he left the stadium it would find it’s way into the nearest garbage can. It hurt.

My god, did it hurt.

Aberdeen 2 Dumbarton 1

[Brian of Nazareth]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

================================================================================================

2015/6 Transfers

================================================================================================

Date Player In From Fee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1.6.15 Mark McAllister Nottm Forest Loan

10.6.15 Steve Taylor Derby £400K

18.6.15 John McLean Southampton Loan

23.6.15 Mark Fotheringham Everton £600K

23.6.15 James Strachan Bristol C Loan

26.6.15 Ian Murray Brentford Bos

27.6.15 Mark Fotheringham Free Transfer Free

30.6.15 Stephen Milne Free Transfer Free

23.8.15 Mark McAllister Nottm Forest £425K

7.10.15 John McLean Southampton £400K

23.10.15 James Strachan Bristol C Loan

25.10.15 Scott Wright Queen of Sth £190K

22.2.16 James Strachan Bristol C Loan

9.3.16 Craig Fleming Darlington Loan

24.4.16 Andrew Thomson Blackburn Loan

Date Player Out To Fee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

2.6.15 Craig Graham Bristol C £100K

2.6.15 Mark Currie Burnley £26K

3.6.15 Steven MacDonald Released Free

10.6.15 Kevin Scott Released Free

13.6.15 Jim Wilson Bournemouth £55K

28.6.15 Liam O'Sullivan Rushden & Ds Bos

12.7.15 David Russell Stirling Loan

13.7.15 Scott McPherson Orient £275K

19.7.15 Kevin Irvine Alloa Loan

29.7.15 James Scott Morton Loan

19.8.15 Brian McGregor Alloa Loan

13.10.15 Keith MacLeod Partick Thistle £140K

1.11.15 James Scott St. Johnstone Loan

20.12.15 Leigh Burton St. Johnstone Loan

================================================================================================

2015/6 Fixtures

================================================================================================

Opposition Ven Competition Res Attend Scorers

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADO HOL A Friendly 1:0 1542 McAllister

SHO HOL A Friendly 1:0 3629 Strachan pen

Veendam HOL A Friendly 0:1 3844

Fort William H Friendly 5:2 2246 M.Fotheringham, McLean 2, Strachan, Monaghan

Celtic H Premier Division 3:5 7492 M.Fotheringham, McAllister, M.Stewart

Airdrie A Premier Division 1:1 10160 McLean pen

Kilmarnock H Premier Division 2:1 6496 Murray, M.Kerr

East Stirling H League Cup 2nd Rnd 3:1 2217 Burton 3

Dundee A Premier Division 1:1 13125 McLean

Aberdeen A Premier Division 0:3 19201

Inverness C. Thistle H League Cup 3rd Rnd 1:0 2187 Yeats

Hibs A Premier Division 2:2 14065 Bennett pen, Strachan

Motherwell H Premier Division 1:0 7566 McLean

Dunfermline H Premier Division 1:0 6956 S.Milne

Rangers A Premier Division 4:2 38117 M.Fotheringham, S.Milne 2, McLean

Kilmarnock A Premier Division 1:4 15994 M.Fotheringham

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division 1:1 9316 S.Taylor

Dundee Utd H Premier Division 3:1 6628 M.Kerr, M.Fotheringham, McLean

Airdrie H Premier Division 1:0 7603 M.Fotheringham pen

Motherwell A Premier Division 1:5 12109 Hunter

Celtic A Premier Division 0:2 36855

Hibs H Premier Division 2:2 6535 Strachan, M.Fotheringham

Partick Thistle H League Cup Qtr Final 2:0 8914 Miller, M.Fotheringham

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 2:2 12481 Strachan, Parker

Rangers H Premier Division 3:3 7748 McAllister, Murray, S.Milne

Dundee H Premier Division 2:0 7574 Bennett 2

Dunfermline A Premier Division 0:2 11247

Inverness C. Thistle H Premier Division 2:0 6723 S.Taylor, Yeats

Celtic H Premier Division 0:1 7684

Aberdeen H Premier Division 4:1 6511 M.Fotheringham, Parker, W.Stewart, Bennett

Airdrie A Premier Division 4:0 10124 McLean, M.Fotheringham, Bennett, P.Miller

Airdrie A Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd 2:2 4941 S.Milne, M.Fotheringham

Airdrie H Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd Replay 3:1 2217 M.Kerr, Strachan, McLean

Dundee A Premier Division 2:1 13169 McAllister, McLean

Motherwell H Premier Division 1:2 7592 McAllister

Hibs A Premier Division 2:2 14098 Yeats, Murray

Celtic N League Cup Semi Final 1:2 41336 Bennett pen

Rangers H Scottish Cup 4th Rnd 2:1 4280 Strachan, McLean

Kilmarnock H Premier Division 4:2 6491 McAllister, Burton, Murray, Parker

Aberdeen A Premier Division 1:4 18966 McLean

Dunfermline H Premier Division 2:1 7349 M.Fotheringham, McLean

Hibs A Scottish Cup 5th Rnd 1:1 14416 Murray

Hibs H Scottish Cup 5th Rnd Replay 0:0 8568

Rangers A Premier Division 2:1 36902 Strachan 2

Dundee Utd H Premier Division 2:0 6590 Bennett 2

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division 2:1 10060 M.Fotheringham, Parker

Livingston N Scottish Cup Semi Final 1:0 10199 McLean

Celtic H Premier Division Champ. Grp 2:2 9415 M.Kerr, Strachan

Aberdeen A Premier Division Champ. Grp 3:3 17165 M.Fotheringham 2, McLean

Hibs A Premier Division Champ. Grp 1:1 14069 Johannessen og

Rangers H Premier Division Champ. Grp 1:1 9208 Bennett

Dunfermline A Premier Division Champ. Grp 0:1 11238

Aberdeen N Scottish Cup Final 1-2

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

================================================================================================

2015/6 Senior Club Stats

================================================================================================

No Name Apps Gls Con Pens Asts Yel Red MoM Av R

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

28 Bennett, Gordon 17 (14) 9 0 2 (2) 0 1 0 2 6.89

19 Burton, Leigh 1 (2) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.33

4 Dempsie, Mark 31 (3) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 6.85

1 Evans, James 32 0 56 0 0 0 0 2 7.23

6 Fotheringham, Mark 29 12 0 1 (1) 11 2 0 3 7.43

20 Fotheringham, Mark 8 (5) 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 7.08

21 Gordon, Craig 16 (1) 0 13 0 0 0 0 2 7.53

5 Grant, Gordon 12 (3) 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 6.47

12 Hunter, Jim 30 (3) 1 0 0 1 5 0 0 6.94

31 Irvine, Kevin 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5.67

7 Jack, John 9 (6) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 6.67

8 Kerr, Mark 23 (8) 4 0 0 5 0 0 1 6.94

13 McAllister, Mark 24 (4) 4 0 0 5 1 0 1 7.29

22 McFadden, James 4 (8) 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 6.67

26 McGregor, Brian 35 6 0 6 (5) 2 9 0 1 6.63

9 McLean, John 21 (4) 9 0 0 3 1 0 0 7.24

10 Miller, Paul 11 (7) 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 6.83

27 Milne, Stephen 4 (14) 5 0 0 2 0 0 1 7.33

2 Monaghan, Steven 38 (2) 0 1 0 2 5 0 1 6.90

14 Murray, Ian 28 (7) 5 0 0 1 3 0 2 6.83

11 Parker, Kiegan 9 (15) 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 7.04

- Russell, David 36 8 0 0 7 0 1 3 7.03

16 Scott, James 3 (4) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.00

17 Stewart, Mark 18 (4) 1 0 0 2 3 0 1 6.82

23 Stewart, Willie 25 (9) 1 0 0 5 6 0 0 6.79

15 Strachan, James 10 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 7.70

3 Taylor, Steve 27 (4) 2 0 0 1 3 0 1 6.90

32 Thomson, Andrew 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6.00

29 Urquhart, David - - - - - - - - ----

18 Wright, John 20 (1) 0 0 0 3 5 0 0 7.10

25 Wright, Scott 18 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 6.78

24 Yeats, Colin 23 (1) 3 0 0 5 1 0 2 6.96

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Premier Division - Wednesday 18th May 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Celtic 38 12 3 3 27 10 10 5 5 27 16 74

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Rangers 38 8 6 6 28 19 9 7 2 18 11 64

3rd Hibs 38 11 5 3 27 15 6 7 6 19 21 63

4th Dumbarton 38 11 4 3 36 22 5 8 7 30 39 60

5th Aberdeen 38 10 4 5 28 20 5 7 7 19 21 56

6th Dunfermline 38 8 7 4 22 17 6 5 8 26 25 54

7th Dundee Utd 38 10 5 5 26 17 4 6 8 14 21 53

8th Kilmarnock 38 8 7 4 26 18 3 5 11 14 28 45

9th Dundee 38 7 5 6 14 15 4 5 11 11 22 43

10th Airdrie 38 5 8 7 16 21 5 4 9 13 17 42

11th Motherwell 38 7 9 3 21 14 2 4 13 10 27 40

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12th R Inverness C. Thistle 38 4 4 11 9 20 1 4 14 7 32 23

***********************************************************************************************

Scottish First Division - Wednesday 18th May 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Partick Thistle 36 10 5 3 30 18 11 4 3 30 17 72

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Livingston 36 11 3 4 31 14 6 5 7 16 16 59

3rd Queen of Sth 36 7 9 2 22 13 8 4 6 23 22 58

4th Falkirk 36 9 4 5 26 17 5 9 4 20 19 55

5th St. Johnstone 36 7 5 6 27 22 5 7 6 24 26 48

6th Morton 36 5 5 8 18 21 5 6 7 12 17 41

7th Queen's Park 36 5 4 9 21 27 5 7 6 19 24 41

8th Hearts 36 5 7 6 16 16 5 3 10 16 26 40

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9th R Raith Rovers 36 3 6 9 15 25 6 4 8 18 26 37

10th R Ayr Utd 36 3 5 10 15 24 6 4 8 19 28 36

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Second Division - Wednesday 18th May 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Clydebank 36 13 2 3 27 9 11 3 4 40 17 77

2nd P Albion Rovers 36 13 4 1 28 13 10 4 4 25 13 77

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd Peterhead 36 12 4 2 30 12 8 8 2 24 16 72

4th Stranraer 36 9 3 6 38 30 7 2 9 22 27 53

5th Ross County 36 8 2 8 27 20 8 2 8 28 24 52

6th Arbroath 36 5 7 6 25 28 6 7 5 25 24 47

7th Berwick 36 8 3 7 33 29 4 6 8 26 34 45

8th St. Mirren 36 5 5 8 23 26 8 0 10 29 32 44

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9th R Cowdenbeath 36 2 4 12 19 36 3 1 14 10 39 20

10th R Brechin 36 2 3 13 14 37 1 4 13 11 38 16

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Third Division - Wednesday 18th May 2016

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2015/6 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Alloa 36 15 2 1 30 8 14 3 1 32 11 92

2nd P East Fife 36 10 2 6 25 19 9 4 5 29 25 63

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd East Stirling 36 10 3 5 31 19 9 1 8 29 27 61

4th Elgin City 36 7 5 6 19 16 10 5 3 35 24 61

5th Stenhousemuir 36 7 5 6 25 21 7 3 8 30 32 50

6th Forfar 36 8 4 6 22 23 4 6 8 13 17 46

7th Clyde 36 8 6 4 24 19 2 3 13 9 26 39

8th Stirling 36 7 3 8 19 23 3 2 13 16 32 35

9th Montrose 36 3 5 10 22 32 2 6 10 9 21 26

10th Fort William 36 2 7 9 18 31 1 9 8 9 20 25

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

Awards Round Up

Team

In the Challenge Cup it was Hearts who proved to be the winners, John Martin scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Livingston – a side who had made a habit of appearing in this final, whilst Kilmarnock managed to use penalties to secure the League Cup, after a 1-1 score after regular time against Celtic, with midfielder Robert O’Neill getting the winner spot kick. The showpiece Scottish Cup in Scotland was contested between Motherwell and Aberdeen and after Motherwell had their keeper Sean Allaway sent off it was easy for Aberdeen who won 3-0.

Abroad, Fulham were winners of a Battle of Britain tie in the UEFA Cup , the cup as they defeated Aberdeen by 1 goal, with Kevin Coyne scoring.. The score was 1-0 with Michael O’Neil the hero. In the Champions League Final there was another English side competing, Leeds against Barcelona who had eliminated West Ham in their semi final. Barcelona won the final with Nano scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory.

Individual

Top Goal Scorer in the Scottish leagues went to 24-year-old Darren Murray of Clydebank, with 21 goals in 36 games. The Player of the Year award was yet again won by Mark Koeman for the 4th year in a row though there was justification this time as Mark had been quite superb for his side, with 16 goals and 13 assists. The Young Player of the Year was won by 19-year-old Ricardo Sampaio of Rangers after a fine year. In the Third Division Team of the Year the left back spot was taken by Kevin Irvine .

[Brian of Nazareth]

Lisbon Lions 2016-2017

The disappointment of the Cup loss had taken George 2 full weeks to forget about, and even during the 2016 European Championships his mind continued to wander back to that freeze frame moment. He had rejected the interviews, ignored the commiserations and spent a break, for holiday was not a word that described well his time there, on the moon again.

Scotland had fare reasonably well in their appearances. A fortunate 0-0 draw with Sweden was then followed up with a good 2-2 draw against Germany, which highlighted the battling qualities of a Scot side who were outplayed in the game for long periods. Denmark’s defeat of Sweden meant they had already qualified for the next round by the time they took on Scotland, but it didn’t mean anything as the Danes won 2-1 in a game that was far more comfortable than the score suggested. Sweden were the other side to go through after a stunning 7-1 victory against Germany, who had had 2 players sent off in the first 20 minutes. The eventual tournament was won by Italy who defeated England 1-0.

Jobs lost: Holland, Spain, Germany,.

George also spent the early part of his summer overhauling the coaching department at the club. Stale figures seemed to be having more of a negative impact on the players who clearly knew more about the game than those teaching them. Gus Caesar, a 50 year old Scot with a fine knowledge of the modern game arrived, as Peter Heatherton was given his marching orders. Also in was Dutchman Zoran Borojevic.

Squad Overview

Goalkeepers

James Evans 32 James suffered injuries as opposed to discipline problems this year round, but was still a big player in helping Dumbarton qualify for Europe. His experience and tenure at the club becomes more valuable each season.

15/16 Record: 32 starts, 56 conceded, 2 MoM, 7.22

Craig Gordon 32 [ Craig played a fair few more games this season, thanks to other reasons but he still knew it was only by default which affected his morale. He’s been a very useful back up to have at this club, and he did sign another 1 year deal in the summer, but this is likely to be his last season here.

15/16 Record: 16 starts, 1 sub, 13 conceded 2 MoM, 7.53

[Brian of Nazareth]

Defenders

Jim Hunter DC 29 Jim has been a regular in the side again, enjoying a fine partnership with Mark Dempsie who has since been released. Entering the prime of his career, George will hope the strong centre back will help push Dumbarton even further on in their quest for domestic and then possibly European success.

15/16 Record: 31 starts, 3 subs, 1 goal, 1 assist, 6.94

Steven Monaghan 24 D/MR The talented right back was a regular for the first 2/3rds of the season but that was due to no alternative at all, and the lack of competition saw complacency creep in. Ian Murray was played out of position on a few occasions towards the end as Steven wasn’t performing as much as he could have done. The arrival of Alan Paterson and the emergence of James Scott should help correct that problem.

15/16 Record:39 starts, 2 subs, 1 assist, 6.85

John Wright 26 DL John had a tough time competing with Steve Taylor at left back, but he still managed a fair whack of games, and earning his place on merit before Steve’s injury. An excellent deputy who’s game is still lacking that extra bit of rounded composure.

15/16 Record: 20 starts, 1 sub, 3 assist, 7.10

Steve Taylor 23 DLC Steve began the campaign brightly with his play, but his game seemed to take a turn for the worse after Christmas and he seemed to be getting worse as time went on. The injury that kept him out for a long time did not help matters either. He’ll need to focus sharply again in the summer to

15/16 Record: 28 starts, 4 subs, 2 goals, 1assist, 1 MoM, 6.91

James Scott 18 DRC Young James enjoyed an excellent season as loan spells at Morton and St. Johnstone brought the player on considerably. He was twice recalled to fill in gaps in the senior side and played well enough that he can be considered a serious threat to the first eleven this season.

15/16 Record: 5 starts, 5 subs, 7.00

Kevin Irvine 18 DLC Young Kevin spent a long time on loan at Alloa for much of the season. It developed his game to another level but the 19 year old still has plenty of work to do to be a player in the top flight, and already clubs from division 1 and 2 have tried their luck with small bids for the player.

15/16 Record: 3 starts, 5.67

Alan Paterson 26 DR The former ICT player recognized his side seemed set for another tough season early on and he fell out with his manager for a time, refusing to sign a new contract. George took advantage and signed him up on bosman signing and the players performances afterwards in trying to help ICT keep their top flight status seemed to justify the purchase.

Scott Wright 30 SW/DC The mid season signing from Queen of the South surprised a few, none more so than Scott, but his fine performances in Division 1 had not gone unnoticed by George who, in need of some depth in his defense signed him up for a reasonable fee and the player, though finding it tough at first, improved quickly through the season and now the mature defender is looking to enjoy the best years of his career with Dumbarton.

15/16 Record: 18 starts, 6.78

David Clark 26 SW/D/MC The capped defender / midfielder grew tired of life in Watford and pined for a move back home. After being scouted for a few weeks towards the end of the season, George made his move in June, bringing the defender in for 600,000 pounds. A hard working individual he has all the assets required of a leader.

Midfielders

Willie Stewart 28 DMC Willie improved slightly on his previous year and that could be credited to the competition with Ian Murray for places. After being suspended for the Cup Final, the midfielder will hopefully improve his discipline again and focus on helping his season reach more finals in the future.

15/16 Record: 25 starts 9 subs, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6.79

Mark Kerr 34 MC Mark had another enjoyable year though the added years are having an effect on his legs, as he does not produce his best games consistently anymore, instead going through small patches here and there. This year may be his last real effort at trying to win something with Dumbarton.

15/16 Record: 24 starts, 8 subs, 4 goals 6 assists, 1 MoM, 6.94

Mark Stewart 256 ML Mark was a useful member of the team. He’s not an automatic cert, but he does have the ability to come in and play well for the side. His chances would be improved though if he added a little more up front in creating goals though.

15/16 Record: 18 starts, 4 subs, 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 MoM, 6.82

James McFadden 33 MC Legs are tiring on this fellow and he’s not the player he once was. He’s outclassed by the other players at the club and George is really keeping him on for sentimental value to play here and then. He came for injuries and loss of form, but his future at the club looks bleak after so many years.

15/16 Record: 4 starts, 9 subs, 1 assist, 6.62

Colin Yeats 26 MC A decent contribution from Colin will certainly keep him in George’s thoughts for the coming season has he contributed a little more to the attack and proved capable enough of doing the job when called upon, but work on his finishing touch wouldn’t go amiss.

15/16 Record: 23 starts 1 sub, 3 goals, 5 assists, 2 MoM, 6.94

Mark Fotheringham 31 MC The former Everton player proved to be an inspired signing for the club with several fantastic performances. He created almost as many as he scored, and was a vital part of the midfield in a good year for the club. Those performances are going to be key to any future success.

15/16 Record: 30 starts, 12 goals, 11 assists, 3 MoM, 7.47

Mark McAllister AMR 26 Mark is a creative sort, who impressed the scouts and then George as his loan move was made permanent. He played pretty regularly and enjoyed playing alongside namesakes’ Kerr and Fotheringham.

15/16 Record: 24 starts, 4 subs, 4 goals, 5 assists, 1 MoM, 7.29

Attackers

Paul Miller 26 FRC Paul came on leaps and bounds during the first half, but nasty injuries sustained in January and in the Cup Final have seen his progress halted. His summer was spent mainly on recuperating and he has plenty of physical training to work on to get into full fitness, which is a shame given his contribution to Dumbarton’s season on the pitch.

15/16 Record: 12 starts, 7 subs, 2 goals, 6 assists, 6.79

Kiegan Parker 34 FRC Kiegan was kept out of the side by better, more efficient players up front and in midfield for the most part and he was mostly used as a second half sub to rest legs, though that did play off reasonably well. He’s entering probably his final year at the club now, and if he wants to end it well, he’ll need to find a way to improve his shots:goal ratio swiftly.

15/16 Record: 9 starts 16 subs, 4 goals, 1 assists, 7.00

Gordon Bennett 27 FC He started the season late on after a summer recovering from a knee injury and it certainly affected his all-round game as his sharpness had gone. That said, he still chipped in with a fair share of goals, but an injury free build up will be important to Gordon’s continued rehab and as he enters his prime he’ll want to prove he was the player that earned call ups to the national squad several years ago with Coventry.

15/16 Record: 17 starts, 14 subs, 9 goals, 2 MoM, 6.87

Mark Fotheringham 31 FC The forward didn’t have quite the same impact as his illustrious namesake. He played well in the few appearances he made, but he never really had a long run in the side to prove himself. His determined streak though has meant he’ll be given every chance to claim a regular spot.

15/16 Record: 8 starts, 5 subs, 3 goals, 1 assist, 7.08

David Russell 19 SC The youngster returned to Stirling for another year, but though he had a good season there, it was evident that he would need to work a lot harder to succeed at a higher level, and a spot in the Dumbarton side still looks along way off.

John McLean 24 SC The Southampton striker joined permanently a couple of months into the season after it was clear the player was very talented. He had injury problems of his own which didn’t help but he still ended the season as one of the club’s most valued forwards.

15/16 Record: 21 starts, 4 subs, 13 goals, 3 assists, 7.29

James Strachan 26 SC The Bristol City striker made a permanent move in the summer after impressing George on 3 loan spells with the club. He’s a talented striker who’s capable of making an impact at this level. He can score goals, but he’s also very useful at simply causing a nuisance of himself for the defenders allowing others the chance to score.

15/16 Record: 22 starts, 9 subs, 8 goals, 5 assists, 7.40 [/i]

[Brian of Nazareth]

Ok, I wrote this all up in Canada, I had to speed up as I entered my last few days there and as such the final updates were shortened accordingly

Players out in the summer : John Jack free; Keith MacLeod Partick; Gordon Grant Falkirk; Mark Demspie free; Stephen Milne Norwich.

League

The first month proved to be a success, but initial signs were downcast after a 4-2 home defeat on the first day, followed by a 4-0 away win achieved largely due to the hosts having a man sent off in the 10th minute, as James Strachan made it 3 goals from the first two games. An excellent 1-0 win against Rangers followed thanks to Mark Kerr as Craig Gordon took over as the number one goalkeeper at the club. A draw at Aberdeen followed as revenge was postponed for a short while. The final game saw an excellent 2-0 victory at Hibs with goals from Mark and Willie Stewart/

In September, John McLean notched his first of the season in a 1-0 home victory against Motherwell, before the momentum ended at Dundee United as the side went down 3-1. That was also the same outcome in the home match with Celtic as Dumbarton were enduring a torrid patch in every competition they entered.

October began nicely with a 2-1 win at Kilmarnock, aided by a 4th minute penalty converted by Gordon Bennett , before a convincing 3-0 home win over Partick Thistle kept confidence high. The goals all arriving from on-loan striker John Docherty and immediately there were calls of “buy him NOW†from the crowd – not all too surprising really. There were only 2 days rest until an away game at Airdrie though and George was forced into resting several players as a European game was on the Thursday of that week. The hosts were reduced to 10 men after 10 minutes but still took a 2 goal lead after 45 minutes thanks to poor defending from Dumbarton. However an excellent second half saw a stunning comeback defeat Airdrie with goals from Stuart Kelly and Kevin McKenzie ( their first ) and then 10 minutes from time young Leigh Burton grabbed the winner and George was thrilled.

The run ended at Dunfermline though where an exciting game with chances for both sides saw no goals arrive as a 0-0 was played out, although Dumbarton did have 2 strong penalty appeals turned down. The month ended happily with a 3-2 home win over Dundee. Marcus Charles scored a spot kick on 3 minutes but Gordon Bennett scored one himself 2 minutes later. He then made it 2-1 before Dundee pulled it back, but the sending off of Erik Espedal handed the momentum back to Dumbarton and John McLean bagged the winner late on as Dumbarton finished 3rd.

November began differently with a 2-0 loss to a Rangers side in a league of their own, and George was pleased his side had defended as well as they had that match. Despite that, spirits were still high and revenge for the Cup Final loss was earned with a 3-2 home win over Aberdeen the following week. James Strachan scored twice and John McLean grabbed the other as Dumbarton kept the pressure on the Glasgow pair.

A poor game the following week at home to Hibernian almost saw the Edinburgh side catch up, but a last minute goal from Colin Yeats saved Dumbarton from defeat. On the 27th a trip to Celtic could have seen Dumbarton reduce the lead at the top to 1 point, but their hosts were clearly superior and a 2-1 loss was the not at all surprising result. However, the month ended on a brighter note with a 1-0 home win against Kilmarnock, Jim Hunter the scorer.

Paul Miller began December well with a goal 3 minutes in against Motherwell which set Dumbarton on their way to a 2-1 win, with James Strachan the other scorer as the side moved up to second, albeit having played 2 games more. The next game was one for the fans as it ended 4-4. Dundee United, the visitors, had taken a 2-0 and a 3-1 lead into the second half but thanks to a Gordon Bennett hat-trick and a James Strachan goal the game was turned around, Dumbarton leading 4-3 after 89 minutes. Another error from Craig Gordon and James Evans had just gained his spot back in the side. A 1-0 loss followed at struggling Partick as Dumbarton seemed to be losing their way slightly. The crisis of confidence continued as poor performance saw Dumbarton lose 2-1 at home to Airdrie after that, as Dumbarton were hanging onto 3rd spot only by virtue of other clubs taking points off each other.

The Boxing Day clash with Rangers saw an improved turn in fortunes as defeat was avoided in a 2-2 draw, though having been 2-0 up for 58 minutes it felt disappointing to see the game slip away the longer the match went on and Hibs moved within a point of 3rd spot with a game in hand.

The last game before the split saw another infuriating draw as ANOTHER 2 goal lead was dropped at Aberdeen, as the defense continued to ruin Dumbarton’s quest for success and more and more people were nicknaming George “Kevin Keeganâ€.

[Brian of Nazareth]

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Premier Division - Tuesday 3rd January 2017

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2016/7 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st Celtic 24 9 3 0 19 4 7 1 4 20 13 52

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Rangers 24 10 2 0 28 5 5 4 3 16 11 51

3rd Dumbarton 24 6 3 3 23 20 5 3 4 18 15 39

4th Hibs 24 7 1 4 16 12 4 4 4 16 18 38

5th Aberdeen 24 5 5 2 20 13 5 2 5 17 16 37

6th Dunfermline 24 4 6 2 14 10 6 1 5 18 17 37

7th Dundee Utd 24 7 4 2 21 13 2 2 7 8 15 33

8th Dundee 24 7 1 3 15 13 2 4 7 14 20 32

9th Airdrie 24 6 0 6 13 16 3 5 4 10 11 32

10th Motherwell 24 6 2 4 12 11 3 2 7 8 13 31

11th Partick Thistle 24 2 3 7 9 19 1 2 9 13 27 14

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12th Kilmarnock 24 0 2 10 8 25 0 2 10 3 22 4

</pre>

John McLean and James Strachan scored the goals as Dumbarton began February with a 2-0 victory at Dundee, as George sighed relief at his side’s ability to hold onto this lead, however that was then followed up with a crap 1-0 loss at Hibs who had played for most of the game with 10 men. Dumbarton were f*cking pathetic the entire game and George ordered training 24 hours a day after that. It seemed to work as the side ground out a 1-0 win at home to Motherwell after that though the performance was far from inspiring. A 2-1 loss at Dunfermline surprised no-one as George went f*cking mental at his useless players as they slipped to 5th seemingly in some state of free fall. After a period of time to regroup a welcome win did arrive at hapless Kilmarnock at the end of the month, with James Strachan scoring first in a 3-0 win.

On Sunday 5th March Dumbarton had the chance to regain third spot in the league but instead dropped to 6th as they lost 2-1 at home to Celtic and George felt like pulling out an Uzi and slaughtering all his players there and then. After results elsewhere, the 4-1 win at Dundee United came as a very pleasant surprise. John McLean and James McFadden amongst the goal scorers as a devastating 10-minute spell won it for Dumbarton. That result meant that Dumbarton were 4th at the end of March, with the best away record in the league but the 2nd worst home record, and George tore his hair out when he first read those stats. If only his side could perform in front of their own fans.

April saw an upturn in home fortunes though with a resounding 4-0 win over struggling Partick Thistle with Mark Fotheringham and John McLean grabbing the pick of the goals before the split. The top 2 were way ahead of everyone else, so George was glad in a way to get the worst game, away to Rangers out of the way with quickly, losing 4-1. Dumbarton played host to Dunfermline in a must win game for the battle for 3rd. A very fortunate 0-0 transpired as Dumbarton were played off the park by their visitors and George was not optimistic his side would end the campaign strongly, however a 2-0 win over Hibs the following week gave hope and with 2 games to go, Aberdeen Dumbarton and Dunfermline were all on 58 points separated only by goal difference. Celtic away proved a little too much for the side, though George was impressed with the effort, and James Strachan had briefly handed Dumbarton the lead in the first half, only to lose 2-1 and with 1 match to go, Aberdeen held a slender 1 point advantage. Dumbarton’s goal difference against Dunfermline was +5 with more goals scored, so matching their result would guarantee 4th.

George though was looking to 3rd and a home clash with Aberdeen seemed the best way to do that. Mark Fotheringham returned from injury and scored inside 2 minutes before a second half penalty from James Strachan seemed to secure the win. Sadly, concentration dropped and a Townsend goal made it 2-1 with 5 minutes left before Carl Murphy equalized in the last minute of injury time to make it 2-2 and Dumbarton finished 4th.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Europe

Swiss side Servette was Dumbarton’s first test in the UEFA Cup and it was the first time George had experienced knockout football at this level too. The home leg ended 1-1 to George’s disappointment as they had taken the lead in the 85th minute before a late equalizer. However in the second leg, an excellent attacking display saw a second half goal from James Strachan take Dumbarton into the second round.

The next round saw Dumbarton face-off against Polish side Wisla and the first leg, again at home, was just as tough to begin with but 2 goals in the second half set Dumbarton up nicely for the second leg, with John Doherty and David Clark scoring the goals. Scott Wright was sent off for fighting with one of their midfielders.

The second leg saw a start for Kevin McKenzie and the youngster scored the 2nd goal in a 3-1 win, with Mark McAllister and James McFadden sealed a comfortable win and passage to the 3rd round stage.

The third round drew a great deal of interest in Scotland as Dumbarton were drawn against Dunfermline, a tough contest for both sides. Again, Dumbarton played the first leg at home and the dismissal of David Munro after 3 minutes helped Dumbarton secured a well worked 2-0 win, though the goals didn’t arrive until late in the second half, Scott Wright scoring his first goal for the club, and Gordon Bennett netting the other.

The return leg was a tough test for the players as Dunfermline began fiercely, and there was concern when youngster Martin O’Rourke scored after 25 minutes. However, just as Dunfermline looked to be taking a crucial lead into the break, Paul Miller netted. That proved to be enough though John Wright picked up a horror injury that kept him out of action for 3 months.

The 4th round saw Dumbarton drawn away first for the first time, and they would be traveling to Belgium to play Club Brugges. A bright start was made with James Strachan scoring first but the hosts picked their game up, eventually running out 4-2 winners, all 4 of their goals coming from Christophe Verwilst.

The second leg brought the fans in as a packed stadium hoped for an excellent win. They were treated to a mesmeric display by the hosts who controlled the game throughout, playing possibly their best game of the season. Steven Monaghan scored first after 9 minutes, before midfielder Mark Fotheringham put Dumbarton ahead on away goals before the break. As the dominance continued 2 more goals in quick succession around the hour mark sealed the tie, with Stephen Sinclair scoring both.

The quarterfinal stage saw a substantial leap in difficulty as a tie with the famed Juventus presented the next challenge for Dumbarton – one everyone expected them to fail. The first leg was played at Cliftonhill and another packed crowd. Chances of progression were then ruined by James Evans being sent off in the first half as Juve won 2-0. The 2nd leg began with Dumbarton pressing hard to start but two goals for the home side just before the break killed the contest, extinguishing a brave and spirited effort.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Domestic Cups

The league cup ended as soon as it began for Dumbarton with an appalling 2-1 loss at Falkirk. No spirit, no hunger and no talent saw them outclassed by their struggling division 1 opponents. It had been a changed side but a few fringe players would not be getting another chance for a bloody long time.

The 3rd round of the Scottish Cup pitched Dumbarton away to Raith Rovers of the first division and passage to the 4th round was assured thanks to Gordon Bennett and Mark Fotheringham . A potentially tricky tie at Airdrie in the 4th round was helped by Paul Miller’s early goal to settle the nerves. It did the trick and a 1-0 win saw them through to the 5th round, where a pathetic home showing saw Dunfermline win 3-0.

Any Other Important Information

James McFadden was hit by a bus at the beginning of the campaign and it would take 3 months in traction to sort him out. His career, looks to be coming to an end sooner rather than later. A young defender Kevin McKenzie came through the young ranks and he immediately took the club by surprise by his talent for a 16 year old. Outside of Scotland Jonathan Smith of Blackburn became the most expensive 16 year old after Milan signed him up for 2.3 million pounds. Robert Graille had been searching the lads past for any Scottish roots when he heard of the Italians interest, but alas it was to no avail.

Scotland’s campaign for World Cup 2018 started well with a 2-0 victory in Spain, and then a 2-1 win over Norway bolstered sacked ICT boss Neil Sullivan’s reputation as Scotland coach. In October a 0-0 draw at Belarus kept them ahead of the others. In March a home win over Armenia kept the momentum going before a 2-0 home loss to Spain saw the Spanish take the top spot after 5 games.

Stuart Kelly arrived from Aberdeen in October for 425,000 pounds as George looked to find some talent to bolster his midfield, then when James Strachan suffered a leg injury ( 2 months ) against Servette, John Docherty and Alan Ferguson arrived on 1 month loan spells to cover. Kiegan Parker was sold midway through October for 500,000 pounds to Port Vale. At the end of October Steve Taylor and the forward Mark Fotheringham were both away from training for 2 months after falling off a cliff.

George won the Manager’s Award for October.

Stephen Sinclair arrived from Swindon for 1 million pounds. The winger was highly recommended by the scouts who had kept an eye on him for a few months. In the middle of the month sad news arrived as James McFadden decided to call it quits at the end of the season. He’d been out of the side more or leas the past year and a half now and the injuries were getting too much for him to bear. Brian McGregor completed a move to Swansea for a nominal fee, the young left back never progressing as many had hoped.

Gordon Bennett won the player of the month award for January. David Russell was sold in March to Cheltenham for 100,000 pounds whilst top scorer James Strachan was injured in a hit-and-run accident which would keep him out for pretty much the rest of the season.

Aberdeen defeated Dunfermline in the League Cup final.

Aston Villa forward Scott Strachan signed on a bosman deal, along with 21 year old Blackburn defender Scott Thompson. James Strachan belatedly returned to fitness with 2 matches remaining.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Dumbarton Club Stats

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

================================================================================================

2016/7 Senior Club Stats

================================================================================================

No Name Apps Gls Con Pens Asts Yel Red MoM Av R

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 Bennett, Gordon 21 (15) 9 0 3 (3) 1 2 0 3 7.08

25 Burton, Leigh 22 6 0 0 2 0 0 2 6.91

4 Clark, David 46 (2) 3 0 0 1 6 0 2 6.88

1 Evans, James 16 0 17 0 0 0 1 2 7.13

17 Fotheringham, Mark 9 (4) 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 6.85

7 Fotheringham, Mark 32 (4) 8 0 2 (2) 10 2 0 3 7.67

13 Gordon, Craig 36 (2) 0 49 0 0 0 0 3 7.29

5 Hunter, Jim 43 (1) 1 0 0 0 5 0 1 7.00

40 Irvine, Kevin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ----

26 Kelly, Stuart 25 (2) 4 0 0 7 1 0 1 7.33

12 Kerr, Mark 22 (11) 2 0 0 3 1 0 0 6.82

8 McAllister, Mark 16 (14) 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 6.43

22 McFadden, James 6 (1) 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 6.71

20 McKenzie, Kevin 8 (6) 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 6.71

9 McLean, John 44 (3) 10 0 1 (1) 13 2 0 1 7.28

11 Miller, Paul 12 (18) 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 7.00

2 Monaghan, Steven 30 (4) 1 0 0 3 6 0 0 6.74

15 Paterson, Alan 8 (12) 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 6.50

14 Scott, James 14 (9) 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 6.91

23 Sinclair, Stephen 18 (2) 3 0 0 4 0 0 2 7.30

21 Stewart, Mark 15 (6) 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 6.57

6 Stewart, Willie 27 (7) 4 0 0 6 5 0 0 7.15

16 Strachan, James 17 (12) 14 0 3 (3) 0 0 0 0 7.10

3 Taylor, Steve 30 (2) 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 6.78

- Urquhart, David 43 0 64 0 0 0 0 2 6.70

36 Wilkinson, Alan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ----

24 Wright, John 19 (3) 1 0 0 1 4 0 1 6.86

19 Wright, Scott 34 (2) 2 0 0 0 7 1 0 6.69

18 Yeats, Colin 17 (5) 4 0 0 2 1 0 0 6.82

================================================================================================

2016/7 Transfers

================================================================================================

Date Player In From Fee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1.6.16 Alan Paterson Inverness C. Thistle Bos

25.6.16 Zoran Borojevic Free Transfer Free

25.6.16 Alan Wilkinson Free Transfer Free

26.6.16 Gus Caesar Free Transfer Free

27.6.16 James Strachan Bristol C £250K

2.7.16 David Clark Watford £600K

18.7.16 André Luís Free Transfer Free

24.9.16 Stuart Kelly Aberdeen £425K

30.9.16 John Docherty Darlington Loan

30.9.16 Alan Ferguson Tranmere Loan

3.12.16 Stephen Sinclair Swindon £1M

Date Player Out To Fee

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

23.6.16 Mark Dempsie Released Free

26.6.16 Peter Hetherston Released Free

27.6.16 John Jack Partick Thistle Bos

6.7.16 David Urquhart Clyde Loan

16.7.16 Gordon Grant Falkirk £80K

18.7.16 Derek O'Neill Released Free

21.7.16 Stephen Milne Norwich £170K

11.10.16 Brian McGregor East Fife Loan

21.10.16 Kiegan Parker Port Vale £500K

19.11.16 David Russell Stirling Loan

4.12.16 Leigh Burton St. Mirren Loan

7.1.17 Brian McGregor Swansea £14K

4.3.17 David Russell Cheltenham £100K

================================================================================================

2016/7 Fixtures

================================================================================================

Opposition Ven Competition Res Attend Scorers

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Badajoz B ESP A Friendly 1:1 1480 S.Milne

Barcelona B ESP A Friendly 1:2 5058 Bennett

Dunfermline H Premier Division 2:4 7175 Strachan 2 (1 pen)

Dundee A Premier Division 4:0 13136 M.Fotheringham pen, Yeats, Clark, Strachan

Rangers H Premier Division 1:0 8245 M.Kerr

Aberdeen A Premier Division 1:1 19298 M.Fotheringham

Hibs A Premier Division 2:0 14063 M.Stewart, W.Stewart

Motherwell H Premier Division 1:0 7599 McLean

Servette SUI H UEFA Cup 1st Rnd Leg 1 1:1 5772 M.Stewart

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 1:3 12408 Strachan

Falkirk A League Cup 3rd Rnd 1:2 2509 McLean pen

Celtic H Premier Division 1:3 7891 McLean

Servette SUI A UEFA Cup 1st Rnd Leg 2 1:0 8810 Strachan

Kilmarnock A Premier Division 2:1 15973 G.Bennett pen, Yeats

Partick Thistle H Premier Division 3:0 7159 Docherty 3

Airdrie A Premier Division 3:2 10157 Kelly, McKenzie, L.Burton

Wisla POL H UEFA Cup 2nd Rnd Leg 1 2:0 7900 Docherty, Clark

Dunfermline A Premier Division 0:0 11194

Dundee H Premier Division 3:2 7578 Bennett 2 (1 pen), McLean

Wisla POL A UEFA Cup 2nd Rnd Leg 2 3:1 11634 McAllister, McKenzie, McFadden

Rangers A Premier Division 0:2 40839

Aberdeen H Premier Division 3:2 7305 J.Strachan 2, McLean

Hibs H Premier Division 1:1 6514 Yeats

Dunfermline H UEFA Cup 3rd Rnd Leg 1 2:0 7726 Bennett, S.Wright

Celtic A Premier Division 1:2 40271 Kelly

Kilmarnock H Premier Division 1:0 6533 Hunter

Motherwell A Premier Division 2:1 14900 Miller, Strachan

Dunfermline A UEFA Cup 3rd Rnd Leg 2 1:1 11382 Miller

Dundee Utd H Premier Division 4:4 7413 Bennett 3 (1 pen), Strachan

Partick Thistle A Premier Division 0:1 6815

Airdrie H Premier Division 1:2 7615 S.Wright

Rangers H Premier Division 2:2 8560 Yeats, McLean

Aberdeen A Premier Division 2:2 19230 Clark, Kelly

Raith Rovers A Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd 3:0 7562 M.Fotheringham, Bennett 2

Dunfermline H Premier Division P-P -----

Dundee A Premier Division 2:0 13149 McLean, Strachan

Hibs A Premier Division 0:1 14068

Motherwell H Premier Division 1:0 7601 M.Fotheringham

Airdrie A Scottish Cup 4th Rnd 1:0 6207 P.Miller

Dunfermline H Premier Division 1:2 7731 Sinclair

Kilmarnock A Premier Division 3:0 15998 Strachan, M.Stewart, W.Stewart

Club Brugge BEL A UEFA Cup 4th Rnd Leg 1 2:4 18665 Strachan, Kerr

Celtic H Premier Division 1:2 7718 M.Fotheringham pen

Club Brugge BEL H UEFA Cup 4th Rnd Leg 2 4:0 9626 Monaghan, M.Fotheringham, Sinclair 2

Dunfermline H Scottish Cup 5th Rnd 0:3 9040

Juventus ITA H UEFA Cup Qtr Final Leg 1 0:2 10763

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 4:1 12459 W.Stewart, McFadden, McLean, J.Wright

Juventus ITA A UEFA Cup Qtr Final Leg 2 0:2 38034

Partick Thistle H Premier Division 4:0 7248 M.Fotheringham 2, J.McLean, Miller

Airdrie A Premier Division 0:1 10151

Rangers A Premier Division Champ. Grp 1:4 43702 McLean

Dunfermline H Premier Division Champ. Grp 0:0 7514

Hibs H Premier Division Champ. Grp 2:0 7159 W.Stewart, Kelly

Celtic A Premier Division Champ. Grp 1:2 43145 Strachan pen

Aberdeen H Premier Division Champ. Grp 2:2 6523 M.Fotheringham, J.Strachan pen

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

Tables

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Premier Division - Monday 15th May 2017

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2016/7 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Celtic 38 16 3 0 32 7 12 1 6 30 19 88

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Rangers 38 16 2 1 47 8 8 8 3 27 15 82

3rd Aberdeen 38 10 7 2 31 15 6 5 8 25 26 60

4th Dumbarton 38 9 5 5 34 26 8 3 8 29 24 59

5th Dunfermline 38 8 8 3 23 12 8 2 9 24 28 58

6th Hibs 38 10 3 6 22 18 6 4 9 20 26 55

7th Airdrie 38 9 0 10 23 24 7 7 5 16 13 55

8th Dundee Utd 38 8 7 5 25 21 5 4 9 14 20 50

9th Dundee 38 9 3 6 23 23 3 6 11 17 31 45

10th Motherwell 38 8 6 5 15 12 3 4 12 11 23 43

11th Partick Thistle 38 3 6 10 16 29 2 4 13 17 44 25

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12th R Kilmarnock 38 1 2 16 11 42 1 4 14 7 33 12

************************************************************************************************

Scottish First Division - Monday 15th May 2017

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2016/7 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Inverness C. Thistle 36 12 3 3 24 10 12 4 2 33 15 79

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2nd Falkirk 36 8 6 4 16 12 8 5 5 25 16 59

3rd Livingston 36 9 7 2 27 10 7 3 8 15 19 58

4th Queen of Sth 36 10 3 5 26 16 7 3 8 24 23 57

5th Queen's Park 36 10 4 4 24 12 4 7 7 13 18 53

6th St. Johnstone 36 9 4 5 26 20 5 6 7 17 21 52

7th Hearts 36 8 5 5 24 23 3 5 10 17 27 43

8th Clydebank 36 8 3 7 28 27 3 5 10 16 31 41

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9th R Albion Rovers 36 5 5 8 18 25 1 4 13 11 27 27

10th R Morton 36 6 4 8 26 31 1 2 15 15 42 27

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Second Division - Monday 15th May 2017

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2016/7 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C St. Mirren 36 9 4 5 31 22 7 5 6 21 22 57

2nd P Ayr Utd 36 8 5 5 28 20 7 6 5 23 22 56

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd Alloa 36 10 3 5 36 23 5 4 9 24 29 52

4th Ross County 36 8 6 4 31 23 6 4 8 28 30 52

5th Raith Rovers 36 9 4 5 24 16 6 3 9 33 37 52

6th Stranraer 36 9 3 6 34 29 7 1 10 24 33 52

7th East Fife 36 7 3 8 30 35 8 2 8 25 21 50

8th Arbroath 36 6 6 6 16 18 7 4 7 16 19 49

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9th R Berwick 36 6 4 8 34 36 6 3 9 20 31 43

10th R Peterhead 36 4 4 10 13 22 3 10 5 30 33 35

************************************************************************************************

Scottish Third Division - Monday 15th May 2017

************************************************************************************************

================================================================================================

2016/7 Table

================================================================================================

Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1st C Elgin City 36 13 2 3 37 15 9 4 5 42 31 72

2nd P Stenhousemuir 36 12 3 3 30 17 8 5 5 32 27 68

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3rd Forfar 36 14 2 2 41 21 5 8 5 23 20 67

4th East Stirling 36 12 3 3 43 21 7 6 5 31 26 66

5th Brechin 36 9 4 5 22 25 9 0 9 23 29 58

6th Stirling 36 5 8 5 32 33 5 3 10 14 29 41

7th Clyde 36 6 4 8 25 23 5 3 10 25 30 40

8th Cowdenbeath 36 7 6 5 27 23 3 4 11 22 37 40

9th Fort William 36 5 2 11 18 30 2 3 13 17 33 26

10th Montrose 36 5 4 9 19 29 1 2 15 8 32 24

</pre>

Round Up

Challenge Cup winners were Inverness defeating Queens Park 1-0, whilst Aberdeen won the League Cup . The Scottish Cup was won by Dunfermline who beat Celtic by 1 goal. It was their second win in 4 years.

In Europe Aberdeen were almost the headline makers again as they contested the UEFA Cup final with Juventus. They lost only to a 120th minute golden goal. Barcelona won the Champions Cup , defeating Arsenal 3-2.

Ranger’s Marius Reghecampf was the Player of the Year after a phenomenal season, with James McDonald his colleague earning the Young Player Gong. Alun Armstrong of Aberdeen was unsurprisingly the Manager of the Year.

[Brian of Nazareth]

James McFadden ( Dumbarton 2006-2017 )

The long injury plagued career of the 34 year old finally came to an end in the summer. He was a loyal servant and though by no means ever particularly a star contributor he was worth his place. The 2014-15 season possibly one of his better campaigns in the SPL. The knee injuries became too much for him to handle though and he retires still as the holder of most league appearances for the club – 220.

188 starts, 64 subs, 18 goals, 27 assists, 2 MoM, 6.75

Transfers: Dumbarton

IN:

SCOTT STRACHAN, Aston Villa, bosman

ANDREW THOMPSON, Blackburn, 250,000

OUT:

ALAN PATERSON, Colorado Rapids 300,000

JAMES EVANS, Notts County, free / coach.

Squad Overview

Goalkeepers

Craig Gordon 32 [ Craig deserved a run in the side and put in some excellent performances. His weakness’ did allow Evans to come back in now and then, but there’s no doubt he was the better of the two over the course of the season.

16/17 Record: 36 starts, 2 subs, 49 conceded, 3 MoM, 7.53

David Urquhart 18 A loan spell at Clyde saw the youngster enjoy a whole season of regular first team football and with the departure of James Evans he has been promoted to second choice keeper.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Defenders

Jim Hunter DC 30 Jim has been a regular in the side again, relishing the arrival of Clark as the two played their best football together, and Jim is becoming a key player in this side as he matures even further.

16/17 Record: 43 starts, 1 sub, 1 goal, 1 MoM 7.00

Steven Monaghan 24 D/MR The talented right back enjoyed the added competition for his spot this year but his performances both defensively and offensively were still inconsistent.

16/17 Record:30 starts, 4 subs, 1 goal, 3 assists, 6.74

John Wright 27 DL John had a good season at left back, exchanging places with Steve regularly. The emergence of young Kevin McKenzie will force the player to keep on his toes though.

16/17 Record: 19 starts, 3 subs, 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 MoM, 9.93

Steve Taylor 24 DLC Steve began the campaign brightly with his play but his performances had this nagging ability to suddenly decline in an instant and he was punished for it. He can be a star asset for this club, but he’s going to have to work very hard to do so.

16/17 Record: 30 starts, 2 subs, 2assistS, 1 MoM, 6.78

James Scott 19 DRC Another progressive season saw the youngster grow up even further and the challenge of keeping Dumbarton up near the top brought him on as a player. This year could be another big one for the player.

16/17 Record: 5 starts, 5 subs, 7.00

Kevin Irvine 19 DLC Young Kevin didn’t feature last season but benefited from the new training regime as his ability came on to the point where George now feels he would be comfortable in playing him in the first team if necessary.

Andrew Thompson 21 DC The arrival from Blackburn Rovers adds some depth to the central positions and he has the ability to develop into a class player at SPL level if he applies himself correctly.

Scott Wright 31 SW/DC Scott played well in his games for the club, though he can do better. Capitalizing on David Clark’s occasional switch to midfield he often supported Jim Hunter in defense. However he was also responsible for a few too many goals.

16/17 Record: 34 starts, 2 subs, 2 goals, 6.69

David Clark 27 SW/D/MC The capped defender / midfielder had a solid first since signing, with several strong defensive displays combined with a fluid games in the holding role. He chipped in with his fair share of points this season.

16/17 Record: 46 starts, 2 subs, 3 goals, 1 assist, 3 MoM, 6.88

[Brian of Nazareth]

Midfielders

Willie Stewart 29 DMC Willie matured again this season with some excellent performances in the middle and he rotated well with David Clark. In his best years now, he’ll be a big part of the clubs push for success.

16/17 Record: 27 starts, 7 subs, 4 goals, 6 assists, 7.15

Mark Kerr 35 MC The legs and energy are going on this guy now as he dropped off the pace on several occasions last term. Entering his final year of the contract, George just hopes the player can give one last effort at winning trophies before he is let go.

16/17 Record: 22 starts, 11 subs, 2 goals 3 assists, 6.82

Mark Stewart 27 ML Mark was a useful player to come in for injuries but did not prove himself worthy of a regular spot in the side as his contribution to the offense has been lacking. If he wants regular runs in the side he’ll have to improve.

16/17 Record: 15 starts, 6 subs, 3 goal, 6.57

Colin Yeats 27 MC Also entering the final year of his contract, Colin played fairly well in his games that he played, though he often found himself watching from the sidelines as better players showed him how it was done. If he continues to work hard, he’ll probably be offered an extension.

16/17 Record: 17 starts 5 subs, 4 goals, 2 assists, 6.82

Mark Fotheringham 33 MC George’s prized asset enjoyed another fine year with the club involved in the goals column on a very frequent basis. George’s concern is of course his age, but current indications show few signs of slowing down just yet.

16/17 Record: 32 starts, 4 subs, 8 goals, 10 assists, 3 MoM, 7.67

Mark McAllister AMR 27 In and out of the side on an irregular basis, Mark was not at his best this year, but he still does have the potential to do so and if his talent can be coaxed out by the coaches he’ll be a big factor in Dumbarton’s season given the tiring legs of the older guys.

16/17 Record: 16 starts, 17 subs, 1 goal, 4 assists, 6.43

Stephen Sinclair 29 AM/FL The 1 million pound signing from Swindon came in and enjoyed a fairly good start to his career a the club, but hopefully after a good pre-season he can become a prize asset to the club.

16/17 Record: 18 starts, 2 subs, 3 goals, 4 assists, 2 MoM, 7.30

Stuart Kelly 32 AMC The former Aberdeen man, who sent in the cross that defeated Dumbarton in the Cup Final, arrived for 400,000 pounds in October as the Dons seemed to be on some sort of quest to purge their squad of Scots. The experienced midfielder came in and added some much needed creativity.

16/17 Record: 25 starts, 2 subs, 4 goals, 7 assists, 1 MoM, 7.33

Attackers

Paul Miller 27 FRC An improved effort saw more pitch time for Paul as he switched between midfield and attack as and when he was needed. A very good squad player who’s thankfully content with his role at the club.

16/17 Record: 12 starts, 18 subs, 4 goals, 3 assists, 7.00

Gordon Bennett 27 FC Gordon again added a forceful presence to the front line, scoring a fair share of goals whilst generally escaping serious injury for a change. More work needs to be done on his efficiency if he’s to earn more starts and less sub roles.

16/17 Record: 21 starts, 15 subs, 9 goals, 1 assist, 3 MoM, 7.08

John McLean 24 SC The forward played well but he didn’t score as many as the club would have like. He made this up though in the number of assists he contributed to the side. Heopfully he can combine the two qualities this season.

16/17 Record: 44 starts, 3 subs, 10 goals, 13 assists, 7.29

James Strachan 26 SC James was essential to Dumbarton’s early season form and his injury that sidelined him for a long time proved to be a big blow. Hopefully that is behind him and he can fire Dumbarton to some trophy success.

16/17 Record: 17starts, 12 subs, 14 goals, 7.10 [/i]