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

[Brian of Nazareth]

League Review 2017-2018

A spirited 2-1 defeat to Rangers started the new campaign, before a poor start forced Dumbarton settle for a 2-2 draw against Dundee, having gone 2-0 behind. Scott Strachan scored his first goal for the club. His next 2 helped secure the first win of the season at Dundee United, but a 0-0 home tie with Motherwell kept Dumbarton’s patchy start to the season going. The month ended in better fashion though with a 1-0 win at Dunfermline, though 6 yellow cards were picked up in the process.

September began well with an emphatic 4-0 win over 9 man ICT as it was clear Dumbarton’s defense had improved substantially, before it went missing at Partick again. After an excellent first half put Dumbarton 2-0 up, the players p*ssed it away and lost 3-2, as the hosts scored an 87th minute penalty with Gordon sent off. That loss was rectified pleasingly with an emphatic 5-0 win over Airdrie that included a hat-trick for Scott Strachan and one for Gordon Bennett. The month ended with a tightly fought 0-0 draw at home with Celtic.

In October, Mark Fotheringham’s return from injury saw the midfielder score twice in a 3-1 home win over Hibernian, though John Wright also sadly saw his season cut short there and then with a terrible leg injury. Rangers defeated Dumbarton 1-0 as the run of 4 consecutive home league games ended. On their travels at Dundee Craig Gordon erred twice to hand the hosts a 2-1 half time lead, but he was saved by his team mates who produced an excellent response in the second half retaking the lead and when the killer 4th arrived with 5 minutes to go, Dundee collapsed and 2 more were scored as the final score was 6-2. Scott Strachan and Stephen Sinclair each scored twice.

November began at Cliftonhill with Scott Strachan grabbing the winning goal over Dundee United, before another excellent defensive display helped Mark Fotheringham’s first half penalty gain another victory for Dumbarton.

December saw a loss at Easter Road to Hibs 2-1, before the same score line favoured them at Cliftonhill with Partick the losers. John McLean scored the winner. Stephen Sinclair then grabbed a second half goal to defeat Aberdeen in a fiercely contested match at Cliftonhill. The “return†match at Aberdeen was not successful as the hosts dominated winning 3-0. A stronger side traveled to Airdrie on the 16th though and it was Strachan’s J + S who helped achieve a 2-1 victory. Defeat at Celtic followed though, as did another at Dundee United as Dumbarton dropped to 6th in the league.

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

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Scottish Premier Division - Sunday 31st December 2017

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2017/8 Table

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

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1st Rangers 22 8 1 3 25 12 8 1 1 20 8 50

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2nd Motherwell 23 8 2 2 19 6 5 3 3 12 10 44

3rd Celtic 23 7 2 2 19 6 6 2 4 14 12 43

4th Aberdeen 22 7 3 0 17 4 4 2 6 21 21 38

5th Dundee Utd 23 6 4 2 19 13 4 3 4 11 13 37

6th Dumbarton 22 6 3 2 18 7 5 0 6 16 16 36

7th Hibs 23 9 1 2 18 9 2 2 7 8 19 36

8th Dunfermline 22 3 2 6 11 13 6 2 3 15 11 31

9th Airdrie 23 1 4 7 10 18 3 4 4 8 13 20

10th Partick Thistle 23 2 3 6 15 24 1 4 7 6 17 16

11th Dundee 22 2 2 6 11 18 0 5 7 13 27 13

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12th Inverness C. Thistle 22 1 4 6 8 18 0 3 8 4 23 10

</pre>

After a bizarre month of continuous postponements there were only two games in January – a 3-0 win at Inverness and a 1-0 loss at Rangers as technically the club completed a run of 6 away games in succession.

A match packed February started well with a win over ICT at home despite Bennett being sent off. Stuart Kelly scored the late winner before a goal crazy game at Partick saw Dumbarton win 4-2 with the Strachan’s heavily involved in all of the goals. Motherwell visited after that and were unlucky to only take a point from a tired Dumbarton side who equalized in the 88th minute through Paul Miller. Despite controlling the game George felt lucky his side won 2-1 against Dundee as the defensive frailities seemed to be returning to the side. The last match of February proved to be full of goals as the points were shared at Dunfermline in a 3-3 game. Craig Gordon was sent off as the hosts took a 3-1 advantage but Dumbarton fought back with a last minute Steve Taylor goal pulling it back.

March began well with Dumbarton winning 2-0 against Airdrie with on loan midfielder Brian Kerr scoring one of the goals, but a 3-2 loss at Aberdeen followed made worse since the side had leveled after being 2-0 down initially.

The final two games in April before the split were at home and 4 points gained were very welcome for George as his side kept in touch at the top. A 1-1 draw with Hibs was followed up by an excellent 4-2 victory over Celtic where John McLean and Scott Strachan both scored.

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

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Scottish Premier Division - Wednesday 11th April 2018

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2017/8 Table

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

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1st Rangers 33 11 1 5 31 16 11 4 1 27 9 71

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2nd Motherwell 33 10 3 3 27 9 8 5 4 18 13 62

3rd Hibs 33 12 2 2 23 10 7 3 7 19 23 62

4th Aberdeen 33 10 5 2 28 13 7 3 6 26 22 59

5th Dumbarton 33 10 5 2 29 12 7 1 8 28 25 57

6th Celtic 33 9 5 2 26 8 6 5 6 19 20 55

7th Dundee Utd 32 8 6 2 25 16 5 6 5 12 14 51

8th Dunfermline 33 4 4 9 16 20 6 4 6 18 19 38

9th Airdrie 32 3 5 8 13 21 4 5 7 11 22 31

10th Partick Thistle 33 5 4 8 23 31 1 4 11 10 26 26

11th Dundee 33 3 4 9 14 23 0 6 11 15 35 19

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12th Inverness C. Thistle 33 1 5 10 8 28 0 3 14 4 35 11

</pre>

In the split it all started well with a well earned 1-0 win over Celtic, but then a 4-1 thrashing at Aberdeen was somewhat deflating, the only positive being Scott Strachan’s 20th goal of the season. After time to regroup the side battled back and earned an excellent 2-1 win at Motherwell with John McLean scoring his 10th and the game-winning goal in the 88th minute. After that a tough 2-2 draw at home with Rangers followed before the final game of the season. 3rd could have been achieved with a win but instead a weakened side put on a good fight but lost 1-0 to finish 4th again and another satisfying season had ended.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Cups

The League Cup began with a relatively straightforward home tie with Arbroath of the Second Division. 2 goals in the second proved enough. Loan keeper Ian Milne made his debut in the game. The quarter final was won by Scott Strachan who’s 2 goals took Dumbarton past Hibernian 3-1. The February semi final pitched Dumbarton against Motherwell. A match filled with tension and desperate defending went to extra time. As fears of a PK shoot out arose, sub James Strachan came on to win it for Dumbarton with 3 minutes left as they progressed to the final where they would face Rangers in March.

The Scottish Cup campaign began with a simple 4-0 victory over Lossiemouth in the third round, but another much changed and tired side could not keep the run going beyond the 4th round as they lost 2-1 at Livingston.

The League Cup Final 2018

This was another chance for George to finally see some glory at Hampden. Rangers were the visitors in what promised to be a tough fight. The first half saw close tackling and few opportunities for goals as neither side took a commanding position in the game. However the second was completely different. With a bang Dumbarton scored 2 goals in the first two minutes to the utter delight of George on the sidelines. Scott Strachan played in John McLean for the first goal before Stephen Sinclair capitalized on a spilt shot from Stuart Kelly to make it 2-0.

The Dumbarton fans were overjoyed, as the prospect of a first trophy win under George Cameron looked highly possible. At one point the cameras in the ground spotted a watching James McFadden delighted with the score. Rangers were completely shell-shocked and took a moment to react. As they came forward on one attack, their eagerness to find a quick response left them open at the back as Willie Stewart threaded a ball through for John McLean to pounce upon and lash home to make it 3-0! It was a dream score line and the trophy appeared ever nearer. Rangers then struck almost immediately through Christer Emanuelsson as nerves grew in the Dumbarton players but they managed to keep their composure.

Craig Gordon kept shots at bay, and then right at the end, sub Paul Miller completed a fantastic Sunday of football as he slotted one from a Gordon Bennett rebound. The final whistle sounded soon after and George rushed onto the pitch to be with his players who were overjoyed. They had defeated the mighty Rangers in a Cup Final and had done so magnificently. There was much merriment to be had long into the night, with many players turning up rather ill on the Monday.

Dumbarton 4 Rangers 1

\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\/o\/o\o/\/o\o/\o]

[Brian of Nazareth]

Europe

Moldovan side Sherif was the first round opponents in the UEFA Cup for George, but they posed no threat at all and 4 goals in the first 30 minutes of the first leg secured victor more or less. []b Gordon Bennett [/b] scoring 2. The second leg proved to be a formality with goals from Paul Miller and John Wright easing Dumbarton into the next round.

That second round brought a Battle of Britain to the TV screens as they were drawn with Darlington of England. An even match in England saw the hosts lead for a long period of the game before John McLean snatched a late equalizer to hand Dumbarton a slight advantage. The return leg was just as close. Stephen Sinclair scored the opener before Neil Townsend restored parity in the second half. Extra time loomed, arrived, went and it would be decided on penalty kicks – and Darlington were the winners as James Strachan missed the 5th kick.

Other News

Forward Mark Fotheringham departed for Oldham Athletic whilst Kevin Irvine went on loan to Kilmarnock. David Urquhart joined Stenhousemuir on loan until February.

Qualifiers for World Cup 2018 saw Spain secure top spot in the group, whilst Scotland only barely just ensured 2nd spot in the group and a play off spot with a 3-1 win in Armenia.

Mark Fotheringham won the October Player of the Month Award.

In November the play offs for the World Cup saw Scotland pitched against Wales in a highly publicized clash. The first leg in Wales ended 0-0 before a 1-1 game at Hampden knocked the Scots out, but still the SFA refused to sack Sullivan and the rumours about Sullivan servicing the directors in more ways than one grew apace.

In December George had to fend off sever interest from Glasgow for his midfielder Stephen Sinclair as a 5 million pound bid was rejected before, he slapped a 20 million fee on the player to ward off Rangers. Stephen wasn’t over the moon about it.

The new year saw some interesting games being played as Motherwell kept bidding on Dumbarton targets on loan signings to which Dumbarton simply offered a higher amount before canceling the deal at the last second as both sides struggled to bring in new players.

A horrendous spell of bad weather actually saw the cancellation of matches against Dundee and Inverness postponed 3 times in a row – each as the club sank down the league with many games in hand!

Chris Cross of Rangers amid much laughter at his name, amazingly managed to win both Young Player and Player of the Month Awards in January. Scott Strachan won the February award.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Dumbarton Stats

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

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Dumbarton - Saturday 12th May 2018

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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 29 6 1 £5.75K 28.6.19 £220K

- Burton, Leigh S C ENG 12.7.97 20 - - £1.3K 18.6.20 £160K

4 Clark, David SW/D/DM C SCO 13.12.89 28 4 - £4.4K 24.6.19 £220K

6 Fotheringham, Mark M C SCO 21.7.84 33 - - £4.5K 6.6.19 £220K

1 Gordon, Craig GK SCO 15.9.83 34 - - £4.4K 13.6.20 £850K

5 Hunter, Jim D C SCO 29.11.86 31 - - £3.8K 22.6.19 £150K

- Irvine, Kevin D LC SCO 17.10.96 21 - - £1.6K 16.6.19 £75K

24 Kelly, Stuart AM C SCO 14.6.85 32 - - £4.6K 27.6.20 £210K

25 Kerr, Brian DM C SCO 18.1.94 24 - - £725 28.6.21 £190K

18 Kerr, Mark M C SCO 2.3.82 36 - - £4.7K 15.6.18 £40K

7 McAllister, Mark M C SCO 22.8.89 28 - - £4.8K 21.6.19 £240K

15 McKenzie, Kevin D/M LC SCO 19.1.00 18 - - £1.5K 12.6.20 £2.5M

9 McLean, John S C SCO 19.12.92 25 - - £4.4K 7.6.20 £825K

21 Miller, Paul F RLC SCO 29.7.89 28 - - £4.6K 27.6.18 £24K

28 Milne, Ian GK SCO 28.9.92 25 - - £2.6K 27.6.21 £95K

2 Monaghan, Steven D/DM R SCO 11.11.91 26 - - £4.5K 28.6.19 £300K

22 Scott, James D RC SCO 3.6.98 19 - - £3.2K 25.6.20 £2.5M

12 Sinclair, Stephen AM/F L SCO 7.5.88 30 30 2 £2.1K 1.6.20 £20M

14 Stewart, Mark M L SCO 16.1.90 28 - - £3.9K 3.6.19 £110K

13 Stewart, Willie DM C SCO 10.11.87 30 - - £5.25K 19.6.20 £375K

10 Strachan, James S C SCO 9.5.90 28 - - £3.5K 24.6.19 £200K

11 Strachan, Scott S C SCO 6.6.84 33 19 6 £5.25K 5.5.20 £220K

3 Taylor, Steve D LC SCO 24.11.92 25 - - £2.9K 8.6.18 £8K

19 Thomson, Andrew D C SCO 25.8.95 22 - - £2.7K 17.6.19 £775K

20 Urquhart, David GK SCO 20.12.98 19 - - £2.4K 2.5.24 £150K

26 Williamson, Derek D C SCO 16.9.00 17 - - £1.2K 28.6.20 £70K

16 Wright, John D L SCO 10.5.90 28 - - £4.9K 10.6.19 £120K

23 Wright, Scott SW/D C SCO 27.6.86 31 - - £4.6K 26.6.20 £250K

17 Yeats, Colin M C SCO 28.8.89 28 - - £3.4K 28.6.18 £14K

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2017/8 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 15 (8) 6 0 0 0 3 1 1 6.87

- Burton, Leigh 20 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 6.30

4 Clark, David 26 (12) 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 6.76

6 Fotheringham, Mark 30 (2) 7 0 2 (2) 7 2 0 3 7.38

1 Gordon, Craig 40 0 41 0 0 0 2 2 7.25

5 Hunter, Jim 27 (3) 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 6.77

- Irvine, Kevin 36 (4) 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 6.90

24 Kelly, Stuart 19 (6) 5 0 0 4 1 0 2 7.24

25 Kerr, Brian 4 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 7.25

18 Kerr, Mark 9 (7) 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 6.63

7 McAllister, Mark 22 (7) 6 0 0 7 1 0 4 7.10

15 McKenzie, Kevin 13 (8) 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 6.86

9 McLean, John 31 (12) 10 0 0 6 0 0 1 6.98

21 Miller, Paul 7 (13) 3 0 0 2 0 0 1 6.90

28 Milne, Ian 4 (1) 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 6.80

2 Monaghan, Steven 29 (8) 0 1 0 6 4 0 0 7.03

22 Scott, James 20 (6) 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 6.92

12 Sinclair, Stephen 39 (1) 9 0 0 12 2 0 3 7.55

14 Stewart, Mark 10 (3) 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 6.54

13 Stewart, Willie 28 (4) 2 0 0 5 3 0 2 7.28

10 Strachan, James 13 (13) 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 6.69

11 Strachan, Scott 34 (5) 21 0 0 3 0 0 6 7.59

3 Taylor, Steve 16 (1) 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 6.59

19 Thomson, Andrew 15 (6) 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 6.90

20 Urquhart, David 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ----

26 Williamson, Derek 3 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.00

16 Wright, John 12 (1) 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 6.92

23 Wright, Scott 27 (1) 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 6.86

17 Yeats, Colin 11 (6) 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 6.82

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

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

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2017/8 Transfers

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Date Player In From Fee

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4.6.17 Scott Strachan Aston Villa Bos

15.6.17 Andrew Thomson Blackburn £250K

6.7.17 Paul Miller Free Transfer Free

18.9.17 Ian Milne Leicester Loan

16.10.17 Steven Green Blackburn Loan

19.10.17 Ian Milne Leicester Loan

23.10.17 Marcel van Vliet Free Transfer Free

24.10.17 Alex Craig Edinburgh Uni. AFC Free

24.10.17 Dale Gordon Free Transfer Free

24.10.17 Brian Carson Free Transfer Free

18.1.18 Brian Kerr Bristol R Loan

31.1.18 Ian Milne Free Transfer Free

18.3.18 Brian Kerr Bristol R Loan

29.3.18 Brian Kerr Bristol R £90K

Date Player Out To Fee

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23.6.17 Paul Miller Released Free

23.6.17 James Evans Released Free

13.7.17 Alan Paterson Colorado £300K

16.7.17 David Urquhart Stenhousemuir Loan

30.7.17 Alan Wilkinson Released Free

10.8.17 Kevin Irvine Kilmarnock Loan

16.8.17 Mark Fotheringham Oldham Free

28.11.17 Leigh Burton St. Mirren Loan

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2017/8 Fixtures

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Opposition Ven Competition Res Attend Scorers

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Ã…ndalsnes NOR A Friendly 2:0 1928 Kelly, Sinclair

Bryne NOR A Friendly 3:1 581 J.Strachan pen, J.Wright, Fotheringham

L/F Hønefoss NOR A Friendly 2:1 860 Hunter, W.Stewart

Rangers A Premier Division 1:2 43652 S.Kelly

Dundee H Premier Division 2:2 7596 S.Strachan, Bennett

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 2:0 12454 S.Strachan 2

Motherwell H Premier Division 0:0 7578

Dunfermline A Premier Division 1:0 11102 Kelly

Inverness C. Thistle H Premier Division 4:0 7014 W.Stewart, Scott, Kelly, McLean

Sherif MOL H UEFA Cup 1st Rnd Leg 1 4:0 4142 Sinclair, Bennett 2, Scott

Partick Thistle A Premier Division 2:3 9878 Bennett, J.McLean

Arbroath H League Cup 3rd Rnd 2:0 2287 McAllister, S.Wright

Airdrie H Premier Division 5:0 7583 S.Strachan 3, Chapman og, Bennett

Sherif MOL A UEFA Cup 1st Rnd Leg 2 2:0 15631 Miller, J.Wright

Celtic H Premier Division 0:0 7501

Hibs H Premier Division 3:1 7178 W.Stewart, Fotheringham 2

Darlington ENG A UEFA Cup 2nd Rnd Leg 1 1:1 12883 McLean

Rangers H Premier Division 0:1 8137

Dundee A Premier Division 6:2 13139 Sinclair 2, Hunter, S.Strachan 2, Foth pen

Darlington ENG H UEFA Cup 2nd Rnd Leg 2 1:1 9175 Sinclair

Dunfermline H Premier Division 0:2 7664

Dundee Utd H Premier Division 1:0 7587 S.Strachan

Motherwell A Premier Division 1:0 14946 Fotheringham pen

Hibs H League Cup Qtr Final 3:1 9428 S.Strachan 2, McAllister

Hibs A Premier Division 1:2 14076 McAllister

Partick Thistle H Premier Division 2:1 7578 Sinclair, J.McLean

Aberdeen H Premier Division 1:0 6983 Sinclair

Aberdeen A Premier Division 0:3 19009

Airdrie A Premier Division 2:1 10163 J.Strachan, S.Strachan

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division P-P -----

Celtic A Premier Division 0:1 44363

Dundee Utd A Premier Division 0:2 12441

Dundee H Premier Division P-P -----

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division P-P -----

Dundee H Premier Division P-P -----

Inverness C. Thistle A Premier Division 3:0 12009 S.Strachan 2, Sinclair

Lossiemouth H Scottish Cup 3rd Rnd 4:0 2312 McAllister, McLean, B.Kerr, M.Stewart

Rangers A Premier Division 0:1 43731

Inverness C. Thistle H Premier Division 1:0 7002 Kelly

Partick Thistle A Premier Division 4:2 9787 J.Strachan, S.Strachan 2, Green

Motherwell H Premier Division 1:1 7590 Miller

Motherwell N League Cup Semi Final 1:0 15366 J.Strachan

Livingston A Scottish Cup 4th Rnd 1:2 6113 J.Strachan

Dundee H Premier Division 2:1 7578 Fotheringham, S.Strachan

Dunfermline A Premier Division 3:3 11194 S.Strachan, Fotheringham, S.Taylor

Airdrie H Premier Division 2:0 7612 B.Kerr, McAllister

Rangers N League Cup Final 4:1 44532 McLean 2, Sinclair, Miller

Aberdeen A Premier Division 2:3 19322 Bennett, B.Kerr

Hibs H Premier Division 1:1 7163 McLean

Celtic H Premier Division 4:2 7123 S.Strachan, McAllister, B.Kerr, McLean

Celtic H Premier Division Champ. Grp 1:0 7305 Sinclair

Aberdeen A Premier Division Champ. Grp 1:4 19321 S.Strachan

Motherwell A Premier Division Champ. Grp 2:1 15051 J.McLean, Kelly

Rangers H Premier Division Champ. Grp 2:2 7826 Fotheringham, S.Strachan

Hibs A Premier Division Champ. Grp 0:1 14035

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

Tables

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

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Scottish Premier Division - Saturday 12th May 2018

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2017/8 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 2 5 35 17 11 6 1 29 11 80

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2nd Aberdeen 38 13 5 2 38 14 8 3 7 28 24 71

3rd Hibs 38 13 3 3 24 11 8 4 7 22 25 70

4th Dumbarton 38 11 6 2 32 14 8 1 10 31 31 64

5th Motherwell 38 10 3 5 29 13 8 6 6 18 17 63

6th Celtic 38 9 7 2 27 9 6 6 8 19 25 58

7th Dundee Utd 38 11 6 3 34 19 7 6 5 20 17 66

8th Dunfermline 38 5 4 10 20 26 7 6 6 25 23 46

9th Partick Thistle 38 6 5 8 26 33 3 4 12 15 31 36

10th Airdrie 38 4 6 9 17 25 4 5 10 11 27 35

11th Dundee 38 4 4 10 17 25 0 6 14 16 41 22

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12th R Inverness C. Thistle 38 2 5 12 9 33 1 3 15 5 36 17

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Scottish First Division - Saturday 12th May 2018

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2017/8 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 Falkirk 36 10 5 3 23 11 11 5 2 35 16 73

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2nd Kilmarnock 36 11 5 2 28 10 9 3 6 29 24 68

3rd Livingston 36 11 5 2 34 20 8 4 6 22 19 66

4th Queen's Park 36 10 6 2 28 14 8 5 5 22 16 65

5th Queen of Sth 36 12 3 3 33 13 6 4 8 23 25 61

6th St. Johnstone 36 6 7 5 26 25 5 5 8 17 27 45

7th Ayr Utd 36 9 1 8 21 18 0 9 9 15 26 37

8th Clydebank 36 6 2 10 20 25 2 4 12 11 27 30

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9th R Hearts 36 5 3 10 19 32 3 3 12 15 34 30

10th R St. Mirren 36 2 7 9 16 34 2 2 14 13 34 21

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Scottish Second Division - Saturday 12th May 2018

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2017/8 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 Albion Rovers 36 13 5 0 40 14 11 3 4 33 17 80

2nd P Raith Rovers 36 12 2 4 32 17 5 8 5 36 27 61

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3rd Morton 36 7 8 3 29 23 9 3 6 33 29 59

4th Elgin City 36 12 3 3 27 15 4 4 10 20 33 55

5th East Fife 36 8 5 5 29 23 2 8 8 18 29 43

6th Ross County 36 5 5 8 27 33 6 5 7 23 23 43

7th Stenhousemuir 36 5 7 6 21 18 5 5 8 19 26 42

8th Arbroath 36 6 6 6 22 30 4 5 9 14 30 41

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9th R Stranraer 36 5 5 8 23 26 2 10 6 14 19 36

10th R Alloa 36 4 7 7 20 29 2 2 14 18 37 27

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Scottish Third Division - Saturday 12th May 2018

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2017/8 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 Forfar 36 11 3 4 34 19 9 3 6 34 25 66

2nd P Brechin 36 11 4 3 40 22 6 4 8 29 30 59

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3rd Peterhead 36 6 8 4 21 19 9 4 5 34 16 57

4th Berwick 36 9 2 7 31 28 8 1 9 29 31 54

5th East Stirling 36 9 3 6 34 35 5 7 6 24 31 52

6th Clyde 36 11 2 5 30 21 4 4 10 19 29 51

7th Cowdenbeath 36 5 6 7 22 29 8 4 6 33 29 49

8th Montrose 36 7 4 7 23 24 3 5 10 13 29 39

9th Fort William 36 6 4 8 21 25 4 4 10 18 26 38

10th Stirling 36 5 3 10 21 31 5 3 10 20 31 36

</pre>

Awards 2017-2018

Domestic

Falkirk defeated Queen of the South in the Challenge Cup whilst in the League Cup , Dumbarton were of course victors, defeating Rangers 4-1. The showpiece final was won by Aberdeen who overcame Rangers narrowly, winning via a shoot out.

Abroad

Having qualified via the Intertoto Cup in August, Aston Villa became the first club since Bordeaux more than 20 years ago to go on and win the UEFA Cup beating Marseilles 1-0. In the Champions Cup an all English affair saw Manchester City win their second trophy in 5 years as they beat Liverpool on penalties.

Individual

Robbie Stockdale was named SPL Manager of the Year, though the surprise in the wards was that George Cameron received the runners up award which made the 48 year old glow with pride as his Scottish Dream was attracting more and more recognition as time developed. Rui Carlos won the Player of the Year Award though again there was Dumbarton recognition here as forward Scott Strachan was awarded 3rd spot. Young Player of the Year was Rangers’ ever present Chris Cross, whilst his club colleague Marius Reghecampf enjoyed another fantastic season to earn the Top Goal scorer award with 33 goals. In the SPL Team of the Year award, there were spots for Stephen Sinclair, Craig Gordon and Scott Strachan .

World Cup 2018

No Scotland participation because of Neil Sullivan.

Somehow he’s still the manager.

The arse.

[Brian of Nazareth]

2018-2019 Season Review

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

Dumbarton Transfers:

IN:

SCOTT KERR, Dundee, exch

OUT:

DAVID URQUHART, Hibernian, 150,000

KEVIN IRVINE, Dundee, Exchange

MARK KERR, released

STEVE TAYLOR, released

PAUL MILLER, released

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Squad Overview

Goalkeepers

Craig Gordon 34 [ Craig deserved a run in the side and his performances justified it bar a handful of errors. An excellent part of a defense that finally seemed a lot more secure about itself. Craig has at least one possibly two more years left and he’s eager for more success following on from the League Cup Triumph last season.

17/18 Record: 40 starts, 41 conceded, 2 MoM, 7.25

Ian Milne 24 Ian initially arrived on loan from Leicester and having impressed when called upon he was offered a permanent deal and signed for a cut price fee. He’s got work to do, but if he applies himself well this season he’ll be a ready replacement for the aging Gordon.

17/18 Record: 6 starts, 1 sub, 8 conceded, 6.80

[Brian of Nazareth]

Defenders

Jim Hunter DC 31 Jim was not at his best last year despite the team overall defending better. Perhaps the change in partners had a negative effect, but either way he came in for some criticism from the local media especially and though George supported him he’ll have to improve this term.

17/18 Record: 27 starts, 3 subs, 1 goal, 6.77

Steven Monaghan 25 D/MR It was another average year for Steven. His composure and reliability are not under the spotlight but his value going forward must be questioned. Hopefully as he matures he’ll add more facets to his game.

17/18 Record:29 starts, 8 subs, 1 assist, 7.04

John Wright 27 DL John suffered a horrific injury early on that kept him out for a good 5 months of the season. He needs to get over these problems soon if he is to really try and establish himself as a regular in the side.

17/18 Record: 12 starts, 1 sub, 1 goal, 6.92

James Scott 20 DRC Another solid year for James has now seen the player stake a credible spot for the right back slot on a regular basis. He’s tenacious pacy and highly determined. His new contract was a delight for George.

17/18 Record: 20 starts, 6 subs, 1 goal 2 assist, 6.92

Andrew Thompson 22 DC The arrival from Blackburn Rovers added depth but he found it hard to establish himself as a regular. He has potential though and his gritty attitude should see the defender earn plenty more chances to shine at the back in the coming season.

17/18 Record: 15 starts, 6 subs, 6.90

Scott Wright 32 SW/DC Scott played well in patches again though he was criticized on occasion for not being attentive enough when the opposition were attacking at speed. He should have at least 2 good years left at the club if he keeps working hard though.

17/18 Record: 27 starts, 1 sub, 1 goal, 6.78

David Clark 28 SW/D/MC David struggled and often found himself on the subs bench. He couldn’t establish any one position as his own and it’s perhaps that versatility that cost him. .

17/18 Record: 26 starts, 12 subs, 6.76

Derek Williamson 19 DC Another graduate of the academy, young Derek has bags of potential and is highly rated by the coaching staff since making a few appearances last season.

17/18 Record: 3 starts, 1 sub, 7.00

Kevin McKenzie 18 SW/D/MLC Another player hotly tipped to be a star in the future since coming through the youth system. Talented and versatile his niche seems to be at left back or at centre. With continued work there’s every chance he’ll be a regular by the end of the season and possibly an international inside 2-3 years.

17/18 Record: 13 starts, 8 subs, 6.86

[Brian of Nazareth]

Midfielders

Willie Stewart 30 DMC Another solid season from Willie helped ground his reputation as a fan favourite and an almost cert on the team sheet. He’s still the tough tackling, goal providing and occasional scorer he was brought to the club for and at 30 there’s still a good 3-4 years that should come from Willie.

16/17 Record: 28 starts, 4 subs, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7.28

Brian Kerr 24 DMC Brian arrived on loan as cover for Willie and he proved to be such a competent asset that he has signed permanently. He’s a similar player in most respects to Willie with age on his side, so the holding role should be hotly contested this year.

17/18 Record: 6 starts, 3 goals, 1 assist, 1 MoM, 7.50

Colin Yeats 28 MC He signed a 1 year extension in the summer, but he’s now more just to provide cover for injuries. He’s able but he doesn’t produce the goods nearly enough to warrant longer spells in the side.

16/17 Record: 11 starts 6 subs, 3 assists, 6.82

Mark Fotheringham 34 MC The mercurial midfielder continued his form, though more often than before his legs failed to last the full 90 and he had problems with long consistent runs. He’s entering his last year of his contract now, and it is likely to be his last too.

16/17 Record: 30 starts, 2 subs, 7 goals, 7 assists, 3 MoM, 7.38

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 30 AM/FL The attacker was outstanding last season as he attracted the interest of the Glasgow sides. A fine goalscorer and provider he was a key part of the League Cup winning side, scoring one of the goals. Hopefully he’ll repeat that this coming year.

16/17 Record: 39 starts, 1 sub, 9 goals, 12 assists, 23 MoM, 7.55

Stuart Kelly 33 AMC The former Aberdeen man, added plenty of strength to the attack in the side, though he often wandered off in a few games now and then. He’s likely got just the one more year at the club before he moves on.

16/17 Record: 19 starts, 6 subs, 5 goals, 4 assists, 2 MoM, 7.24

Mark McAllister 30 AMR Another year of deputizing and small runs aided Dumbarton’s progress as he filled in again for injuries and loss of confidence. A quiet member of the squad he goes about his business in an effective manner, staying away from the spotlight, which is just how he wants it.

17/18 Record: 22 starts, 7 subs, 6 goals, 7 assists, 4 MoM, 7.10

Attackers

Scott Strachan 34 SC Scott proved an excellent acquisition as he ended the season top scorer and by some distance. His presence formed a pivotal role in Dumbarton’s triumph in the League Cup. Hopefully he can last for another year at the club.

17/18 Record: 34 starts 5 subs, 21 goals, 3 assists, 6 MoM, 7.59

Gordon Bennett 29 FC Gordon wasn’t his best for most of the season and though he scored a few his general play was worse than it had been and there are suggestions his history of injuries are behind this. He’s got 1 year left to prove he’s worth hanging onto.

17/18 Record: 15 starts, 8 subs, 6 goals, 1 MoM, 6.87

John McLean 25 SC John did produce some good play at times but it was never consistent enough. His contribution is still holding up but to be big time player in the league he’ll have to work harder.

17/18 Record: 31 starts, 12 subs, 10 goals, 6 assists, 1 MoM, 6.98

[Brian of Nazareth]

2018-2019

League

The season started at Dundee United, where after going 2-0 down initially the side battled back to level with 2 goals in the last 5 minutes, Colin Yeats scoring the crucial one on the 87th minute., before a 2-1 home victory over Airdrie temporarily put Dumbarton on top of the table before a 3-1 loss after leading for 40 minutes against Rangers brought them back down again as the fans grew impatient with the clubs inconsistencies. A 2-1 win at Aberdeen thanks to Ian Reid the on loan midfielder helped keep the club near the top again. Unfortunately a 2-0 loss at Motherwell pegged them back at the end of the month as the club couldn’t maintain any sort of run.

However September began well as after the internationals Dumbarton managed to record two wins in succession, both 1-0 and against Dundee and Partick Thistle with Stuart Kelly and John McLean the scorers. That was followed up with a tense 2-1 home victory over Falkirk, where the winning goal didn’t arrive until the first minute of added time, but it arrived and it was 3 wins on the bounce. At the very end it became 4 as Mark Fotheringham scored his first goals of the season, including a penalty, to defeat Dunfermline.

A 0-0 home point against Hibs ended the winning run and considering it was against 10 men George did feel slightly disappointed. He was more so after a 3-0 home defeat to Celtic, when Kevin Davidson was sent off in the first half as the team slipped up again. Against Motherwell victory looked to be assured at 2-0 up with 15 minutes to go but poor errors resulted in a 2-2 draw. At Airdrie the defensive cock ups nearly cost Dumbarton the points before a narrow 3-2 win was earned through John McLean’s late, late winner.

Back at Coaticook in November, a 1-1 draw transpired against Dundee United as a side coping with fatigue had to rely on a late John McLean strike to get them out of trouble again. Hosting Dunfermline after that it took some gritty defending to protect a Derek King goal as both Brian Kerr and King were sent off in the second half. A 1-1 draw ended November at Dundee with Scott Strachan putting his side ahead in the first half.

December then started with another 1-1 draw this time at Falkirk, where the side were only 8 minutes from victory before a lapse in concentration ruined it. That focus improved against Partick Thistle though as a Mark McAllister first half strike was enough to win the game. The fighting spirit continued into the next game where the side came from a goal down to win at Dundee United with Stuart Kelly and John McLean on the score sheet. Celtic away proved too much though as they went down 1-0 to a late second half goal. A boxing day clash at Easter Road sent the fans back happy as an 87th minute Scott Kerr goal won a close contest 2-1, and the gap from 5-6th was now 10 points.

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

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

Scottish Premier Division - Tuesday 1st January 2019

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

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

2018/9 Table

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

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

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

1st Rangers 22 8 2 2 20 9 6 4 0 19 8 48

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

2nd Aberdeen 23 10 2 0 20 3 4 3 4 16 12 47

3rd Celtic 23 6 4 1 13 5 6 4 2 16 8 44

4th Dundee Utd 23 5 5 2 14 9 5 4 2 12 8 39

5th Dumbarton 22 6 3 1 12 9 5 3 4 15 18 39

6th Hibs 23 4 4 4 12 12 4 1 6 13 13 29

7th Falkirk 23 4 1 6 11 18 4 2 6 12 12 27

8th Airdrie 23 2 6 4 11 12 4 1 6 11 12 25

9th Partick Thistle 23 4 3 4 15 16 2 3 7 9 13 24

10th Motherwell 23 4 1 7 9 16 1 5 5 8 13 21

11th Dunfermline 23 1 3 7 9 22 4 2 6 10 14 20

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

12th Dundee 23 2 1 8 6 15 1 3 8 5 21 13

</pre>

January began with a home game with Rangers that had been initially cancelled due to snow. John McLean looked to have won it with a second half strike but the Gers kept persisting and nicked a late goal at the end to share the honours. The second replayed game at home to Airdrie was not so even as Dumbarton made sure of the points in this one winning 4-2, with Derek King scoring twice and John McLean keeping up his own personal good form. The end of the month finished well with a 2-1 away win at Motherwell despite being under pressure for most of the game. Ian Reid scored the late winner.

[Brian of Nazareth]

February saw the run continue with a 3-1 win over bottom club Dundee, with Kelly, Reid and Willie Stewart the scorers. Unsurprisingly the run ended at Rangers as the hosts showed their class, winning 2-1 with Brian Kerr grabbing a late consolation. However, the side battled back quickly and stunned leaders Aberdeen, defeating them 3-0 at Cliftonhill as an awesome second half display won the game. The goals were scored in a 15 minute spell, from James Scott, Gordon Bennett and Mark Fotheringham . The pressure was kept up on the leaders with a strong display at 11th placed Dunfermline where a brace each from James Strachan and John McLean ensured a 4-2 victory.

In March it was the younger Strachan again who finally broke through a stubborn Falkirk backline in the 74th minute as Dumbarton won 2-0, with Scott Kerr grabbing the other as the top 4 sides continued to pull away from the rest. Hibernian were the visitors at the end of the month and Scott Strachan only managed the one as a disappointing draw emerged.

In April, with 2 games to go before the split, Celtic were the first visitors, and a truly magnificent second half fight saw 3 goals fly into the Celtic net, with 2 from Mark Fotheringham as Dumbarton leapfrogged their opponents into 3rd place, 6 behind Aberdeen and Rangers with a game in hand at Partick Thistle. They doused Dumbarton’s hopes of putting pressure on the top 2 though as 2 goals from Eric Cloarec saw them beat off a very tired Dumbarton side 3-1.

The Split

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

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

Scottish Premier Division - Friday 12th April 2019

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

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

2018/9 Table

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

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

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

1st Rangers 33 11 2 4 29 16 9 7 0 27 11 69

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

2nd Aberdeen 33 13 2 1 25 6 8 4 5 24 16 69

3rd Dumbarton 33 11 5 1 29 14 7 3 6 23 26 62

4th Celtic 33 9 6 1 21 9 8 4 5 20 13 61

5th Falkirk 33 9 2 6 21 22 5 3 8 17 19 47

6th Dundee Utd 33 6 5 5 17 14 6 4 7 16 20 45

7th Hibs 33 6 5 5 20 16 6 3 8 22 20 44

8th Partick Thistle 33 6 5 6 22 23 3 4 9 14 19 36

9th Airdrie 33 2 8 6 11 16 5 1 11 15 26 30

10th Dunfermline 33 2 7 8 19 32 4 5 7 12 18 30

11th Motherwell 33 5 2 9 14 21 1 9 7 13 20 29

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

12th Dundee 33 3 2 12 9 25 2 4 10 11 29 21

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

The Split- Championship Group

The first to be played was a home match with Celtic, and with both sides fiercely battling out for the crucial 3rd spot (Champions League qualification) it typically ended a 0-0 draw as Rangers defeated Aberdeen 2-0.

Aberdeen were back on winning ways though as they defeated a legless Dumbarton side by another 2-0 score line as Celtic reclaimed 3rd spot once more. With Rangers comprehensively defeating Celtic 4-0 the week after, George was priaising the linesmen in Dumbarton’s home game with Dundee United. After Scott Strachan had handed them the lead, Messrs Pete Wickers and Joe Grant each canceled out a Dundee United goal in the second half for offside as Dumbarton snuck ahead of Celtic with 2 games to go.

The penultimate game was at Falkirk. After going a goal down to former player Paul Miller, Dumbarton leveled through Scott Kerr but despite then having an extra man advantage couldn’t make the pressure pay as a 1-1 draw coupled with Celtic’s home tie against Aberdeen set up a tense final day.

Rangers were 3 points ahead of Aberdeen, the title more or less secured, hosting Dumbarton, whilst Aberdeen were at home to Dundee United with Celtic visiting Falkirk. George had a feeling he’d be relying on a Falkirk win to keep 3rd spot.

The first goal of the afternoon came at Aberdeen where the Dons needed to make up an 8 goal difference if they were to stand a chance, and they did began brightly, with 2 in the first 15 minutes. Rangers sadly were the next side to score as after a fairly even opening Craig Gordon was beaten at his near post by Kevin Hardie. As half time neared, George received excellent news from Falkirk, where Neil Anderson had handed Falkirk the lead, a penalty from which Celtic midfielder Ramon Burgos had been sent off. In the second half, Aberdeen quickly made it 3 as they sought the improbable before Dumbarton cheered them up further by equalizing at Ibrox with Derek King striking a long range effort into the net to comfort Dumbarton fans worried about losing 3rd place. 10 minutes later and Falkirk had made it 2-0 with 20 minutes left to go, with Celtic now needing 3 to overtake Dumbarton – fortunately they didn’t get them, and the games played out to an inevitable conclusion. Rangers were the SPL Champions with Aberdeen runners up for the second successive year, whilst Dumbarton had at last regained qualification for the Champions League, 5 years since they last did so.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Cups

The 3rd round of the League Cup saw Dumbarton eventually negotiate their way past Airdrie having to do so with the aid of penalties and new loan goalkeeper Kevin Davidson performed heroics in goal.

The quarterfinal tie against Aberdeen saw yet another dismissal for a Dumbarton player as Brian Kerr was walking early, but a James Strachan goal added to by some hard hitting tackles ensured the home side moved into the semis.

There, they were fortunate to draw Division 1 side Queens Park. Though it proved to be a battle, the extra class counted with goals from Colin Yeats and Gordon Bennett sending the club into a final show down with Rangers again.

In the Final, there was no such luck though as Dumbarton were outgunned by a side eager for revenge. After a goalless first half, where Kevin Davidson had been the busier of the two goaltenders, Kevin Hardie struck midway into the second to secure the trophy for the Gers. Dumbarton had tried to fight back but were too tired, and lacked cohesion, as they ended up weakly settling for second best and the runners up medals.

In the Scottish Cup the 3rd round pitted Dunfermline at Cliftonhill and the struggling side could not beat a sturdy home defense and Stephen Sinclair , still seeking a new club, scored the winning goal.

The fourth round saw Ayr United visit. An Ian Reid looked to have won it, but a moment of panic in defense allowed Peter Ward in to force a replay, as Brian Kerr managed to get himself sent off for good measure too. The replay saw a refreshed and slightly stronger side, do a better job of it this time round as a brace from Derek King and a James Strachan goal put them through to the 5th round.

That game was played at Dundee United, where a much changed side was needed due to a tiring game in Europe in midweek, as George didn’t fancy his side’s chances. They improved substantially though when the hosts had Dennis Overgaard sent off after 21 minutes, before Andy Griffiths put past his own keeper 10 minutes later to hand Dumbarton the lead. More changes were made at half time as George saw his side hang on, to progress into the semi final stage.

Division one side Inverness were the opponents and with Celtic to visit Cliftonhill on the Monday 2 days later, George played a much weaker side, brining reserves for the bench to replace the starters. The game did prove to be a tough one, but fine saves from Ian Milne and 34th minute strike from helped Dumbarton reach their second Scottish Cup Final in 2 years.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Europe

The UEFA Cup started with a match against Georgian side Dinamo Butami and though the first leg ended 4-0 it was a much tougher game and at 2-0 George wasn’t so confident. James Strachan then scored twice in the last 5 minutes. That meant the second leg in Georgia was a formality and after resisting an initial storm, the side eventually ran out 1-0 winners on the night thanks to Scott Strachan .

In the second round French side Lens proved to be a much tougher proposition. The first leg ended 1-0 with Willie Stewart scoring late on as the sides played as good as each other and an equally close game was played out in France. Fabien Moulin scored after 3 minutes to tie it but after 87 minutes of pulsating action neither side was able to make their chances count and it went to extra time. Here Dumbarton at last broke through with Mark Fotheringham scoring on 99 minutes and with the home sides’ resolve broken, Scott Strachan sealed it 5 minutes later.

The third round paired Dumbarton with Icelandic side IA and they weren’t a bad side, though they didn’t cause Dumbarton’s problems until after they were 2-0 down through the Strachans and Mark Fotheringham had been sent off. The second leg passed with ease for Dumbarton as goals from John McLean and Stuart Kelly secured a 4-1 aggregate win.

The 4th round saw a clash with Dutch side Groningen, and after the break in European action the sides met in March. The first leg, in the Netherlands, proved to be a dour contest as neither side could muster an opportunity as it ended 0-0. The second leg was more open with chances at either side but again, after 90 minutes it ended square. So too after extra time as penalties dawned. Dumbarton benefited from their practice shoot-outs in training to come out on top though as Craig Gordon pulled off the saves to send Dumbarton into a quarter final showdown in Turkey.

The clash against Turkish side, proved to be a tough encounter, not helped by playing in a particularly hostile arena for the first leg. Ertem Kadri handed the hosts a 2 goal lead before Scott Kerr scored an all important away goal after that. Craig Gordon then saved a penalty with 10 minutes to go though as Dumbarton still had a fair chance of making it through to the semis. The second leg, started terribly as Scott Wright was sent off after 5 minutes for a professional foul, but, adopting a 3-1-3-2 approach Dumbarton stifled their opponents in a midfield battle, and after bringing Stephen Sinclair on in the second half found success up front. Scott Strachan made it 1-0 on the night, only for Cetin Ibrahim to equalize. Then the introduction of John McLean won it for the hosts as he supplied Derek King the ball on 78 minutes to tie it up on aggregate, and then as extra time loomed, his cross picked out Scott Strachan at the near post who headed in, and well over 10,000 fans were delighted.

The semi finals pitched Dutch side PSV as the team between George and a dream final spot. With only 18 fit players, the squad more or less picked itself and took to the field. The first leg was at Cliftonhill, and though the home fans had plenty to cheer it didn’t arrive until late on as both sides were effective in checking the other, limiting options and outlets. Then in the 82nd minute Scott Strachan was tripped in the box and Mark Fotheringham dispatched the kick. The lead lasted 2 minutes though as PSV looked to have tied the game up through Grigorij Yegunov. However, George and Dumbarton were not to be denied as John McLean scored in the final minute to hand Dumbarton a slender advantage. In the return leg the hosts were dominant as they completely obliterated a knackererd Dumbarton side off the park scoring 2 goals in the first 89 minutes when 12 would have been fair. They were on course to win and George had conceded as such when Gordon Bennett stole a ball on a breakaway to score a beautifully late one to tie it and extra time arrived. A much refreshed Dumbarton contained their hosts better and managed to survive until the dreaded shoot out.

Bennett and Asare scored each, before James Strachan missed his second to give the Dutch side the lead after two rounds. It was 3-2 after 3 as Scott Kerr made sure of his kick, but still the hosts were in command. Round 4 saw Stephen Sinclair level at 3-3 as Mark Kooistra had his kick saved and it was back on level terms. The 5th one was taken by Mark Fotheringham who seemingly had no worries at all about taking the kick and he dispatched it with such confidence George briefly managed a smile. He was just happy enough his side made it this far, but could they go one better? Rene Van Der Heuvel had the dubious honor of keeping his side in the contest. He approached the ball well enough, struck it well enough into the right hand corner –

but Craig Gordon was there to catch it gleefully in his arms!

Dumbarton had done it!

They were in the final against the renowned Bayern Munich!

The fans were ecstatic, the Dutch distraught and George quite simply over the moon. They were damn lucky that night, but nobody, nobody in Scotland was complaining. The Lisbon Wannabe’s were a huge step closer to achieving something close to then.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Other News

Scotland began their Euro 2020 qualifying with a fortuitous 2-2 home draw with Israel as they were 2-0 down and under plenty of pressure. George had secretly hoped for a massacre so Sullivan would be booted out but alas it didn’t happen. In October a 2-1 loss in Latvia piled the pressure back on and George became ambivalence as both hope and anger filled his mind. It was followed up with a 0-0 home draw against Switzerland as another failure loomed. In March a 2-0 loss to Italy kept them at the bottom. It was swiftly followed up with 2-1 defeat in Israel as hopes sank. Qualification via first place was already out of the question and a mammoth effort would be required to reach the play offs. In June

Scott Strachan won September Player of the Month Award.

Having offered little this season and still moaning about not having a new contract, Stephen Sinclair was put up for sale.

At the end of December George received a remarkable offer from Newcastle United, languishing at the bottom of the Premiership to become their new manager, offering 48 million pounds to be spent in the transfer market! It was a huge offer but George had no qualms in refusing, though he blushed with pride that his reputation was attracting the bigger clubs now.

Kevin McKenzie earned the Young Player of the Month award for January, as manager George Cameron picked up an award himself.

Colin Yeats was sold in February for 375,000 pounds to Kilmarnock. Young Celtic goalkeeper Ian Gibson agreed to make a summer move with 240,000 pounds in compensation going to Celtic.

Real Madrid won the Champions League with victory over Barcelona, their first title in 18 years.

Tables

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

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

Scottish Premier Division - Tuesday 14th May 2019

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

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

2018/9 Table

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

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

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

1st C Rangers 38 13 3 4 36 17 10 8 0 28 11 80

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

2nd Aberdeen 38 16 2 1 32 7 8 5 6 26 20 79

3rd Dumbarton 38 12 6 1 30 14 7 5 7 25 30 68

4th Celtic 38 10 7 1 25 11 8 5 7 20 19 66

5th Falkirk 38 10 4 6 24 23 5 3 10 19 23 52

6th Dundee Utd 38 7 5 6 19 16 6 4 10 16 26 48

7th Hibs 38 7 6 5 24 18 7 3 10 25 25 51

8th Partick Thistle 38 9 5 6 29 24 4 4 10 16 20 48

9th Motherwell 38 8 2 9 21 21 1 10 8 15 23 39

10th Airdrie 38 4 8 7 17 18 5 2 12 17 31 37

11th Dunfermline 38 3 8 8 22 34 4 6 9 14 25 35

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

12th R Dundee 38 3 3 13 12 29 2 4 13 11 38 22

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

Scottish First Division - Tuesday 14th May 2019

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

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

2018/9 Table

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

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

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

1st C Queen of Sth 36 11 5 2 36 15 8 8 2 28 15 70

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

2nd Kilmarnock 36 13 2 3 30 13 8 4 6 32 24 69

3rd Queen's Park 36 11 5 2 25 11 7 5 6 18 17 64

4th Inverness C. Thistle 36 11 5 2 23 10 5 6 7 19 23 59

5th St. Johnstone 36 9 3 6 27 26 6 4 8 19 26 52

6th Clydebank 36 11 3 4 30 21 3 2 13 23 38 47

7th Livingston 36 7 6 5 24 21 4 3 11 17 33 42

8th Raith Rovers 36 5 4 9 28 34 4 2 12 20 30 33

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

9th R Albion Rovers 36 7 3 8 21 28 2 3 13 13 31 33

10th R Ayr Utd 36 4 3 11 17 30 5 2 11 20 24 32

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

Scottish Second Division - Tuesday 14th May 2019

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

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

2018/9 Table

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

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

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

1st C Morton 36 11 2 5 30 20 8 5 5 32 24 64

2nd P East Fife 36 10 3 5 39 24 8 3 7 34 31 60

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

3rd Elgin City 36 10 5 3 35 19 7 4 7 31 29 60

4th Ross County 36 9 3 6 37 25 7 7 4 27 20 58

5th Stenhousemuir 36 9 7 2 26 17 5 6 7 13 15 55

6th St. Mirren 36 3 8 7 20 26 6 5 7 25 24 40

7th Arbroath 36 4 10 4 28 26 4 6 8 26 34 40

8th Brechin 36 5 4 9 21 28 4 7 7 20 27 38

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

9th R Forfar 36 7 7 4 32 30 1 5 12 11 36 36

10th R Hearts 36 6 5 7 15 26 2 6 10 22 43 35

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

Scottish Third Division - Tuesday 14th May 2019

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

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

2018/9 Table

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

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

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

1st C Peterhead 36 12 4 2 29 14 11 2 5 30 17 75

2nd P Alloa 36 14 3 1 37 13 6 6 6 20 18 69

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

3rd Stranraer 36 8 7 3 19 17 11 2 5 34 20 66

4th Cowdenbeath 36 11 3 4 27 13 8 2 8 26 21 62

5th East Stirling 36 9 2 7 26 27 7 4 7 19 20 54

6th Berwick 36 10 6 2 22 11 3 5 10 13 29 50

7th Clyde 36 4 7 7 18 25 3 8 7 9 15 36

8th Stirling 36 6 2 10 18 24 4 4 10 20 35 36

9th Fort William 36 2 4 12 15 31 5 3 10 18 27 28

10th Montrose 36 2 3 13 8 21 3 5 10 7 17 23

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

UEFA Cup Final – Dumbarton v Bayern Munich

The match many in the press had been talking about had finally arrived. What was it George Cameron had said? His desire to lead an all Scottish club into success at home and abroad? Well League success was still a little off, but Dumbarton had gained a reputation as a strong Cup side.

George had experienced defeat in a Scottish Cup Final, a League Cup Final and victory in a League Cup Final and there were still two more opportunities this season – in Europe and with the Scottish Cup which would be against a Rangers side seeking the domestic treble.

George though was concerned with this one. The German giants had enjoyed an impressively easy route to the final, and were clearly eager to point out they were a team that belonged in the elite competition, and not this second rate UEFA Cup. Their side was full of superstars, but George didn’t mind – because his were full of Scots.

Brian Kerr had sadly picked up a yellow card in the second leg against PSV and would be unavailable for this game, whilst John Wright carried an injury on the substitutes bench as he encouraged replacement Kevin McKenzie. . For many players this could be their biggest game of their career. John McLean and Willie Stewart had already expressed a move for a change in conditions, a new challenge, so if they were to go in the summer, it’d be nice to end it on a high.

Craig Gordon, Mark Fotheringham, Stuart Kelly and Jim Hunter were well into their 30’s now, so again this was possibly the last, or last but one, opportunity George would have to see these players together, before he’d have to start rebuilding the following year. A few hours before the game and star striker Scott Strachan was in tears, as he had to withdraw through injury – having cut his leg ironically at the physio.

The players walked out behind George, with Jim Hunter wearing the armband as the sight of the vibrant crowd stunned the players for a moment. This was a huge arena, and the occasion made it all the more special. Every single Dumbarton fan had acquired a ticket for this game, with several adopted Dumbarton fans also getting in on the act as Bayern filled their allocation with ease.

At the beginning of the National Anthems, George was able to look across and cast a critical eye over those his team were up against. James Hamilton, one of the lynchpins in the Scottish national side was there, Argentinean sensation Pablo Ferrer was next to him, a lot smaller than George had imagined for a player with a record of 427 goals in 486 appearances. Pascal Metgod the Dutch keeper towered over his colleagues at 6â€6, whilst Christian Brand looked the part of the archetypal German hard man.

The players then disbanded after the anthems, for one final word from George, and then they took their places on each side, Dumbarton going from left to right – and also charged with the duty of starting the UEFA Cup Final 2019 – it was game on!

[Dark_Soccer]

Good Luck BoN I think you will need it against the Germans!

I am quite happy to see that after almost twenty years East Stirling are finally in the top half of the table

KUTGW

[Brian of Nazareth]

cheers Dark _Soccer

-

First Half

Kevin McKenzie took the ball initially down the left flank as Dumbarton looked to pass it gently around at first, to calm themselves down. He found Mark McAllister with a measured pass, and the midfielder quickly played the ball straight into the path of James Strachan , around 35 yards from goal, a few yards off to the right. Seeing runs all over the place he attempted to find John McLean in space. The ball reached him and the striker hit an instant shot – that sailed wide. It was a good early move.

Within 2 minutes of that and Dumbarton had another chance as Bayern started the game surprisingly slowly. Scott Kerr had the ball in the centre circle, as he evaded a challenge from Brand, before picking out James Strachan with a threaded ball. James then took it upon himself to try and fire past a crowd of players and it passed them all only to be blocked by the out stretched arm of Pascal Metgod. The ball was loose though and in a 50-50 challenge John McLean reached it first and knocked it into the net! It was 1-0 Dumbarton after only 6 minutes and George couldn’t suppress his delight!

As Bayern suddenly woke up the reality that they would not be able to walk through this game, Dumbarton’s early dominance quickly receded. Andreas Blunk picked up a yellow card for a crude push on McLean 15 minutes in as the contest became more physical, the undertones possibly set for a crunching encounter.

The next chance did fall again to Dumbarton, with Mark Fotheringham holding the ball up in the middle of the park, options to his left and right. At first though he tried going solo, as even his old legs proved they hadn’t lost their dancing skills as he quickly gained 20 yards. With a German and an Italian approaching at speed though he relinquished the ball from his feet, finding James Strachan unmarked on the corner of the area. Bringing it in a step the forward attempted a quick shot before challenges came in, but the ball sizzled wide, not threatening Metgod.

Halfway through the first half, Bayern Munich won a free kick as full back Markus Schramm was stopped in his tracks by James Scott who even George could say had blatantly just stood in his way. James was lucky to avoid a yellow card, as he prepared to defend the ball. Ferrer sent the ball in, and it rebounded off Jim Hunter’s arm and out of the box with many a Munich man crying penalty unsuccessfully. Pablo Ferrer then tried again with a shot from 30 yards – that one hitting James Scott certainly not on an arm, but rather in a spot a wee bit more painful for any male.

Soon after and George was pleased to see that his tactics were ruffling the feathers of counterpart Johann Rieckohf, as Stefan Grimm and Andreas Blank were both substituted off in the 28th minute, with Michael Nowotny and Daniel Wessels replacing them. Their presence certainly did seem to spice up their side’s attack as they went close within a minute of their addition to the field. Miguel Garcia Sanchez avoided the challenge of Scott Wright ran down the left side of the pitch until he was roughly level with the 18 yard line. Playing a 1-2 with Nowotny, he cut back inside before unleashing a curling left footer goalbound, as George breathed a sigh of relief to see it come thundering back off the crossbar and into the safety of his own players.

Within 2 minutes of that and Craig Gordon was suddenly called into action repeatedly. First, Markus Schramm saw his low drive gathered firmly by the Scot, before James Hamilton crossed expertly for Sanchez who volleyed first time, with Gordon holding onto the ball, pulling it back into his chest as danger was averted yet again.

Respite arrived with 11 minutes to go before half time as Dumbarton managed to get out of their own half for a change, as John McLean collected a long ball forward from James Scott before, pausing to see who was with him, then pass to Mark Fotheringham who was running in hard. The midfielder cut back out and in swiftly to make room for a shot as he then let fly with a left footer from 28 yards, as Pascal Metgod was forced to be at his best to keep the ball from going in, pushing it to his right and a Munich player.

There was one final opportunity in the half, and that fell to Bayern Munich. Miguel Garcia Sanchez, who’s neat footwork had confused Dumbarton players so far that game, had the ball in his own half as he ran with the ball, 5 yards, 10 yards, 15, 20 – he kept coming as Scott Kerr and Willie Stewart were both left flat on their backsides left wondering how they’d missed the ball. The Spaniard flicked the ball across to James Hamilton who’d been left unmarked by a defensive line too focused on stopping Garcia. They were of course too late to react. Hamilton took a step, pulled back his foot and fired an unstoppable shot into the top of the net to make it 1-1. Of all the ironies – it had been a Scot who’d pegged back Dumbarton, as the half time whistle blew shortly after.

[Terk]

a shame to see the lead pulled back right at the end of the half but i'm sure it can be re-built.

come one dumbarton \o/

[Brian of Nazareth]

I hope so too, come one us

Second Half

George elected to make no changes at half time to his side, as he simply encouraged his players to keep working hard, and their rewards would follow. Bayern kicked off the second half as they played from left to right, as both sides knew they were 1 goal in 45 minutes away from victory.

James Hamilton broke free 5 minutes after the re-start from a congested midfield scrap as he ran goal bound with only Scott Wright ahead of him. As it appeared he might try and go around the midfielder he backheeled the ball to Miguel Garcia Sanchez who’s momentum carried him past the player with ease – the goal was clearly there for the taking – but a spectacular miss hit proved a let off for George as he bawled a few messages out to his defense.

That attack then saw a tightening up of both defenses as neither side was prepared to give way – both playing the “we’re waiting for them to make a mistake†style game. That mistake then arrived in the 57th minute as Christian Brand, with time to play an easy ball, tripped up over his own feet as Mark McAllister capitalized and tore away down the left side with the ball as Dumbarton had a golden chance to make it 2-1, the midfielder aware he was about to be pushed wide by Daniel Wessels, sent a blind ball to the other side of the area where it fell to the feet of James Strachan. . The forward looked up, took the ball and then curled a magnificent effort into the corner of the net as Dumbarton had taken the lead! It was 2-1 with 33 minutes to go and George was cheering once more.

With legs beginning to wear, he then made the decision to make 2 substitutions in the 64th minute. James Scott and Scott Kerr were both taken off, replaced by Steven Monaghan and Derek King . Their freshness George hoped would help the side seek out a crucial 3rd goal. Instead, they found themselves on the back foot.

Moments after the changes, a long ball up field was collected by Michael Nowotny deep inside his own half. His probing pass right found Miguel Sanchez on the half way line. The midfield then feinted to deceive Willie Stewart before playing a quick lob pass to Marks Schramm who was running up the right byline. The full back took it in his stride before picking out Daniel Wessels in the area. Scott Wright then made the error of allowing the player to turn as he found Pablo Ferrer waiting 15 yards out – to lash the ball past a helpless Craig Gordon and the lead had gone again. It was 2-2 and the momentum looked to have swung.

Dumbarton looked to respond immediately as from the kick off, the ball was brought forward by Mark McAllister who then played it inside to Derek King . The midfielder, rand forcefully past wearier legs before smashing a shot on target, only for Metgod to parry as the ball sadly landed at Patrick Kaiser’s feet who cleared out of bounds.

The game entered it’s final 15 minutes with the game still locked at 2-2, neither side really in complete control, though Bayern looked the more experienced and confident. Scott Wright then picked up a yellow card for an exaggerated shoulder barge on Pablo Ferrer, who took his own free kick, forcing a fine save from Craig Gordon who tipped the ball over for a corner. Alexander Endres swung the ball over, and Patrick Kaiser forced another stretch from Gordon, the ball going out of play for a corner on the other side. Endres took it again, Derek King jumped, but Christian Brand was there first and his powerful header beat Gordon all ends up to make it 3-2 Bayern. George was shocked. Admittedly his side could have cleared that attack on more than one occasion but even so the empty of feeling of conceding a crucial goal with so little time left in the game is a stomach-churner.

Willie Stewart was replaced by Stuart Kelly an attacking midfielder as George ordered his players to attack, and take more risks. They struggled to get a real grip on the ball though as desperation saw panicked passes, and Bayern only fed on that fear. They seemed the more likely to kill the game off as fans desperately tried to rally round their side and out shout a jubilant set of Germans who sensed victory. James Strachan then twisted his knee chasing a long ball down in the 86th minute – his game over and Dumbarton were down to 10 men.

In the 2nd minute of added on time, Steven Monaghan had possession of the ball about 15 yards inside his own area as shrieks from the crowd, meant there was little time left. It was all or nothing as he launched a cross field pass to Mark McAllister on the other side of the area, and miraculously it found him. The midfielder was in the Bayern half now as he even Craig Gordon began rushing up from his own box to help out the attack. McAllister was forced back surrounded by several Munich players. The ball went to Mark Fotheringham , who then moved it right again to find Stuart Kelly . He had to cross, men were in the box. In it went, heads jumped. Heads connected – and John McLean got there first.

He missed. The whistle blew. It was over. Bayern Munich had won the UEFA Cup and for the second time this season George had had to settle for second best. He shook hands unhappily, accepted the words of “good luck next season, you’re a good time blah blah blahâ€. Defeats like these hurt. When you’ve lost it by a goal, when you’ve played so well you just feel for the players who deserved better. Still, once the post mortem was over he’d realize there were positives to take fro this side. Dumbarton in the UEFA Cup Final was not expected by anyone, critics had laughed him off several times but a few had eaten their words now. The chances were he’d have to rebuild his side now, with many wanting to see if grass was greener on the other side, but he was sure he’d be back. The only thing left to do now, was focus on a Scottish Cup Final to try and end the season on a high- that was worth looking forward too wasn’t it?

[Brian of Nazareth]

Scottish FA Cup – Rangers – Dumbarton

Only days after the loss to Bayern and George was back with his players in Hampden for another clash with Rangers. The SPL Champions and League Cup Winners were looking to make it 3 out of 3 on the home front, whilst George was simply looking to make it 1 out 3 in Cup Finals. The loss to Aberdeen in this competition still lingered in George’s mind and it was brought up in all the pre-match publicity surround the game.

Naturally the highly talented Rangers were favorites, but many fans were now leaning towards to underdog again, especially given the way some of the young talents in this side were making big impressions in the Scottish Under 21 side or even the National Side. Despite the xenophobic criticism that was initially bandied about, George had widespread support now for his policy, and several good lucks were sent forth in his direction.

Brian Kerr was one man returned to the side for this game, having been suspended for the UEFA final, and Scott Strachan despite still feeling the effects of a 7 inch gash in his leg was awarded a place on the substitutes bench. Steven Monaghan came in at right back. Craig Gordon retained his place in the starting eleven as he desperately sought to end on a high, his future certainly one up for debate given his slowing reflexes.

For Rangers the dangermen were numerous but above there was no doubting the skill of Marius Reghecampf as a player, who’s future looked exceptionally bright – one of the more prolific Romanians was really making a name for himself on the world stage. Kevin Hardie too, an eternal nemesis of George’s it seemed, enjoyed his games against Dumbarton. They were supported by a fine midfield and a solid defense, so this would be another game that would require the utmost attention of George and the players for the full duration of the game.

[Brian of Nazareth]

First Half

Rangers in their traditional Blue strip kicked off proceedings from right to left at 2.pm on a glorious sunny afternoon. A lack of breeze though and temperatures of 28 degrees would mean an energy sapping day for those on the field.

The first attack of the game fell to Gordon Bennett in the third minute. John McLean had beaten Buxton to a loose ball, performed fancy footwork to create some space before a slotting a pass through to Bennett on the edge of the area. The forward, destined to leave in the summer, then swiveled and shot in one fluid motion, but Franck Lannoy responded well clutching the ball with both hands.

In the following minute, another swift movement saw Brian Kerr pick out John McLean with a well timed pass and the striker, holding off the challenge of Chris Cross, was left 1 v1 with Franck Lannoy. He moved to go around but seemed to fall under the challenge of the goalkeeper as cries of “penalty!†filled the Dumbarton sections of the crowd. To their bemusement he ignored them, ordered McLean to pick himself up. George was not pleased.

Rangers then picked up their pace, remembering who they were and quickly countered. Alan Davidson and David Hutchinson combined smoothly to create the opening as Hutchinson weighted his cross perfectly for Marius Reghecampf. The forward flicked the ball up with his knee, then acrobatically attempted an overhead kick – which to Craig Gordon’s relief sailed about a foot over the bar.

The high tempo start to the game, quietened down for a while after that as the sun took energy out of both sets of players, as controlled passing was met with cautious shadowing by the opposition conserving energy all the time. After Andrew Thompson received a yellow card for a seemingly innocuous challenge, Dumbarton created another opening. Again John McLean was the architect as he took the ball down the right, before swinging in a hopeful cross that was met by Derek King . The midfielder only took a brief second before volleying it wide. From 15 yards he perhaps should have done better.

Darren Buxton was then injured, before Alan Davidson took it upon himself to try and go for goal. It was a viciously struck effort that swerved back in at the last moment, but Craig Gordon read it well, parrying it out to Scott Wright who took a moment to check for options, before choosing Kevin McKenzie , the youngster who then hoofed the ball long upfield conceding possession once more.

As the half wore on and entered it’s final phase, Dumbarton grew in confidence. Brian Kerr and Scott Kerr combined with Derek King to set up John McLean , his volley just over the bar. A minute later and Gordon Bennett sent Derek King through on goal, but his shot just went wide. 2 minutes later and Derek King finally forced a save from Franck Lannoy as George felt his side getting into their stride as the half drew to a close.

The last minute of the half saw Rangers come forward one more time. David Hutchinson brought the ball into the Dumbarton half, unchallenged as the players simply looked to play out until the whistle went. Marius Reghecampf still believed there was time left though as calling for the ball he accepted it with his back to goal, shadowed by Andrew Thompson . Taking the ball at an angle he wrong footed Thompson, turned checked back in from an onrushing Brian Kerr before lashing a ball in. 1-0 and the whistle went.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Second Half

George had had to change his half time talk when the goal had gone in, as it had really been against the run of play. Derek King was replaced by Willie Stewart as George looked for a different way to break down the Rangers defense. The first move of the half almost saw it work as Stewart fed in Scott Kerr whose volley was only parried by Lannoy, but Gordon Bennett miscued the rebound and Lannoy was able to force a corner.

Brian Kerr broke club records with another yellow card that game moments before a corner for Dumbarton was taken, as he couldn’t resist an argument with Milos Milanovic, as Stuart Kelly’s corner was easily cleared by Roland Kurth.

Rangers then responded in kind as Alan Davidson broke free of markers to gain 40 yards before finding Kevin Hardie on the edge of the area. The 32 year old twisted and turned, before attempting a chip effort that sailed comfortably over Gordon’s head and the crossbar.

This pattern of shot for Rangers and shot for Dumbarton continued for several minutes, though neither side really created a serious opening. As time developed it became more of a problem for Dumbarton who still trailed in the game. With 25 minutes to go, Scott Strachan came on for Gordon Bennett to try and aid the attack.

As the urgency grew it was Dumbarton who became more threatening for a while. Willie Stewart forced successive saves from Franck Lannoy that resulted in corners. The second one almost worked as John McLean headed sideways to Andrew Thompson who was faced with a clear sight at goal. Sadly the ball was taken from his feet by Matt Heath before he could strike the ball.

A Rangers counter attack in the last 15 minutes had many Dumbarton fans worried as the nifty footwork of Alan Davidson saw Craig Gordon dramatically exercise his limps to push the spherical object around for a corner kick. David Hutchinson found Matt Heath with an inswinger and his header was blocked on the line by Brian Kerr who really didn’t know much about it.

An immediate attack after that saw Stuart Kelly charging up the field in possession eager to find the elusive equalizer, getting as far as the area before siding it to John McLean . As McLean made to shoot Roland Kurth took his foot from under him with a high boot – yet infuriatingly no penalty was awarded as George vented his anger towards the linesman who ignored it.

Ian Reid then replaced defender Andrew Thompson for the last 10 minutes as it was all or nothing in George’s eyes. That opened up gaps in the back though and Marius Reghecampf who’d been kept fairly quiet in the second half, raised his level once more to try and exploit the space. He worked rapidly with Dave Hutchinson to try and breakthrough but ended up being denied by Gordon.

The clock continued to count down and as it entered the final minutes a tired Dumbarton side tried to gather itself together to mount one last attack on goal. Ian Reid picked up a loose ball, brought it forward quickly, before finding a roving Scott Kerr on the left. The midfielder charged forwards blocking tackles with his arm as he desperately sought a route to goal. Frustrated by his failure he played the ball back to Reid on the halfway line, who then found Scott Strachan on the right flank with more space to work with. With players piling forward, he launched a ball into the area, and it landed on Scott Kerr’s head - and miraculously, the ball crossed the line and went in! It was there - the leveller arrived!

The full time whistle blew and extra time loomed. George was exhausted. The jubiliation of the last second goal soon converted itself into concentrated anxiety. His side had another chance. 30 minutes to earn themselves the glory they so desperately craved, and so definitely deserved.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Extra Time

This was what counted for George now. The glory he sought. The League Cup had provided an enjoyable taster for what could follow, but the Scottish Cup, aside from the league title was a very prestigious trophy in George's mind.

The tension was affecting all the players, coaches and fans alike on both sides, as he gave his pitchside speech to the boys. A painful thud soon appeared to bang on George's heart, swiftly followed by another, causing the 49 year old to bend double, his breathing becoming a considerable effort, as he was sadly forced to be carried down the tunnel to receive medical attention.

It shocked the players, but in a perverse manner, it perhaps did more for an inspirational talk than any words could. They knew what this meant to the club, and the manager in particular. They weren't stupid - after the brave but ultimately doomed attempt against Bayern Munich, it was time to change their fates - time to win a major cup final. Put aside the physical exhaustion of long and weary season, the aura that supposedly shone around those old firm sides, and concentrate. The late Scott Kerr goal had given hope - and as the ref called the players back into action - only one thought was on their mind. Victory.

A tempestuous start to the extra time brought yellow cards to both sides, with Ian Reid the substitute and John McLean on their final warning. Brian Kerr already booked, avoided a dismissal by the narrowest of margins following a late sliding tackle as the battle became firmly entrenched in the centre of the pack.

No goal arrived before the break, and with George still receiving a heart massage in the tunnel the boys kept their focus, changing ends with speed. The steely exteriors of their bodies certainly betrayed an underlying sense of nervousness, but it was all or nothing now - 15 minutes to go - before the penalty shoot out arrived.

Stuart Kelly a tireless runner all day received a well placed ball from Scott Kerr on the left and the midfielder aimed for goal. Ignoring the flying legs of the Rangers men, Kelly grew ever closer, drawing players this way and that before curling the ball round to Ian Reid on the right edge of the penalty area. Cutting inside to find room for a shot, his flailing leg was caught by Roland Kurth - who was not so lucky this time and a penalty had been awarded.

The roars from the Dumbarton fans brought George to his feet. He was still in tremendous pain - but he simplyhad to see what the roars were for. Guided by an site medical officer he emerged pitchside and allowed himself a brief smile. Perhaps this was it. His yearnings for scottish glory had taken a fair bit out of him, but the desire never weakened. For perhaps the first time in a few years he prayed.

The man it seemed charged with taking the penalty was Willie Stewart - it had to be really - after all his years of service to the club there was no other choice. The fans favourite, who was now pining for a change in scene, had the chance to end his spell at the club in style. On the spot it went. The Rangers players still persisted in vain to remonstrate with the referee as the fans, in one of those particularly surreal football moments - fell to a deathly hush.

George felt another pang of pain attack him suddenly and his airwaves seemed constricted. Just a little longer, he pleaded. Somewhere in the distance a solitary toot of the whistle sounded, and Willie took a deep breath. As George became blinded by a searing white light, Willie ran forward. A second later brought simultaneous sounds. George crashing to the gorund with a thud - and a leather spherical object smashing against the upright and out of play. He'd missed. With 4 1/2 minutes to play the match was still drawn.

It was a blow to the Dumbarton players who had willed it in, with all their might but to no end and they had to regroup. A minute later they were still regrouping, as Dave Hutchinson steamed down the left flank. Minds were struggling to re-adjust when he'd sent in a cross, and hopes were just plain shattered when Marius Reghecampf volleyed the ball into the top corner of the net to restore Rangers lead.

2 minutes later with Dumbarton preparing to launch a desperate final assault on the Rangers goal the full time whistle blew and Rangers had won again. They'd got their bloody treble, and Dumbarton had lost more than just another final. After over 14 years of desperately trying to break into the highest of high echelons in Scottish football, Dumbarton came up short once again.

For George it was over. There would be no more chasings of trophies or league titles, and his record would never do justice to the passion the man held for the game. 1 League Cup triumph and a fleeting fancy with Europe. For Dumbarton of course you could say that what they had achieved so far, was beyond all expectations and comprehension, but that was merely a wimsical attempt to paper over the bitter disapointment of missing out. Maybe it was the culmination of the successive cup finals that had finished George, or perhaps as he approached the half-centuy milestone, achieving his goals seemed ever the less likely.

He wouldn't be forgotten, he wouldn't be immortalised, but he'd be remembered that's for sure.

In the SFA headquarters the following week, the resignation letter of Neil Sullivan meant an opening for the National Team had now become available once more and there was one immediate candidate the board had wanted to offer it to. There was still a chance he'd survive however, but the truth was, that no-one followed up a cardiac arrest and a stroke by taking a highly pressurised job such as the Scotland job. Anyhow, the following morning the matter was taken out of their hands as the sad news of George Cameron's passing was announced to an assembled crowd. A turbulent crusade had finally arrived at a peaceful conclusion.

The End

[Brian of Nazareth]

cheers to all who read btw, sorry about the infrequency of the updates and of the failed conclusion - but certain matters relating to a word programme that decided of its own free will to turn the final three seasons into a majestic row of boxes, brought about a premature end and I wanted to end it properly from what I knew rather than attempt very sketchy season summaries.

p.s. Thanks alot Bob for making me spend over 15 days of my life on this infernal challenge