*Background - I originally posted this on Facebook, following Dumbarton’s draw with Rangers U20s in June 2017*
If you don't support the introduction of U20 teams into the senior leagues, then you simply cannot attend this. If it doesn't bother you, or if you do support it, batter in by all means. I for one wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I went along to this, and then had to endure watching us playing Youth teams regularly in the not so distant future though. Not only would it reduce the number of loan players we would have available to us (and look at guys like Chris Kane, Danny Rogers, Daniel Harvie and Jamie Lindsay for evidence of how influential these guys can be) it would also allow the big clubs to stockpile young players, even more so than they do at the moment. That's far from the biggest issue however, it's how much it would devalue our league structure. My best memory as a Sons fan is Annan in 2009. I don't doubt that's the same for quite a few other guys of my age on here either. Now imagine that we had won that league either by playing against glorified boys' clubs every second week, or not been able to win it because a larger club's youth team (with no fans to enjoy the day, and with the ability to spend our entire playing budget on a single player for this second string) pipped us to it. It would be a travesty. Being a fan of a smaller team is about much more than simply football. It's about having a chat on the terracing with opposition fans, having a laugh, a bit of banter and the likes. To remove that by playing teams built solely to develop one or two players in the future would probably lead to me being lost to football if I'm entirely honest. Attending this or not doesn't make you a 'better fan' than someone else. I'm sure we'll have some there, but I've seen plenty of diehard Sons fans on P&B and Twitter who definitely will not be attending. It's a matter that means far more to many (myself included) than just loyalty to the badge. Edit: If you fancy taking in a football match on Wednesday evening in the local area, Yoker Athletic are hosting their ground sharing buddies Clydebank at Holm Park. It’ll be a proper game of football, between two sides intent on winning - not full of folk paid thousands a week to sit on Rangers’ bench - and entry plus a programme and pie is likely to cost a similar amount to the entrance fee at the Rock. If you’re not from Dunbartonshire check out the SJFA fixtures here, and pick a local game to watch. Hitting them in the pocket might be the only way in which the clubs listen to their fans.
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April 2020
CategoriesAuthorI'm Fraser, 22, Sons fan who is now living the dream of reporting on Dumbarton for the Lennox Herald. |