We’re in an almost unprecedented time. With still (just) over two weeks remaining until media day, almost everything has dropped into place ahead of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. 31 driver and team combinations have been announced, with just Silverline Subaru BMR Racing’s fourth Levorg driver still to be revealed.
It’s been a pre-season of incredible announcements, with two further manufacturers giving their support to the series meaning that, for the first time since 1999 (Nissan, Ford, Volvo, Honda, Renault, Vauxhall), there will be five works’ teams on the grid. Of the five it’s arguably Halfords Yuasa Racing (Team Dynamics) who go into the season as the team to beat. Once again reigning champion Gordon Shedden is joined by vastly experienced triple champ’ Matt Neal in a pair of Honda Civic Type-Rs. The Civic has been the car to beat in recent years, taking five of the last six titles in the hands of Shedden (three times), Neal and Andrew Jordan. Dynamics do have a new arrival this year however, with Matt Simpson and his Civic switching to the team after a character building debut season with Speedworks. Team BMW (West Surrey Racing) look as if they will be Shedden and co’s closest rivals this year, with Dick Bennetts’ Sunbury-on-Thames based squad becoming a works backed BMW outfit for the first time. Manufacturer support wasn’t the only coup WSR pulled off pre-season either, with double champion Colin Turkington returning to the team after a hugely impressive year with Subaru. Few drivers can match Turkington’s ability in a rear-wheel-drive touring car, and the Northern Irishman, engineer Kevin Berry, WSR and the BMW 125iMSport are a proven winning combination. Turkington is joined under the Team BMW banner by one of the championship’s great entertainers, Rob Collard. Collard took the Dunlop #ForeverForward award last season for the most successful overtaking manoeuvres, but for 2017 he’ll hope to finally nail his qualifying pace and put together a serious title assault. 2013 Champion Andrew Jordan completes a formidable lineup, with his car competing under the Pirtek Racing banner in his, now trademark, chrome blue and yellow livery. Silverline Subaru BMR Racing (Team BMR) shocked everyone three winters ago by bringing 90s hero Alain Menu back to the series, they then shocked everyone again the following year by signing reigning champion Colin Turkington, and his fierce title rival Jason Plato, before outdoing themselves at this stage in 2016 by becoming a manufacturer backed Subaru entry with four stunning Levorg GTs. By those standards this has been a very quiet winter, with Plato once again joined by James Cole in two of the cars which, after extensive development, almost took the Championship title despite missing an entire round. 2016 Jack Sears Trophy winner, Ash Sutton, who took a memorable victory in the summer downpour at Croft - the first time he’d ever raced a touring car in wet weather - makes the switch from sister team MG Racing RCIB Insurance (Triple Eight), in what looks like a great move for both team and driver. The identity of the fourth Subaru driver is still to be announced, as it looks more and more likely that team boss, Warren Scott, will take a step back to focus on managing the series’ fastest growing outfit. Sutton’s departure from MG signalled another complete change of driver lineup for the third consecutive year. Árón Taylor-Smith moves up to the team after an excellent year with BKR, whilst Daniel Lloyd has managed to secure a full-time drive for the first time, after showing serious pace in limited appearances with Eurotech Racing last season. The works entries are completed by Vauxhall, making a return to the Championship they dominated for much of the early 21st century. Adam Weaver’s Power Maxed Racing team will run two brand new Astras for rookie Senna Proctor - stepping up from the Clio Cup - and former Sonic the Hedgehog impersonator (amongst other things) Tom Chilton. Chilton will combine his BTCC campaign with a drive for Sebastien Loeb Racing in the World Touring Car Championship, a grueling schedule, but with no conflicts his aims of race wins from the start could make a potential title challenge possible. Aside from the works backed teams there are a host of independent entries, all of whom will harbour serious Championship ambitions. The indy fight is spearheaded by Team Shredded Wheat (Motorbase Performance), with a big name sponsor onboard, plenty of pre-season testing and Mat Jackson signed up at his earliest ever date they will be strong from the first flag. Jackson, so often the bridesmaid, deserves a Championship. There, I’ve said it. Few drivers can match his consistency, sheer pace and racing guile - and that’s before you get to his violent warm ups! The Henley-in-Arden based driver is joined at David Bartrum’s side by Martin Depper, who moves from Eurotech Racing, and former British GT man Luke Davenport. Continuity is the name of the game at Speedworks, with Tom Ingram sticking with Christian & Amy Dick’s outfit for a fourth season. His Avensis has overgone a radical overhaul in the winter, with a facelift and new aero package being immediately obvious. Leaving Speedworks however is Rob Austin, who ‘goes it alone’ with Simon Belcher’s Handy Motorsport squad for the first time. It took the (self crowned) ‘King of Cool’ time to adjust to front-wheel-drive after pioneering the NGTC Audi A4, however building on a strong finish to last season could make independent glory a realistic outcome. Austin and Ingram will be the only two Avensis drivers left on the grid, with RCIB Insurance Racing (Team HARD) replacing all three of their ageing cars with the VW CCs previously ran by BKR. Once again rapid young guns Jake Hill and Michael Epps will pilot two of the cars, with 2016 Ginetta GT4 Vice-Champion Will Burns joining Tony Gilham’s ambitious side. Burns will hope to impress every bit as much as Hill and Epps did in their first full seasons in the Championship. In ageing machinery, and with some of the Championship’s lowest budgets, both drivers spent much of the season battling with the big guns - and looked far from out of place. They have big futures ahead of them in touring car racing. Quote me on that in ten years time if you want. I’m right. Hill’s former team AMDTuning have another exciting young talent in their ranks, with last year’s Clio Cup Champion Ant Whorton-Eales signing up with Shaun Hollamby’s side. He’s joined behind the wheel of the Audi S3 saloon by the returning Ollie Jackson as the team expand to two identical cars for the first time. Also running two identical cars, but under different banners, are Cicely Motorsport. Once again Adam Morgan is (I assume) running under the Wix Racing name, alongside the - still very young - Aiden Moffat. The Scotsman may be entering his fourth full season in the series, but he’s still only 20 and is improving all the time. Morgan meanwhile is another who will have his sights firmly set on securing the independent title, after another impressive, race winning, year with the Mercedes A-Class. Also with his eyes on independent glory will be Jack Goff, who moves to partner Jeff Smith at Eurotech Racing having left WSR. The adaption to rear-wheel-drive proved a troublesome one for Goff, and he should be much more at home in the Tamworth based team’s Civic Type-R. A new team name for 2017 was BTC Norlin Racing (BTC Racing), running a pair of ex-Power Maxed Chevrolet Cruze’s for Northern Irishman Chris Smiley, and fans’ favourite Dave Newsham. Renowned as one of the Championship’s ‘good guys’ fans were delighted to see Newsham secure a full-time return to the grid, in a car he’s driven impressively before. Smiley meanwhile will look to banish memories of a difficult half season with Team Hard last year, in an outfit he’s played a major role in building. Team Parker Racing complete the grid, with Stuart Parker’s side expanding to a two car outfit for the first time. Race winner with WSR in 2009 Stephen Jelley makes a welcome return to the series, and he’s joined by Josh Cook who will drive under the Maximum Motorsport banner. Cook has been one of the BTCC’s star performers for the past two seasons, yet looked to be out of a drive before Stewart Lines stepped aside. He’ll now look to repay the Brummies’ belief by finally getting the Maximum name into the points - a task that shouldn’t be too hard for someone of Cook’s ability. There you have it then. 31 drivers, 16 race winners, 11 different manufacturers and 5 works backed teams. You’d be a stupid man to predict anything. Predictions Thankfully I am quite stupid, so here we go: Champion: Colin Turkington Independent Champion: Mat Jackson Manufacturers Champions: BMW Teams: Team BMW Independent Teams: Team Hard Jack Sears Trophy (Rookie): Ant Whorton-Eales
0 Comments
Just how will Dumbarton fans remember 2016 then? The stunning 3-2 victory over the Scottish Cup winners? The 2-1 success over St Mirren on Survival Saturday? Beating Dundee United for the first time since 1996? Repeating that trick in December?
Nope. 2016 will always be remembered for three words. Bonnyrigg. Rose. Athletic. Sons’ 1-0 replay defeat to the East region Champions was, without a doubt, the worst result in my lifetime - and one of the worst in the club’s long, illustrious history. In a year which brought us Christian Nade, some stunning goals, and some glorious results the Bonnyrigg game is the one which most Sons’ fans will never forget. Last year I did a mammoth ‘10 games that defined our year’ article. It was over 10,000 words long and took me almost two weeks to complete (and then a further two weeks to proof!) This year I’ve elected for something a little more succinct. Something that lets my love of statistics run wild. Something that I’ve been slowly working all year on. 2016 - a year in numbers. 50 - Dumbarton have played 50 league, cup and friendly matches in 2016. Very few were postponed - in fact off the top of my head I don’t think any were - and this, combined with the new Betfred Cup group stage system, means that it’s the most matches Dumbarton have played in a single year for quite some time. 12 - Wins. It doesn’t seem like a lot all things considered. Victories this season have been against Queen of the South (2-1) and Livingston (1-0) in January. Hibernian (3-2) in February. Alloa Athletic (3-1) in March. Queen of the South (4-2) and St Mirren (2-1) in April. Cumbernauld Colts (0-3) in July. Dundee United (1-0) in August. St Mirren (0-1) in November and Queen of the South (1-2), Falkirk (2-1) and Dundee United (1-0) in December. A win percentage this year of 24%, compared with the exact same figure (albeit from fewer games) in 2015. That’s consistency. 13 - Draws. Even I don’t have the time to go back in history, but when compared with 2015 Dumbarton have drawn an awful lot of games. From the 41 matches played last year under Ian Murray and Stevie Aitken Dumbarton drew just five times. This years percentage is testament to the change in style brought into the team under Aitken. Like it or not we aren’t an easy team to break down and, whilst often poor to watch, I don’t doubt that it’s a statistic that pleases Aitken. This season’s draw percentage (for those lacking a calculator/basic mathematics skills) is 26% compared with just 12% in ‘15. 25 - Defeats. I know. It seems like more. Well it does to me anyway. Up until a strong run of performances just after I started writing this I would have been full of misery heading into the new year. Fortunately the decent form has polished up the statistics slightly, meaning Dumbarton’s loss percentage in 2016 is (for those of you without the most basic mathematical skills) 50%. In 2015 it was 63%. 3 - Can you remember what it feels like to not be on the edge of your seat with nerves as Sons lead a game heading into the final ten minutes? Chances are you can’t. Dumbarton have won by more than one goal just three times all year. Those were against Alloa, where we had ten men for almost half an hour following Jon Routledge’s dismissal, Queen of the South, where Garry Fleming only sealed the points from the penalty spot four minutes from time, and against Cumbernauld Colts in pre-season. I’ve missed the 3-0 up with ten minutes to play feeling. Actually I can’t remember it, so I suppose I’ve not really missed it… 2 - Fingers over eyes time. Twice in 2016 Sons have been hammered by six goals to nil. Around this time last year Mark Warburton’s Rangers side came to the Rock and, after a controversial handball opened the scoring, went on to embarrass Sons in front of a near capacity crowd. The second occasion was, if possible, even worse. A shambles unfolded before the small band of away fans’ eyes at Palmerston as Queen of the South - inspired by Derek Lyle, Alex Harris and Gary Oliver - tore Sons to shreds in March. That was also the day that Sons’ away record became the joint worst in Scotland with East Stirlingshire. Grim. 47 - Surely not many clubs can have used more players than Dumbarton this year? Of the illustrious 47, just 21 remain (including Christian Nade). That’s a high turnover. Ross Lyden became the 47th and final when he entered the pitch at Palmerston for all of a minute. In doing so he became the first player born in the year 2000 to play for the club. I feel very, very old. 8 - Don’t let it ever be said that Dumbarton aren’t regular users of the loan market, with eight loanees featuring for the club this year. Daniel Harvie and Sam Stanton both remain with the club. However Scott Brown (now with Peterhead), Jamie Lindsay (now on loan to Morton), Calum Waters (now with Alloa), Tom Walsh (now on loan to St Mirren), Kler Heh (apparently back at Sheffield United) and Joe Thomson (back with Celtic) have all moved on following very different levels of success with the club. 9 - As well as a number of loan players there has been an array of trialists featuring for Dumbarton over the course of the year. In actual fact they all featured over the course of a month given that we can no longer have the fun of naming a trialist in competitive match day squads. That’s an aspect of the ‘seaside leagues’ that I really miss. Naming them all became a bit of an obsession. In some cases it was extremely difficult too, so here’s the answer to the most difficult quiz question of 2016. Sons’ trialists were: ‘Romanian Rab’ (Robert Tatar), Josh Peters, Joel Kasubandi, Daniel Brady, Kieran Gibbons, Josh Todd, Aldin El-Zubaidi, Jai Munro and some guy known only as ‘Burns’ who played against Clydebank. I think his name was Paul, but in truth I have no idea. It certainly wasn’t former Queen of the South stalwart Paul Burns - this guy looked like an old Billy King. Of the trialists just Josh Todd would go on to sign permanently for the club. He’s been a virtual ever present this year, but the former Annan man is still searching for his first goal and looks set to move on in January. 52 - Dumbarton have managed to score 52 goals in their 50 games this year. That’s a nice 1.04 per game, and also my lucky number. Of those, nine have been penalties, 10 have came from corners, two have been own goals (three if you include Robert Thomson’s..erm..opener against Falkirk which he appears to have been credited with, and 10 have been scored by players who are no longer with the club That’s made up of Christian Nade’s 7 strikes (yes, I know he’s now back but I’m not changing it as he hasn’t officially been registered), and one each for Kevin Cawley (against Hibernian), Tom Walsh (against Queen of the South) and Romanian Rab (a thunderpeach against Cumbernauld Colts). Loan players scored just four times for Sons with Walsh’s goal added to by Joe Thomson’s tap in against Dunfermline in October and corner against Ayr last week - as well as Daniel Harvie’s...erm...cross in the same game. Yes I’m counting that Thomson is still with us, because I couldn’t be bothered re-writing this or the Nade bit tonight. 17 different players have scored for Dumbarton in 2016, with the top goalscorer of the year award taken (once again) by Garry Fleming: Garry Fleming (4 pens) - 10 goals Robert Thomson - 8 goals Christian Nade - 7 goals Ryan Stevenson (2 pens) & Mark Docherty (3 pens) - 5 goals Andy Stirling, Joe Thomson & Gregor Buchanan - 2 goals Kevin Cawley, Darren Barr, Tom Walsh, Donald McCallum, Robert Tatar, Grant Gallagher, Frazer Wright, David Smith & Daniel Harvie - 1 goal 89 - Conceded. Ok, here’s where I sort of ran out of space on the piece of A4 that stores all these stats. I think this figure is accurate but, to be brutally honest, there’s only so many tally marks you can read. Either way it is as near as makes no difference. The four ‘keepers that have been in goals for Dumbarton this year have all picked the ball out of the net on more than one occasion, with the breakdown like this. Mark Brown - 27 goals conceded in 11 games (2.5 per game) Jamie Ewings - 30 goals conceded in 18 games (1.6 per game) Jamie Barclay - 2 goals conceded in 1 game (2 per game) Alan Martin 30 goals conceded in 22 games (1.3 per game) *This takes into account the goals conceded in friendlies where the ‘keepers were swapped at half-time. 9 - Nine clean sheets this year have been recorded. That number surprised me actually as I was sure that it was more. Still, well done to the ‘keepers who managed that. 11 - The most goals that Dumbarton have conceded to a team this year - and that doesn’t include a further two in the friendly against them. Dundee have clearly enjoyed playing against Sons as they put eleven goals past Mark Brown in just two competitive games. The 5-0 Scottish Cup replay defeat and the 6-2 Betfred Cup group stage loss weren’t particularly enjoyable days out. 8 - Stevie Aitken’s evidently not a fan of a settled team, as he’s named the same starting XI on just eight occasions this year. Injuries, suspensions and ineligibility have all played a part in that, but it’s still an oddly low number. The ginger tinkerman. 5 - Captains. Five players have worn the armband for Dumbarton in a match from the start so far this season - akin to the trialists question see if you can name them all. Nope? Club captain Darren Barr and vice-captain Garry Fleming have worn it the most frequently, with Gregor Buchanan wearing it on the opening day of the season against Dunfermline, Mark Docherty wearing it in the defeat to Clydebank and Ryan Stevenson taking it for the games against Dundee United, Morton and Falkirk. Frazer Wright also wore it in matches where Fleming and Barr were taken off earlier in the year. 5 - Players have been sent off for Dumbarton in 2016. They were (in chronological order): Jon Routledge versus Alloa Athletic (8/3/2016, final score DFC 3-1 AAFC) Mark Docherty versus Falkirk (12/3/2016, final score DFC 1-1 Falkirk) Grant Gallagher versus East Fife (19/7/2016, final score DFC 0-2 EFFC) Gregor Buchanan versus Raith Rovers (24/9/2016, final score RRFC 3-2 DFC) Andy Stirling versus Ayr United (24/12/2016, final score AUFC 4-4 DFC) 0.98 - The points per game average of Dumbarton this year, obviously this statistic includes cup games and friendlies, but it helps to give an idea of just where we are at. The figure is fractionally greater than 2015’s 0.85, but you feel as if it will have to improve further in ‘16. 1 - Just one player signed for the club, was announced and then left after just a week without pulling on the strip for a single minute of action. Sebastian Osei-Obengo. Wherever you are. Thank you for still wearing the top in your Twitter profile picture. That’s the sort of loyalty you just don’t see in football anymore… All the best for 2017 to everyone reading this. As well as occasionally sticking stuff up on here I have a weekly column in the Lennox Herald where you can read me being stupidly optimistic or stupidly pessimistic. There is no middle ground. I’ve stuck an archive of all my Lennox Herald writing on this website, feel free to take a look and have a good laugh at how pleased I was with a Steven Craig/Garry Fleming strikeforce, as well as my weekly Alan Martin paragraph of praise. As I kept track of every single transfer on a thread on P&B it seemed a shame to let the complete list not find a wider audience. As a result therefore I thought I'd type up a wee bit about each team and their dealings. Unfortunately that "wee bit" became quite a few thousand words, so instead of sticking it on there I felt it deserved a post of its own. Here we are then. A (pretty much) complete guide to who moved where without the words "World Record Breaking Deal"...or even the word "million" Ayr United
In: Paul Cairney (Stranraer), Michael Rose (Aberdeen), Daryl Meggatt (Dundee), Jordan Hart (Annan Athletic), Jamie Thomas (Burnley, loan), Andy O’Connell (Cobh Ramblers), Craig Moore (Motherwell, loan), Kevin Nisbet (Partick Thistle, loan), Gary Harkins (Dundee) Out: Gerry McLauchlan (Cowdenbeath), Adam Hodge (Hurlford United), Kieran Woods (Cumnock Juniors), Shaun Newman (Irvine Meadow XI), Andrew Muir (Cumnock), Jordan Preston (Blackburn, loan expired), Craig Moore (Motherwell, loan expired), Ross McCrorie (Rangers, loan expired), Andy Graham (Alloa Athletic), Alan Trouten (Brechin City), Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton), Ryan Nisbet (Troon), Sean McKenzie (Cumnock Juniors), Craig McCracken (released) Continuity looks to be the name of the game for Ian McCall’s Ayr United side this season, with only a few arrivals to compliment the squad who won last season’s League One playoffs. Gary Harkins is the most eye-catching addition, the mercurial former Dundee captain is once again teaming up with McCall whom he worked with at Partick Thistle and, on his day, he can be amongst the most exciting players in the division. He’s joined in the side by his former Thistle team-mate Paul Cairney making the step back up to the Championship after impressing for Stranraer in League One last term. Fitness issues have blighted Cairney’s career and, despite enjoying a successful season with Stranraer, early showings suggest that they might hamper him again this campaign. Defender Daryl Meggatt played a big role in keeping Alloa in the Championship prior to winning a move to Dundee. Ultimately it didn’t work out, but he’s back at a level where he’s comfortable and should be a decent addition. He’s joined in the squad by Michael Rose who had a short and less than convincing loan spell with League One Forfar Athletic last season. Young forwards Kevin Nisbet, Jamie Thomas and Craig Moore have arrived on loan from Partick Thistle, Burnley and Motherwell respectively. Nisbet scored his first goal for the club on his debut against Queen of the South, whilst Thomas and Moore are still waiting to get off the mark. The latter has proven himself as a talented goalscorer, with 22 career goals in 38 starts, but has spent more time injured in the past 3 years than he has on the pitch. His fitness will be crucial to Ayr’s survival. Former Celtic goalkeeper Jordan Hart - who was excellent last season for Annan - is likely to be back up to the experienced Greg Fleming, whilst utility man Andy O’Connell is a new face to Scottish football, joining from League of Ireland First Division outfit Cobh Ramblers. Ayr’s success this season will very much depend on the attitude and fitness of Harkins, Cairney and Moore. If they are fit and hungry then they should have more than enough quality to avoid the drop. Even at this early stage that looks to be a big ‘if’ however. Dumbarton In: Robert Thomson (Brechin City), Andrew Stirling (Stranraer), Craig Pettigrew (Stranraer), Ryan Stevenson (Ayr United), David Smith (Falkirk), Jamie Barclay (Stenhousemuir), Josh Todd (Annan Athletic), Daniel Harvie (Aberdeen, loan), Alan Martin (Hamilton Accies), Joe Thomson (Celtic, loan), Sam Stanton (Hibernian, loan) Out: Scott Taggart (Alloa Athletic), Kevin Cawley (Alloa Athletic), Mikey Hopkins (Burnbrae Amateurs), Jordan Kirkpatrick (Alloa Athletic), Paul Heffernan (released), Jon Routledge (TNS), Jamie Lindsay (Celtic, loan expired), Calum Waters (Celtic, loan expired), Tom Walsh (Rangers, loan expired), Kler Heh (Sheffield United, loan expired), Steven Saunders (TNS), Andrew Biddulph (Clydebank), John Cunningham (released), Christian Nade (Stranraer), Ryan Clark (Kilwinning Rangers, loan), Jamie Barclay (released) Dumbarton’s summer signing were far more measured than last year - where a quantity over quality approach lead to the signings of Darren Miller, Gordon Smith and Stevie Ross to name but a few. This season the Sons have added plenty of quality going forward and, in the absence of the man who almost single handedly kept them up last season - Christian Nade - the success of Robert Thomson will be key to their survival. The big striker, who scored 15 times for Brechin City last season, has produced some impressive early showings, but appears to lack Nade’s clinical edge in front of goal. He’s assisted going forward by the vastly experienced Ryan Stevenson who surprised many by rejecting an offer from boyhood club Ayr United to join up with Stevie Aitken’s side. Fitness was a major issue for ‘Stevo’ last season and his performances, whilst interspersed with some stunning goals, were often well below average. An intensive pre-season seems to have worked wonders for him, and he looks fit and hungry to prove the doubters wrong. Striker Josh Todd joined the club as an amateur following a contract dispute with Annan Athletic, but he has been deployed mainly on the wing at the expense of another summer addition - tricky winger Andy Stirling who made the move from Aitken’s old side Stranraer, with former Falkirk man David Smith - benefitting from regular starts for the first time in his career - on the opposite flank. Whilst Dumbarton’s defence was more solid last season than it had been under Ian Murray it was still far from watertight. In attempt to steady things up Aitken brought in Stranraer’s Craig Pettigrew as a replacement for Steven Saunders who had joined TNS in the Welsh Premier League. Early showings have been far from convincing, and have left fans wondering why Scott Taggart wasn’t offered a new deal. On the left Aberdeen youngster Daniel Harvie has added some pace to an otherwise horrifically slow back line. In goals an injury to Jamie Ewings and some less than convincing performances from Mark Brown forced Aitken into bringing in Alan Martin from Hamilton. The former Scotland U21 ‘keeper has already proved his worth with some stunning saves and looks to have cemented his place as the club’s number 1 for the season. With influential first choice midfielders Jon Routledge and Jamie Lindsay leaving the club in the close season finding a suitable central midfielder to replace them was always going to be tough. Joe Thomson - a key member of Celtic’s unbeaten U20s side from last season’s development league - arrived just days before the start of the league campaign to finally add some energy and drive to a midfield which was far too often overrun during the failed Betfred Cup campaign. Sam Stanton completed a trio of loan signings, with the attack minded Hibernian midfielder joining late on deadline day. Dumbarton certainly bolstered their attacking ranks over the summer, but question marks remain over the depth of the squad and the strength of the defence. A small number of injuries has already hurt them this season, and something similar during the league campaign could put them in a perilous position. Dundee United In: Stewart Murdoch (Ross County), Cammy Bell (Rangers), Lewis Toshney (Raith Rovers), Tope Obadeyi (Kilmarnock), Cammy Smith (Aberdeen, loan), Willo Flood (Aberdeen), Nick van der Velden (Willem II), Frank van der Struijk (Willem II), William Edjenguélé (Veria), Anthony Andreu (Norwich City, loan) Out: Paul Paton (St Johnstone), Robbie Muirhead (Heart of Midlothian), Callum Morris (Aberdeen), Florent Sinama-Pongolle (Chainat), Kieran Freeman (Southampton), Darko Bodul (Amkar Perm), Euan Spark (Dunfermline Athletic), Guy Demel (released), Eiji Kawashima (Metz), John Rankin (Falkirk), Ryan Dow (released), Edward Ofere (released), Gavin Gunning (released), Michal Szromnik (released), Joe McGovern (released), Greig McNaughton (St Mirren), Billy Mckay (Wigan Athletic, loan expired), Kyle Knoyle (West Ham United, loan expired), Henri Anier (Kalmar FF), Justin Johnson (York City, loan), Cameron Ballantyne (Montrose, loan), Aaron Murrell (Cowdenbeath, loan), Brett Long (Forfar Athletic, loan) The first task facing Ray McKinnon at Dundee United was to clear out the ridiculous amount of deadwood in the horrific squad assembled by Mixu Paatelainen last season. After a substantial amount of spring cleaning he was ready to put his mark on the squad by bringing in proven SPFL players. After a season full of (amongst other things) goalkeeping mistakes, the dependable Cammy Bell was brought in on a free from Rangers. He may be infamous for a calamitous mistake for the ‘Gers in the playoff final against Motherwell, but he’s a big improvement on Eiji Kawashima who seemed to chuck one in every week. Stewart Murdoch, Lewis Toshney and Willo Flood also arrived to help keep things tight at the back, and all 3 look as if they should be solid additions at this level. Tope Obadeyi has the pace and skills to cause teams problems on his day. It’s just unfortunate that his day appears to only be once every 6 months or so, whilst Cammy Smith has been on the fringes of the Aberdeen first team for what feels like years. Dutch striker Nick Van Der Velden burst onto the scene with a stunning Bergkamp-esque goal on his league debut against Queen of the South. Despite turning 35 in December the big forward looks like he could be a very handy addition. Van Der Velden is joined by his fellow countryman Frank van der Struijk who joined from Willem II and powerful French defender William Edjenguélé. Both are still to make their debuts for the club. The deadline day arrival of Tony Andreu from Norwich City looks like a real coup for the club. The Frenchman was one of the stars of Alex Neil’s remarkable Hamilton side and arrives fresh off the back of a hat-trick for the Canaries Academy in the ‘Checkatrade Trophy’. His quality could prove crucial if United are to form any sort of title fight. McKinnon is a smart manager, and his additions have been carefully picked to fit in with his style of play and ethos. However signing players from abroad to play at this level is a strategy that backfires more often than not (not that any Arabs will need to be told about that!) As a result the form of Flood, Murdoch, Bell, Andreu and even Obadeyi will likely have a bigger say on United’s season than any other factor. Dunfermline Athletic In: Nathaniel Wedderburn (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Callum Smith (Fife Elite Football Academy), Lee Ashcroft (Kilmarnock), Gavin Reilly (Hearts, loan), Paul McMullan (Celtic, loan), Euan Spark (Dundee United), Kallum Higginbotham (Kilmarnock), Scott Lochead (Free Agent), Nicky Clark (Bury), John Herron (Blackpool, loan) Out: Ryan Wallace (Albion Rovers), Shaun Byrne (Livingston), Jordan Orru (Berwick Rangers), Cammy McClair (released), Shaun Rooney (York City), Brad Mckay (St Johnstone, loan expired), Josh Falkingham (released), Scott Robinson (East Fife), Craig Reid (Keflavík), PJ Crossan (Celtic), Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dundee) There can be little doubt that Dunfermline will be an entertaining side to watch this season, but massive doubts still linger about a very suspect looking defence. After success guiding Queen of the South out of League One Allan Johnston repeated the feat with the Pars. His side were in scintillating form scoring over 80 goals last season in the league and managing 11 wins in which they scored 4 or more goals. The man behind most of them - Moroccan Faissal El Bakhtaoui - rejected a new deal in the summer and was swiftly replaced by former Queen of the South striker Gavin Reilly who joined on loan from Hearts. Wingers Paul McMullan and Kallum Higginbotham arrived to provide competition for Pars icon Joe Cardle. Both are talented players but have a habit of going missing when things get tough and spend a lot of time flattering to deceive. McMullan especially endured two disastrous loan spells with St Mirren and Morton last season, whilst Higginbotham has struggled to recapture his early form for Partick Thistle. The Pars early results could determine how successful their stints with the club are. Striker Nicky Clark - who scored 38 goals in 43 appearances the last time he played under Johnston - was a late arrival after an unhappy 4 game spell with Bury. He’ll add a much needed clinical edge to the all too erratic finishing of Reilly and Michael Moffat. At the back Lee Ashcroft has joined from Kilmarnock along with the sizable presence of Nat Wedderburn from Inverness. Whilst a big unit Wedderburn’s agility is, at best, akin to an articulated lorry whilst Ashcroft seems prone to erratic decisions. The return to fitness of first choice ‘keeper Sean Murdoch can’t come soon enough to help settle a nervy defence. Dunfermline will stay up this season. Of that there are no doubts. Whether or not they can force their way into the playoff places will depend on their attacking finding a more clinical side in front of goal. Falkirk In: James Craigen (Raith Rovers), Liam Henderson (Hearts), Lewis Kidd (Queen of the South), Luca Gasparotto (Rangers), Danny Rogers (Aberdeen, loan), John Rankin (Dundee United) Out: Danny Rogers (Aberdeen, loan expired), Kevin McCann (Albion Rovers), Blair Alston (St Johnstone), Graham Bowman (released), David Smith (Dumbarton), Lewis Small (Stenhousemuir), Liam Dick (Stranraer), Alex Tokarczyk (released), Will Vaulks (Rotherham United) It’s been a quiet summer for last season’s surprise package Falkirk. The Bairns lost key men Blair Alston and the quietly tremendous Will Vaulks in the summer, and brought in the experienced John Rankin, versatile Lewis Kidd and attack minded James Craigen to replace them. Neither Rankin nor Kidd are of the quality of the men they replaced, but both should be more than capable of performing in the Championship. Craigen meanwhile played a role in Raith’s charge to the playoffs, and scored some impressive goals, but lacks some of the fight that was a hallmark of the players he replaced. Canadian Luca Gasparotto - who was a star performer for Morton last season - has arrived after leaving Rangers and he should strike up a strong partnership with Peter Grant when he finally returns to fitness. Whilst Championship goalkeeper of the season Danny Rogers has extended his loan with the club for another season. Early signs haven’t been hugely promising that Falkirk can repeat last season’s form. John Baird is cutting a frustrated figure upfront, whilst Nathan Austin has found his opportunities limited and the vastly experienced Lee Miller can’t seem to last 90 minutes. It’s that lack of firepower that will hamper the Bairns promotion aims this season, as few teams will be stronger defensively. Greenock Morton In: Michael Doyle (St Johnstone), Gary Oliver (Queen of the South), Caolan McAleer (Airdrieonians), Jamie Lindsay (Celtic, loan), Kudos Oyenuga (Hartlepool United), Aidan Nesbitt (Celtic, loan) Out: Bobby Barr (Raith Rovers), Stefan McCluskey (Peterhead), Luca Gasparotto (Rangers, loan ended, released), Declan McManus (Fleetwood Town, loan expired), Alex Samuel (Swansea City, loan expired), Denny Johnstone (Birmingham City, loan expired), Paul McMullan (Celtic, loan expired), Frank McKeown (Stranraer), Peter MacDonald (Clyde), Michael Miller (Livingston), Joe McKee (Carlisle United), Thomas Orr (Livingston, loan) Last season Declan McManus, Denny Johnstone and Alex Samuel scored 21 of Morton’s 39 league goals. This season they’ll have to make do without all 3. Gary Oliver, Kudos Oyenuga and Jai Quitongo will be expected to fill the void left by their goalscoring loan trio from last season. Quitongo - not yet 19 - has looked impressive since making the step up from the club’s development squad, whilst Oliver has struggled to make an impact, especially when played upfront alone when he’s spent the majority of his short career playing in behind a striker or on the wing. Oyenuga has already scored despite still not starting a game for the club but, as he proved during his loan spell with Cowdenbeath, is an erratic finisher and drifts in and out of games. Jamie Lindsay is an impressive addition in midfield. The on-loan Celtic man was outstanding for Dumbarton last season and, if deployed in his natural central berth, should provide plenty of quality in a fairly industrious team. His Celtic team-mate Aiden Nesbitt is highly thought of at Parkhead, but struggled during a loan spell with Partick Thistle last season. Regular first team football at Cappielow could be the making of him, and hopes are high that he could help add goals to a side which is badly lacking a creative spark. Michael Duffy, formerly with St Johnstone and Alloa, is a good addition to Jim Duffy’s solid defence whilst Caolan McAleer, released by Airdrieonians at the end of last season, is an early contender for strangest signing of the summer. This season looks like it will be tough for the Greenock side. Jim Duffy has built a side that are well organised and hard to break down, but lack a consistent attacking spark, and are without a recognised goalscorer. Whatever the season brings, it doesn’t look as if it’ll be pretty. Hibernian In: Grant Holt (Rochdale), Ross Laidlaw (Raith Rovers), Ofir Marciano (FC Ashdod, loan), Andrew Shinnie (Birmingham City, loan), Brian Graham (Ross County), Patrick Martin (St Johnstone) Out: Liam Henderson (Celtic, loan expired), Anthony Stokes (Celtic, loan expired), Niklas Gunnarsson (Valengra, loan expired), Farid El Alagui (released), Conrad Logan (Rochdale), Jordan McGregor (Hamilton Accies), Josh Peters (Forfar Athletic), Chris Dagnall (Crewe Alexandra), Mark Oxley (Southend United), Jamie Insall (East Fife, loan), Sam Stanton (Dumbarton, loan) Alan Stubbs left a hero after Hibernian’s stunning Scottish Cup triumph over Rangers, but he also left Hibs still in the Championship after another failure in the playoffs. New manager Neil Lennon has changed little with the focus placed on keeping prized assets John McGinn and Jason Cummings at the Edinburgh club. Both have stayed, and Cummings will have some of the load taken off him by the arrival of vastly experienced striker Grant Holt. The former Norwich skipper will be 36 before the end of the season, but has the ability to score goals if he’s given the service. He’s joined upfront by lanky striker Brian Graham, a man who struggled to shine in the Premiership after scoring for fun with Raith at this level. When he’s on form he can be devastating, the task facing Neil Lennon now will be to find the confidence that has been missing from his game over the past few years and restore it. Along with Holt Andrew Shinnie - formerly of Inverness - has also arrived from the English Football League. The brother of Aberdeen full-back Graeme starred for Inverness the last time he played north of the border and should be a good replacement for the outstanding Liam Henderson who has returned to Celtic. Incredibly, despite many high profile mistakes, Hibernian managed to find another club prepared to sign Mark Oxley. Southend United were the unlucky victims. Meanwhile cult hero Conrad Logan also left the club despite his Scottish Cup heroics, joining Holt’s former side Rochdale. This left Lennon looking for a goalkeeper. Otso Virtanen started as number one, but an unfortunate mistake in the Europa League qualifying round saw him replaced by former Raith ‘keeper Ross Laidlaw - a man who last played for Elgin City in League Two! Laidlaw appears to now be second choice behind Israeli international Ofir Marciano who joined the club on loan from FC Ashdod in his homeland. No club in the division can match the quality of player in Hibernian’s squad, but there’s big pressure on Neil Lennon to finally deliver that long overdue promotion. How well he, and the team, cope with that pressure will be the biggest hurdle between the club and Championship glory. Queen of the South In: Steven Rigg (Carlisle United), Lyndon Dykes (Surfers Paradise Apollo SC), Grant Anderson (Raith Rovers), Jamie Hamill (Kilmarnock), Lee Robinson (unattached), Stephen Dobbie (Bolton Wanderers) Out: Andrew Murdoch (Rangers, loan expired), Alex Harris (Hibernian, loan expired), James Fowler (sacked), Ryan Conroy (Airdrieonians), Kyle Hutton (St Mirren), Iain Russell (Airdrieonians), Gary Oliver (Morton), Lewis Kidd (Falkirk), Shaun Rutherford (Cowdenbeath), Aidan Smith (Annan Athletic, loan), Robbie Thomson (released) There’s only one place to start when talking about Queen of the South’s summer transfer dealings, and that is with the return of Stephen Dobbie. The former Bolton man scored 47 times in 74 starts for Queens the last time he played at this level, form that earned him a big money move to Swansea City. After spending the last 7 years in the top three tiers of English football he opted to return to Queens in a move that was as shocking for the rest of us as it was incredible for fans of Dumfries club. 4 goals in 4 starts already this season show that he’s lost none of his prowess in front of goal, and the sheer quality of his strikes against Falkirk mark him out as a class above almost any other striker in the division. It’s never fair to say a team are a one man team, but Queen of the South are as close as you could possibly get to that. Dobbie is capable of winning games single handedly, but he wasn’t the only player returning to Palmerston during the summer. Goalkeeper Lee Robinson had been an integral part of Allan Johnston’s promotion winning side, and looks like an improvement on youngsters Robbie Thomson and James Atkinson. Meanwhile the wonderfully named Lyndon Dykes returned to the Dumfries side from (the equally as fantastically named) Surfers Paradise Apollo Soccer Club in Australia. His early showings have been impressive and, despite doubts, he looks to have the potential to be a big player for them this season. Further additions came in the shape of rapid winger Grant Anderson from Raith Rovers, striker Steven Rigg from Carlisle United and Jamie Hamill from Kilmarnock. Incredibly, despite seemingly being around since the beginning of time itself, Hamill is only 30 and so should have a few decent years left in him. Prior to Dobbie I thought it was going to be a tough season for Queens again, but his return means that a playoff push is very much on the cards. If he can build up a partnership with 35 year old Derek Lyle then they could prove to be a very profitable - if ancient - double act. Raith Rovers In: Bobby Barr (Morton), James Berry (Fife Elite Football Academy), Ryan Stevenson (Fife Elite Football Academy), Chris Johnston (Kilmarnock), Kevin McHattie (Kilmarnock), Aaron Lennox (Aberdeen, loan), Jean-Yves Mvoto (Zawisza Bydgoszcz), Yaw Osei (Reading), Joel Coustrain (Sheffield United), Scott Roberts (Rangers, loan), Rudi Skacel (unattached), Declan McManus (Fleetwood Town, loan), Andreas Thorsen (Hong Kong FC), Jordan Thomson (Rangers, loan), Conor Brennan (Kilmarnock), Craig Easton (Torquay United) Out: James Craigen (Falkirk), Ryan McCord (Arbroath), Darren Petrie (Stirling Albion), Ryan Hardie (Rangers, loan expired), Harry Panayiotou (Leicester City, loan expired), Louis Longridge (Hamilton Accies, loan expired), Laurie Ellis (Dundee United), Scott Law (released), Elliot Ford (Brechin City), Kieran Campbell (released), Grant Anderson (Queen of the South), David McGurn (Cowdenbeath), Lewis Toshney (Dundee United), Aidan Connolly (York City), Ross Laidlaw (Hibernian), David Bates (Rangers, loan), Rory McKeown (Accrington Stanley), Jonny Court (Montrose, loan), Dave McKay (Montrose, loan) I’m not going to lie, I’ve been absolutely dreading reaching Raith Rovers. Over the close season everything has changed at Stark’s Park. Players have left in droves, and arrived in busloads, Gary Locke has replaced Ray McKinnon and optimism has drained...and then been revitalised. The only thing that hasn’t changed over the course of pre-season is Raith’s form. They remain undefeated under Locke in the league and, despite sniggers about his horrific managerial record to date, he’s starting to look like he might just know what he’s doing. Of course whenever Gary Locke takes over at a club he immeditely signs players from his former side. Normally one of these players is Kevin McHattie and, sure enough, the left-back arrived in Kirkcaldy just weeks after Locke. He more than adequately filled the gap left by the departure of Rory McKeown who rejected a new deal and recently signed non-contract terms at Accrington Stanley. The glory of football, eh? Also joining Rovers from Killie is winger Chris Johnston - tipped as Scotland’s original ‘mini Messi’ a few years ago - who has endured a torrid time with injuries over the past few seasons. Long serving ‘keeper - and fans favourite - David McGurn left the club after spending last season out on loan and injured. His spot on the bench was taken by young Australian loanee Aaron Lennox who replaced the injured Kevin Cuthbert for the second league match of the season...only to get injured himself. Conor Brennan has been brought in until January to provide cover for both. 37 year old Rudi Skacel was a high profile addition, and having been out of the game for almost 3 years doubts remain over his ability to play at this level. The quality is evidently there, but whether or not the fitness is remains to be seen. Jean Yves-Mvoto is a colossal, if clumsy, figure in defence whilst loan Rangers Scott Roberts and Jordan Thompson add quality to the squad. Other additions include relative unknowns Yaw Osei, Joel Coustrain and Andreas Thorsen who all look like they will be on the fringes of things this season. Also in the squad is entertaining winger Bobby Barr who joined the club from Morton prior to Ray McKinnon’s departure. It’s impossible to tell how Raith Rovers will fare this season. Aidan Connolly and Ryan Hardie are big losses, but they have brought in players with the potential to be very useful at this level. They’ve started the season perfectly, and that will buy Gary Locke some time should they hit a rocky patch later in the season. Is he the right man for the job? I had my doubts, but on early showings he is certainly proving me (and many others) wrong. St Mirren In: Kyle Hutton (Queen of the South), David Clarkson (Motherwell), Ben Gordon (Livingston), Gary MacKenzie (Doncaster Rovers), Scott Gallacher (Alloa Athletic), John Sutton (St Johnstone), Tom Walsh (Rangers, loan), Lawrence Shankland (Aberdeen, loan), Ryan Hardie (Rangers, loan) Out: Keith Watson (St Johnstone), Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon), Jim Goodwin (Alloa Athletic), Alan Gow (released), Stuart Carswell (Keflavík), Cameron Howieson (released), Scott Agnew (Stranraer), Barry Cuddihy (Annan Athletic), Jaison McGrath (released), Alex Cooper (released), Steven Thompson (retired), David Clarkson (Motherwell, loan expired), Lawrence Shankland (Aberdeen, loan expired) Alex Rae did an impressive job with St Mirren last season after taking over the mess left by Ian Murray. A 6th place finish was about the best they could expect, and hopes were high that a playoff push would be on the cards this season. Rae recruited some good players over the summer. John Sutton’s return to the club was most welcome and the Englishman was joined in the striking ranks by fellow thirty something David Clarkson and young loan players Ryan Hardie and Lawrence Shankland - who scored an impressive 10 goals last season in an extremely defensive Saints team. The problem with Rae’s recruitment however lay in his inability to sign a replacement for Jim Goodwin. Not having a hard man in midfield scuppered St Mirren last season and it looks set to do the same this year. Scott Gallacher is an upgrade on Jamie Langfield who lived up to his nickname last season on more than one occasion, along with him Gary MacKenzie is a good (if slightly mental) addition to the backline, albeit he has still to make his debut after missing pre-season with an injury. Rae’s signing policy often resembled the cliched ‘kid in a sweetie shop’. He admitted he snapped up MacKenzie because he was too good a player not to sign, but this left fellow summer arrival Ben Gordon out on a limb with rumours of a loan move to Dumbarton never materialising. An uninspiring start to the season has lead to pressure mounting on Rae already. The St Mirren fans are amongst the most vocal in the country when things aren’t going their way (boooooooo etc etc) and Rae knows that they need to start winning games fast to prevent the atmosphere turning toxic. Just as it did with Murray last season...and Tommy Craig before him. It’s an unenviable task. I know, I know. It’s only media day, you can’t learn anything from the first - and only - official pre-season test. I wanted to do some writing however, and if nothing else it can act as a test for what I’m hoping will become a permanent feature on this site over the coming season.
So here (in best tabloid newspaper’s website style) is the inaugural ‘5 Things We Learned from Media Day'. 1 - Honda are still the team to beat - Whilst last season’s title runners up, Team BMR, stole most of the pre-season headlines with their works deal with Subaru, Honda quietly got on with the job of improving what seemed like an almost perfect title winning car in 2015. As well as the fitting of the new RML components, Team Dynamics and Neil Brown Engineering developed a new engine for 2016. Perhaps a risky move considering the success enjoyed by the previous incarnation, but given its performance at Donington that shouldn’t be of concern. As the four hour session gradually came to a close, Championship veteran Matt Neal was languishing in an uninspiring mid-table position. Hardly the start to the season that those clad in red, white and (now) orange would’ve dreamt about. Then he was top. It was as if he was cruelly trying to give the grid false hope before snatching it from their grasps at the very final minute. Neal may be entering his 25th year in the series, but it would be foolish in the extreme to write off any potential title challenge from the Midlander. 2 - MG are back, and are once again a united force to be reckoned with - It would be fair to say the past few seasons have not been kind to the MG Triple-Eight outfit. After losing two of the most talented drivers of the grid at the end of 2014 - in Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff - they repeated the trick in 2015, with marquee signing Andrew Jordan and teammate Jack Goff heading for pastures new over the winter break. Tordoff and Jordan both endured difficult times with the team, with inter-team relationships appearing fractious, and reliability issues on track. The future for the team does, however, finally look like it is once again heading in the right direction. The addition of Jack Sears Trophy winner Josh Cook, and reigning Renault UK Clio Cup champion Ash Sutton looks like extremely shrewd business. Both drivers produced impressive maiden outings on Tuesday, but it was Sutton who gained most of the headlines. Running top of the standings until the final quarter of an hour, it looked like the 21 year old was about to become the first NGTC debutant in history to top the media day timesheets. Matt Neal - old enough to comfortably be Sutton’s father - nabbed top spot by 0.091 of a second with a late effort, but it couldn’t take away from what was surely drive of the day. The now Buntingford based operation tasted victory only once in 2015. The signs for 2016 already look like they will comfortably beat that number. 3 - Rob Austin has taken the switch to front-wheel-drive in his stride - A few eyebrows were raised pre-season when it was announced that fans favourite Rob Austin and his team were joining forces with Simon Belcher’s Handy Motorsport outfit. Swindon based Belcher had never really tasted the level of success in the Championship that he was capable of, whilst Austin was coming off his hardest year in the series with the overweight and tired Audi A4. The initial signs do, however, look extremely promising. Having spent much of his career in single seaters, GT cars and rear-wheel-drive A4s the switch to the front-wheel-drive Toyota Avensis was always going to be a tough one for Austin. Or at least that’s what most observers imagined... The Evesham driver posted a best time of 1.10.297, fractionally under a second better than his best in the Audi at this stage last season. He topped the times for over an hour, and appeared to be consistently improving. Towards the end of the session he and the #116 MG of Ash Sutton ended up in a race like battle that thrilled the spectators, but ended the hopes either driver had of improving their times as the session drew to a close. Perhaps without that he could’ve improved further, but what it did prove was that Austin has made himself very much at home, very quickly behind the wheel of the #11 Avensis. 4 - Team BMR have a busy ten days ahead - The much anticipated Subaru Levorg finally caught its first glimpse of daylight at Media Day, but the stunning white and blue machine has still to turn a wheel in anger. The build of 4, brand new cars was always going to be a tough job for Warren Scott’s crew, but it is one they are still confident of completing in the coming days. The biggest announcement of pre-season had fans everywhere bubbling with excitement at the prospect of seeing the Levorg GTs on track, but a supplier issue meant that it was not to be on Tuesday. At least one car is fully completed and, according to Colin Turkington, will be ready to hit the track for its maiden shakedown as early as tomorrow. The rest remain in build, but should be completed in time for the season getting underway on the first weekend of April. The team have been working until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning to get the cars to this stage, and you’d imagine an outfit as professional and dedicated as BMR will be ready, and on the pace, for the season beginning. 5 - Dan Welch is finally ready to put a miserable few years behind him - It was around this stage two years ago when Welch Motorsport signalled their intent to build their own NGTC engine, based on a Mitsubishi unit for the 2014 season. To say it was a disaster would be harsh. Actually, it probably wouldn’t. Welch and then teammate Ollie Jackson spent the season admiring the scenery of the circuits from two horrendously uncompetitive machines. In fact, plagued by reliability troubles, neither driver spent a great deal of time admiring it from their Proton. Last year was a slight improvement, with Welch finally scoring his first point with the new engine at Oulton Park in June. It would prove to be the only point it scored during the whole campaign however. The team, one of the most well liked in the paddock, and Welch himself had been working flat out to try and help ‘Optimus’ become competitive with his new heart, but it wasn’t to be. After a pre-season where rumours of a switch to a Hyundai i30 were mooted, Welch returned with the Malaysian saloon for what will be its 5th season. This time however it would be running the NGTC Swindon developed engine - the same unit it ran when Welch achieved his career high finish of 4th at Oulton Park in 2012. That may seem a long way off, but Welch is undeniably a quick driver who should certainly be back amongst the regular points scorers in 2016. So there we have it, a shakedown if you will of my BTCC writing (typing) hands and a taste of what’s to come across 2016 on this site. It’s that time of year where everywhere starts hitting out with their ‘review of the year’ articles. I thought I’d ignore it as I do every other year, but whilst thinking about things I realised this has been a pretty fascinating year. Players and management have changed beyond recognition. Some have became heroes whilst others left before anyone had time to remember their name. Results have been poor, but some huge and famous victories which will be remembered for years to come have also been recorded. I’ve selected, arguably without a great deal of competition, what I believe to be the ten most important results recorded by the Sons in 2015. And it all starts in January at The Falkirk Stadium.
Date: 31/01/2015 Falkirk 3-3 Dumbarton Sons Scorers: Taggart (19), Petrie (63), Campbell (71) An early contender for the worst result and performance of 2015 had arrived the week previous to Dumbarton’s trip to face playoff chasing (and unbeaten in the new year) Falkirk. The 5-1 home defeat at the hands of bottom club Livingston was a game which most fans would rather erase from their memory. It summed up how the year had started for the club, Ian Murray’s insistence of playing strikers at wing-back and a threadbare squad meant that games were becoming tough viewing. Leading goalscorer - and star player - Chris Kane had returned to St Johnstone whilst an injury to Chris Turner did little for positivity in Sons ranks. On arrival at the Falkirk Stadium the visiting fans were dealt a further blow with the news that Garry Fleming wasn’t well enough to play. With Sons completely pointless in the new year any sort of result looked like an outside bet. A flicker of positivity however came in the shape in which Dumbarton lined up. After months of disjointed and unorganised 3-5-2 formations Ian Murray relented to a conventional 4-4-2 with Mitch Megginson and Archie Campbell leading the line. The fact that they had managed a megre return of 4 goals all season combined was thought to be mainly down to the new style of football that Murray adopted. Hopes weren’t high, but it was at least positive to see Murray relinquish his stubborn attitude towards a formation that clearly didn’t work. New signing from Dundee United, Darren Petrie, took Turner’s place in the middle of the park whilst Mark Gilhaney replaced David Van Zanten in the only other change from the previous week’s lineup. For the second week running the bench only featured four players, and only one outfield player with first team experience - Lee Mair. Donald McCallum, Keir Whitefield and sub’ ‘keeper Jamie Ewings filled the other seats in the sparsely populated dugout. Danny Rogers Scott Taggart Andy Graham Stuart Findlay Scott Linton Mark Gilhaney Darren Petrie Scott Agnew Dylan Easton Mitch Megginson Archie Campbell Incredibly, despite being ravaged by injury and low on confidence Sons took the lead after only nineteen minutes. Mitch Megginson pulled the ball across goal and Scott Taggart slammed home his first for the club since joining from Morton in June. It was also his first appearance in his preferred right-back berth which he would cement as his own as the year progressed. The lead was short lived however as a mere two minutes later Craig Sibbald - who so often seems to score against Dumbarton - knocked in the Bairns equaliser. Conceding so shortly after taking the lead would do little to improve the confidence within the team. Then on thirty-five minutes Dumbarton’s 2015 was summed up. Neat interplay set up Luke Leahy for a side footed effort from close range. The shot was tame enough, but took a massive deflection off Stuart Findlay and deceived Danny Rogers in the home goal. If a Bairns win was likely before kick-off few would even consider checking the odds on Dumbarton managing a result now. The half-time whistle blew and Sons, although behind, were at least giving a decent account of themselves against decent opposition. It just looked like the elusive wait for a point in 2015 would roll over to another month. Whatever Ian Murray said at half-time however changed everything. Sons started the second half like the team chasing the playoffs. On loan St Johnstone winger Dylan Easton showed wonderful quick feet on numerous occasions creating real issues in the Bairns defence. He created a gap just big enough for Mitch Megginson to get a shot away, Jamie MacDonald saved, but debutant loanee Petrie was on hand to send the ball over the line right in front of the small - and freezing - band of away supporters. Confidence looked to be growing, and there was real hope that Sons could manage to get a long overdue three points in seemingly the most impossible of circumstances. That hope became belief as Megginson set up Archie Campbell to notch his first goal since September - and only second for the club - for close range following an Agnew corner. The visitors could hardly believe the transformation before their eyes. Alas Dumbarton’s soft underbelly was again exposed as players began to tire. Ten minutes from time substitute David Smith smartly fired home an equaliser for the Bairns to ensure a thrilling finale to the match. By this stage Falkirk had made two subs and Sons had kept the status quo and they were all over Danny Rogers goal. As had been the case so often in the season though the on-loan Aberdeen ‘keeper was in top form to prevent the Bairns from grabbing a late winner. As the clock hit ninety Dumbarton made their first change, free scoring youth team attacker Donald McCallum came on for goalscorer Archie Campbell. The diminutive striker had worked tremendously hard but looked dead on his feet. McCallum would bring more pace and an equally as impressive work ethic to scare the defenders for the final moments of the game. The second sub saw the arrival of Lee Mair for Scott Linton who looked to have picked up a knock. It was to be Mair’s final appearance for the club prior to a dispute over his contract which saw him released at the end of the season. After an agonisingly long three minutes and forty-seven seconds of injury time the final whistle finally arrived. Dumbarton had finally secured a point in the new year, and it felt almost like all three. It would also be the last time the club would score more than two goals under Ian Murray’s reign. Date: 7/3/2015 Dumbarton 1-0 Alloa Athletic Sons scorer: Fleming (42) (pen) Incredibly it took Dumbarton until the first week in March to finally record their first win of 2015. It wasn’t pretty either as only Garry Fleming’s first half penalty - and some heroics from Danny Rogers - proved the difference between the two teams at the Rock. The squad now boasted a full roster of substitutes, although the quality of the team was certainly dubious: Danny Rogers Scott Taggart Andy Graham Stuart Findlay Scott Linton Mark Gilhaney Chris Turner Scott Agnew Dylan Easton Garry Fleming Chris Duggan Loan striker, Chris Duggan, who was still searching for his elusive first goal for the club - it would never arrive - created Sons first real chance. He burst clear and looked to be shoved over by former Dumbarton captain Ben Gordon. Incredibly referee, Andrew Dallas, ignored the furious flagging of his linesman and allowed play to continue when an early red card for Gordon looked imminent. Fellow loan player Dylan Easton looked lively down the left, but as was so often the case his final ball let him down after some great skill. Duggan was continuing to cause the Alloa defence problems, the big striker - nicknamed Hacksaw after wrestler namesake Jim - looked to be clean through only for the ball to skid off the surface and be cleared by Craig McDowell in the Wasps goal. The best chance of the opening half hour fell to Alloa however, and quite how Liam Buchanan missed only he will know. The experienced and prolific striker rounded Danny Rogers and looked to stroke the ball home from just outside the six yard box with the goal gaping. He failed to hit the target, a failure that would prove crucial come ninety minutes. Future Dumbarton player Mark Docherty was next to miss a great chance for the visitors, Rogers spilled an Issac Layne shot out to Docherty. But with the goal gaping he failed to make contact with the ball and the danger was cleared. Make no question about it, Sons were very much riding their luck. The breakthrough finally came just before half-time, and fortunately it came from a player in white and gold. Dylan Easton showed wonderful skill to beat two men before being tripped in the area by another future Dumbarton player - Kevin Cawley who would sign for the club three months later. Garry Fleming stepped up and applied the usual outcome from the spot. Somehow Sons were in the lead. The half-time whistle followed soon after. Sons hadn’t been convincing anyone once again, but they were in the lead and that was all that mattered. The second half continued in a similar vein to the first, with Alloa dominating but failing to take any of the chances that came their way. Danny Rogers was enjoying a tremendous performances between the sticks, and even when he was beaten Stuart Findlay came to the rescue to clear a goalbound shot from the lively Layne. Then, in injury time, came the moment that the game will be remembered for. Liam Buchanan did well to turn Scott Taggart and clip a perfect ball into the area for Greg Rutherford. The equaliser had finally arrived for Alloa with almost the last kick of the ball...except somehow it hadn’t. Rogers produced a save worthy of winning any game, tipping the shot from 3 yards onto the crossbar and allowing Stuart Findlay to clear the danger. It was a save so good I’ve immortalised it in gif form. It was world class. Incredibly it wasn’t the end to the drama however. The bustling Duggan - having his best game in a Dumbarton shirt - turned Daryll Meggatt on the halfway line before showing great strength to play in Mitch Megginson. The former Alloa loanee rounded McDowall but saw his shot agonisingly cleared away on the line by Meggatt. It proved irrelevant. Alloa had lost, and Dumbarton had finally recorded their first victory since December the 27th (a 3-1 triumph over Cowdenbeath). Post match Wasps gaffer Barry Smith, surely cursing his team’s ridiculous amounts of bad luck in front of goal resigned. For the second time in a row an Alloa manager had resigned following a defeat to Dumbarton. It was far from a classic encounter, and Sons still weren’t playing the fast paced free-scoring football they had been in the previous season and a half under Ian Murray. At that stage of the season, in those conditions, and against a big rival 3 point were all that mattered. Sons - Danny Rogers to be completely fair - had somehow won them. The winning feeling had been a long time coming, but hopes of it continuing weren’t exactly high heading to Tynecastle in order to face Champions elect Hearts the following week. Date: 21/03/2015 Livingston 1-2 Dumbarton Sons scorers: Agnew (80), Fleming (88) Sons couldn’t pull off a memorable result at Tynecastle, despite a solid first-half showing in which they kept the score at 0-0. Osman Sow and Danny Wilson scored twice after the restart to kill the game before substitute Billy King added a bit of gloss to the scoreline with two late strikes. Those types of games however were always going to be unimportant when compared with the matches against teams around them for Sons, who were within touching distance of securing survival at the earliest date yet. Almondvale always seems to be a stadium that brings out the best in Dumbarton teams. From Bryan Prunty’s spectacular overhead kick in a hard fought and tense game to impressive, and comfortable away victories, it’s always a venue which has been kind to the club. In fact (as of 22nd December 2015) Dumbarton have only lost once in their last seven visits to West Lothian. So hopes were cautiously high that a result could be achieved against a side who looked destined for the drop. The team sheet showed two changes from the Hearts match as wingers Mark Gilhaney and Mitch Megginson replaced Chris Duggan and Scott Linton. As became so often the case under his stewardship a formation was hard to deceiver from lineup. However a 4-5-1 with Fleming up top on his own looked like the most probable shape that Sons would adopt. Danny Rogers Scott Taggart Andy Graham Stuart Findlay Mark Wilson Mark Gilhaney Chris Turner Darren Petrie Scott Agnew Mitch Megginson Garry Fleming The confusion over the formation experienced by the fans pre-match appeared to be affecting the players as well. The game got underway with Megginson and Gilhaney appearing to play as defensive wingers - or even wing-backs - in a totally mismatched, jumbled and overly defensive formation. It came as no surprise when Livi’ took an early lead having dominated the opening stages of that match. Keaghan Jacobs swung in a free-kick from just outside the area for the totally unmarked Craig Sives to flick home with his head. Quite why the centre-back was allowed to be totally unmarked inside the penalty area only the Sons defenders will know. It already looked like another long afternoon was ahead for the visiting fans. Murray persevered with the formation, remarkably considering the sheer volume of players strung across the pitch a lack of width in the team was still evident. Livingston - so often the experts in holding a lead with niggly fouls and time wasting - were comfortable and content that a single goal advantage would be enough. The Lions were strong, and at times overly, aggressive in the tackle, conceding a multitude of free-kicks in dangerous areas. The victim of one such tackle, Darren Petrie hobbled off on 25 minutes for Dylan Easton. Despite this Dumbarton failed to test Darren Jamieson in the home goal. The second half considered in the same vein as the first until Murray finally relented on the hour mark. Striker Chris Duggan replaced right-full-back Scott Taggart to partner Garry Fleming upfront and immediately things improved. Duggan’s physical presence began to work the home defenders slightly harder, Michael McKenna was lucky not to see red for a late challenge from behind on the on-loan Partick Thistle frontman. Despite his impact Duggan was not a goalscorer. In his previous four appearances for the club he’d barely managed a shot on target, the elusive goal was still just that. Ian Murray played his final card with the introduction of the very pacey Archie Campbell - like Duggan a player with good physical attributes but who regularly failed to deliver in front of goal. It would take something special to get Dumbarton a crucial goal. Scott Agnew battled hard to win the ball back from Kyle Jacobs 25 yards from goal. The Sons playmaker was then hauled to the ground by Jacobs who received a booking for his troubles. I said it would take something special, and Agnew duly delivered. An eight man wall lined up preventing ‘Aggy’ from surely even seeing the goal. It failed. He curled a fast, low effort around the wall and perfectly into the bottom left hand corner. Incredibly it was his first goal direct from a free-kick since April 2013 against Hamilton. But it was worth waiting for and had arrived at absolutely the right time. With ten minutes to go Livingston were finally going to have to start attacking again. It was all set up for an exciting finale. Except they didn’t, it was Dumbarton who did all the attacking for the last period of the game. The home-side appeared shell shocked by the concession of a late goal that they lost all the defensive organisation that had kept Sons at bay for the previous seventy-nine minutes. Goal hero Agnew swung in a corner with two minutes to play which Myles Hippolyte cleared only as far as Garry Fleming. Sons top scorer hit it first time with his right foot from the edge of the box and almost uprooted the goal. He couldn’t have caught it any sweeter. Despite only turning up for ten minutes, Sons had the lead as the game reached it’s final seconds. The final moments were comfortably seen out and a massive cheer from the travelling support was drowned out by the ‘boos’ from the home stand. It looked as if the Lions were destined for the drop, whilst Dumbarton had almost confirmed their status as a Championship club for a fourth consecutive season. The players applauded the away support as chants of “four-four-two, four-four-two, four-four-two” rang out. It was an excellent victory, and there are few feelings as good in football as a late winning goal. It hadn’t been a convincing performance, but for the second time in three weeks the desired result had been achieved, and that was all that mattered. The defeat acted as a catalyst for Livingston who would go on to lose only one of their final eight games of the season. They completed a seemingly impossible great escape and lifted the Ramsdens Cup along the way with a 4-0 victory over Alloa Athletic. Date: 28/03/2015 Dumbarton 1-0 Falkirk Sons scorer: Campbell (81) With two wins over the clubs at the wrong end of the league sandwiching a comprehensive defeat to the runaway league leaders a match against mid-table Falkirk at the Rock would provide a decent test for the seemingly resurgent Sons. Ian Murray, perhaps more through necessity than anything else, only made one change from the previous weeks team. Striker Archie Campbell, who had looked lively as a substitute against Livingston, replaced the injured Darren Petrie. This allowed Dumbarton to switch back to a more conventional 4-4-2, with Campbell partnering the previous weeks’ goal hero, Garry Fleming. Danny Rogers Scott Taggart Andy Graham Stuart Findlay Mark Wilson Mark Gilhaney Chris Turner Scott Agnew Mitch Megginson Archie Campbell Garry Fleming The game started in sunny, but blustery conditions with the Bairns attempting to make the most of the wind advantage that they had. Will Vaulks had their first real effort, a powerful low drive from all of 30 yards which future Bairns number one Danny Rogers pushed past the post. Dumbarton’s first real chance came for Mark Wilson. The experienced defender received the ball in acres of space down the left side. Space opened up for a cross and with Fleming, Campbell, Agnew and even Chris Turner to aim for, he hit the ball harmlessly into the side netting. A bizarre passage of play followed, Rogers hit an overhit back pass low which looked to have gone straight to the feet of Blair Alston. Chris Turner moved him out the way and the ball landed at the feet of Mitch Megginson, he swiveled and sent Archie Campbell on his way with an excellent ball. Unfortunately, once again, the final ball in was dealt with easily by the Falkirk defence. That was the end of the action in a first half which the Bairns had, had more possession but had failed to test Rogers overly strenuously. Sons could go into the break feeling confident that they had the wind in their favour for the second forty-five. The second half was dominated by the goalkeepers, both Danny Rogers and Jamie MacDonald produced some excellent stops in the difficult conditions to keep the scores level. The game hadn’t been an enjoyable one to watch, and little quality was on show from either team with the exception of the two number one’s and an on-loan Celtic centre-half. Whilst others panicked with the ball at their feet, or lost concentration or struggled to judge the flight of the ball in the conditions Stuart Findlay stuck out as being on a different level. Sons’ on-loan Celt’ had impressed on numerous other occasions, but on this occasion he really showed what a player he is and could go on to be. At the age of only nineteen he showed maturity, confidence and even arrogance with the ball at his feet and was prepared to take chances that other players would not have considered. It can surely only be a matter of time before he cements his place in his parent club’s first-team. It was a player who had connections to the other half of the Old Firm who scored the winning goal however, and it was a goal the would not have looked out of place on a much bigger stage as well. Garry Fleming was tackled by the Bairns Taylor Morgan just beyond the centre-circle. The ball fell to Archie Campbell, who had still only managed a meagre two goals all season for the club he joined in the summer, he drove past David McCracken and from all of twenty-five yards he produced a stunning effort which flew beyond MacDonald. The wind may have played it’s part in deceiving MacDonald, or speeding up the ball, but that would be taking away from the sheer quality of the finish from Campbell. With no goals since the last match against Falkirk in January the relief on the hard-working strikers face was evident. The accompanying photograph from Donald Fullarton of Campbell cutting inside and Bairns manager Peter Houston, bright red, with his hands clamped on his head and a grimace on his face will no doubt be smiled at for years to come. The goal would prove to be Archie’s last for the club, in fact at the time of writing (with him now playing for Clyde in League Two) it remains the last competitive goal he scored. There was still time for one more bit of drama in injury time. Mark Kerr chipped a perfect ball into the area for John Baird, master goalscorer at this level, fortunately for Sons he got his angles all wrong and tamely nodded the ball straight at Rogers. It would prove to be the last chance of the game for the playoff chasers, and the result effectively secured Dumbarton’s place in the Championship for another season. What wasn’t realised at the time was just how momentous a result that it would turn out to be. Despite being in charge for a further six games it was Ian Murray’s last win as Sons’ manager, the free-scoring football of the previous season had been replaced by far less easy on the eye games. But the objective set at the beginning of the season had been achieved, and Murray’s managerial stock continued to rise. Date: 2/5/2015 Dumbarton 2-2 Raith Rovers Sons’ scorers: Kirkpatrick (21), Agnew (78) If the Falkirk result represented the end of the season in terms of where Sons could expect to end the year then it very much showed in the results which followed. Three-nil defeat at fellow part-time outfits Alloa and Cowdenbeath were combined with losses to promotion chasing Rangers, Queen of the South and Hibernian. All excitement had left the season, and all eyes were on the 2015/16 campaign as fellow mid-tablers - and managerless - Raith Rovers visited the Rock on the first Saturday in May. Three changes were made to the team which had lost narrowly against Queen of the South at Palmerston the previous week; Andy Graham made a welcome return from suspension and replaced the disappointing Mark Wilson who had failed to live up to his reputation since joining from Dundee United in February. The fit-again Garry Fleming and winger Mark Gilhaney also came into the Sons eleven in the place of Mitch Megginson and Darren Petrie. Danny Rogers Scott Taggart Andy Graham Stuart Findlay Scott Linton Mark Gilhaney Chris Turner Scott Agnew Jordan Kirkpatrick Garry Fleming Archie Campbell The opening period of the game was exactly as end of season ‘nothingy’ games often are, with little urgency or genuine exertion on display. Scott Linton’s long-throw created a chance for Archie Campbell which he snatched at, whilst Danny Rogers made a comfortable save from Mark Stewart at the other end. On twenty-one minutes the game burst into life. Garry Fleming picked up possession on the right wing and cut inside, the club's top scorer curled a tremendous effort around David McGurn in the visiting goal that hit off the post. The Raith defence stood back and admired it allowing Jordan Kirkpatrick to fire home the rebound for his third goal of the season. The goal acted as a catalyst for the game, as things really got started. Straight from kick-off Raith’s Lewis Vaughan collided with Sons’ Andy Graham inside the penalty area, referee Mat Northcroft however waved away appeals and ignored the furious disagreement from the ‘vers frontman. Mark Stewart, as is still so often the case, was causing the Dumbarton defence plenty of problems with his impressive pace and clever runs, Stuart Findlay had to be alert on a number of occasions to prevent him getting a clear sight of goal. Rogers also played his part with an excellent stop one-on-one with the impressive Lewis Vaughan. Raith thought they had equalised just before half time. Rogers made an awkward save from Ross Callachan’s effort from range and Vaughan tucked the ball home. Fortunately from a Dumbarton point of view his celebrations were cut short by the flag on the far side linesman, and so Sons had the lead heading into halftime for the first time since the Alloa game in March. The chances of them holding on to it however looked slim. Indeed it took only eight minutes of the second half for the visitors to equalise. Vaughan and Stewart - who were the two most impressive players on the pitch - combined with the latter netting his seemingly obligatory goal against the Sons. Raith were now level and had a strong wind advantage in their favour, something that Vale of Leven born Ryan Conroy was keen to exploit, his left footed drive from distance was well tipped over by Rogers. Seven minutes after the equaliser Raith took the lead, and it involved a moment of sheer brilliance by Raith academy graduate Vaughan. Danny Rogers’ clearance struggled to reach the halfway line in the strong wind and landed on Vaughan’s chest. From all of 40 yards he produced a stunning lob over the ‘keeper and into the net. It was rare to see Rogers making a mistake, however very few players would be able to pull off the skill in the way Vaughan did. Raith had the lead, and a goal worthy of winning any game had given them it. Mitch Megginson replaced Chris Turner in what would be both players last appearance for the club they had represented so well, but had little impact. Eight minutes after that Ian Murray made the substitution that all the fans had been hoping for. Young attacker Donald McCallum had been scoring for fun for the Sons’ youth teams, and had scored the previous week against Queen of the South despite only being on the pitch for fourteen minutes. If nothing else the game would provide experience for the Campbelltown born player ahead of the next season where it was hoped he would make his breakthrough. He replaced first goalscorer Jordan Kirkpatrick. His impact was immediate. He battled hard down the right-wing and held off the attentions of Craig Barr before swinging an excellent ball into the area which just missed Fleming. Fortunately visiting defender Rory McKeown was on hand to inexplicably head the ball straight on to the lesser spotted right boot of Scott Agnew. His first time effort deceived McGurn and curled into the net. Incredibly it meant that four of Agnew’s five goals over the course of the season had came against the Starks Park outfit. The question now was could Sons end the season with a win? McCallum continued to see his reputation rise, he looked to have been fouled off the ball as Archie Campbell sprinted towards the penalty area. Once again Northcroft was unmoved. The final substitution of the Ian Murray era at Dumbarton saw another youngster enter the pitch - winger Ryan Clark who replaced Mark Gilhaney. It was the last of Gilhaney’s one-hundred and seventy-eight appearances for the club since joining in October 2010. Clark, a quick and direct old-fashioned winger, was immediately fouled by Martin Scott who picked up a booking giving further cause for optimism ahead of the new season. The resulting free-kick game to nothing. Raith almost stole a last-gasp winner, but Callachan’s effort from range somehow dropped just wide of the target. The final whistle brought with it not only the end of the season, but the end of Ian Murray’s time with the club. After one-hundred and eight matches, forty-one wins, fifteen draws and fifty-two defeats, a great escape, a Scottish Cup quarter-final, some incredible results and the establishment of the club as a member of the Scottish Championship Murray’s time was up. He left two weeks later to take over at newly-relegated St Mirren. The final whistle also brought the curtain down on quite a few players time with the club. Loan goalkeeper Danny Rogers, who had excelled in the number one jersey, returned to parent club Aberdeen along with the Sonstrust Young Player of the Year award. Stuart Findlay also returned to Celtic after making a big impression during his six month spell with the club both on and off the park. Both would head out on loan for the 2015/16 season as well, Rogers to Falkirk and Findlay to Premiership Kilmarnock. Left-back Scott Linton, who had been one of the first names on the teamsheet for the previous two seasons, joined hard-working Archie Campbell in moving to League Two Clyde. Chris Turner joined Premiership Hamilton, whilst the player who replaced him during the game, Mitch Megginson, joined Raith Rovers along with Dundee United loan player Darren Petrie. Mark Gilhaney, who had played a major role in saving the club from relegation to League Two in his first season, left the club after finding out he was not in new manager Stevie Aitken’s plans. He joined League One Stenhousemuir. One player left who had made an even bigger impression during his four years at the club however, Scott Agnew. As popular a figure on the pitch as he was with Sons’ fans off it ‘Aggy’ had played a massive role in getting the club to where they were. The Rock has rarely seen such a universally well liked player. Nobody could grudge him a crack at full-time football with Murray’s St Mirren. The Ian Murray era had well and truly ended, and Stevie Aitken had a massive rebuilding job to do over the summer, only time will tell if he completed it successfully. 25/07/2015 Greenock Morton 2-3 Dumbarton Sons Scorers: Gallagher(6,30), Fleming (65) The Aitken era started at the end of July with a short trip over the water to face newly promoted Morton in the first round of the Petrofact Training Cup - a competition where Aitken’s Stranraer had beaten Dumbarton at this stage in the previous two seasons. After a summer of transition where no fewer than thirty-five players had either left or joined the club it was a barely recognisable Dumbarton team who took to the pristine pitch at Cappielow. The team even looked different in a new amber Joma away strip that replaced the previous season’s notoriously unlucky black change kit. Two players remained from Murray’s final match in charge - Scott Taggart and Garry Fleming - the rest of the starting lineup were making their competitive debut for the club - and in the case of on loan Celtic duo Jamie Lindsay and Calum Waters their professional debut. Former captain, Andy Graham, who had suffered a preseason injury was left on the bench with his place taken by recently appointed skipper Darren Barr in the most notable change from the previous season. International clearance for former Wycombe striker Steven Craig was still being awaited so midfielder Grant Gallagher would support Garry Fleming in attack. Mark Brown Scott Taggart Darren Barr Gregor Buchanan Calum Waters Kevin Cawley Jon Routledge Jamie Lindsay Willie Gibson Grant Gallagher Garry Fleming The first chance of the game came straight from kick off, and it was the hosts who had it. Stefan McCluskey crossed from the right, but Jon Scullion fired an effort from inside the area harmlessly wide. Gallagher then gave the new look Sons and Aitken the start they would have dreamt of. Gregor Buchanan hit a long diagonal ball that was perfect for ex-’ton man Scott Taggart. He crossed into a dangerous area, and with both Morton centre-backs draw to Garry Fleming, The former Stranraer man ghosted in to power home a free header from six yards. Six minutes into the Aitken era the first goal had arrived. The sizable away support, crammed into the away end, were in good voice as Sons began to take control of the game. Jon Routledge and Jamie Lindsay were controlling the midfield and Morton were struggling to keep possession for any period of time. It therefore came as no surprise when Sons doubled their lead twenty-four minutes later. Jamie Lindsay won possession and quickly played the ball to Willie Gibson, the ever dangerous winger played a quick ball inside to the marauding Garry Fleming who was had all the room in the world in the middle of the park. He spread the ball wide to the overlapping Taggart who found Lindsay in space. As he drew in defenders he played the ball back to Jon Routledge who sent a first time ball towards goal hero Gallagher. He took a touch on the edge of the box before firing a trundling low effort into the bottom corner. Sons were in dreamland, Gallagher had the first brace of his senior career and the build up to the goal had been of real quality. The home crowd were shocked, almost as shocked as the away end who couldn’t believe just how quickly the team had gelled together. It should have been three-nil before half time. Morton ‘keeper Derek Gaston slid out at the feet of defender Lee Kilday and Gallagher. The three players collided and the ball rolled to Kevin Cawley who calmly rolled home his first goal for his new club. Incredibly referee, Craig Charleston, blew for a foul on Gaston. Ultimately it didn’t matter, but it was a decision which could have proved costly. Going in at half-time disappointed to only be two goals up is a problem that most Sons fans would have been content with before kick off. They had dominated the match, controlled the play and made Morton look like a very average outfit. The question was, could they sustain it for the full ninety minutes? It looked increasingly likely that they could as the second period started in a very similar way to the first. Sons on top, winning the battle of the midfields and creating the only real opportunities. A deserved third goal arrived twenty minutes into the second half, and it wasn’t a moment that Gaston or Morton defender Jordan Cairnie will want to see again. A long, high ball from Calum Waters was chased down by Fleming. Gaston came out, Cairnie hesitated and Fleming nipped in to lob the ball over the big ‘keeper and into the net. Sons new number 9 had his first goal of the season, and first goal with the famous number, and it was a very cool finish befitting of the jersey. Aitken was on track to end Sons famous hoodoo in the Petrofact Training Cup, assuming they could hold out for the final twenty-five minutes of the game. Dumbarton began to tire and Morton slowly began to take a foothold in the game, Mark Brown produced an excellent save from a Jon Scullion effort from close range. Morton did get their name on the scoresheet with seventeen minutes left. Conor Pepper’s cross was acrobaticly turned in by Kilday from inside the area. Surely Sons weren’t going to let the curse strike again? Ten minutes later the ‘Ton had a great chance to set up a nervy finish after Charleston gave what looked like a very soft penalty against either Darren Barr or Jamie Lindsay. It was impossible to tell as neither infringements looked like being worthy of any punishment. Peter MacDonald - who seems to score in every game he plays against Dumbarton - netted the spot kick with real confidence. From comfortably cruising the game Sons somehow had to try and hold on for the final ten minutes. But hold on they did, and the elusive first round victory - not seen since 2011 also 3-2 against East Stirlingshire- had been achieved. It was the perfect start Aitken would have dreamed of, and would have been especially sweet for the ex-Stranraer contingent that had joined the club over the summer, with Morton just pipping them to the League One title last season. The task that was now ahead of Aitken was to get the players to replicate the performance achieved over seventy minutes at Cappielow over the full ninety for the rest of the season. Date: 8/08/2015 Dumbarton 2-1 Hibernian Sons’ Scorers: Buchanan (3), Gibson (55) Following the impressive victory over Morton Sons were brought down to earth with an almighty bump in Methill a week later. A lacklustre performance against a fired up East Fife side saw them eventually lose on penalties despite being one spot kick away from victory. Mark Brown’s stunning saves in the shootout, a first goal for Kevin Cawley and an impressive cameo from debutant Steven Craig were about all the positives that could be mustered from a truly disappointing afternoon against the League Two promotion hopefuls. Stevie Aitken responded with three changes to the side who would face Hibs, although one was enforced, out went Darren Barr - who had failed an early fitness test - Calum Waters and Jamie Lindsay. Craig was handed his league debut, Mark Docherty his Sons’ debut and former skipper Andy Graham made his first start under Aitken. Mark Brown Scott Taggart Andy Graham Gregor Buchanan Mark Docherty Kevin Cawley Grant Gallagher Jon Routledge Willie Gibson Garry Fleming Steven Craig Not even the most wildly optimistic Dumbarton fan could have dreamt of the start made by Aitken’s men. Craig did well to draw cheap foul from Hibs captain Liam Fontaine on the right-wing. Willie Gibson played a low ball into the area which deceived the Hibs defence and allowed centre-back Gregor Buchanan to net his first goal for the club. With just under three minutes on the clock Dumbarton had a lead to defend against a club who were tipped by many for the title. Defend it they did however...well for eleven minutes at least. In the blink of an eye the goal advantage had vanished, if Andy Graham had hoped to win back his place in the team it was the kind of mistake he could have done without. Fontaine hit a long ball in the general direction of the Sons’ goal from deep inside his own half. It should have been easy enough for Graham to deal with, but he hesitated, something that is always dangerous against a team with Hibs’ quality in front of goal. Dominique Malonga collected the ball and fired home an unstoppable equaliser. It was the Congolese strikers sixth goal in five games against the Sons, but it was one which could, and should, have been prevented. The goal did not seem to have an effect on Sons’ however, almost straight from kick off Garry Fleming, wearing the captain's armband for the first time, cracked the post with a fierce effort from inside the area. The match was becoming a high tempo, exciting encounter. Much of the media attention pre-match had been focused on Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan’s seemingly imminent switch to league rivals Rangers. His head appeared to be elsewhere during the match however as he was comfortably dealt with by Scott Taggart on the right of the Dumbarton back four. Ten minutes into the second half, Sons re-established their lead, and they did so in real style. Kevin Cawley, who was impressing again with a hard-working and skilful performance, was scythed down by Marvin Bartley twenty-five yards out. It’s likely that very few Sons fans will forget what happened next. Summer signing Willie Gibson had always been an impressive opponent when playing against the club. His feisty and aggressive on pitch persona combined with the sheer amount of natural ability he possesses makes him stand out more than most on the pitch (as does his impressive boot choice to be fair!) Following a frustrating time in England with Celtic Nation and Workington he was brought home by Aitken and the Sons’ gaffer had him playing some of the best football of his career. It was hoped he could continue that form at a higher level under his stewardship at the Rock. He produced his first moment of magic on that very occasion with a wonderful free-kick that sailed beyond Mark Oxley and into the top corner of the net. Hopes of a famous result were re-ignited once again. Maybe, just maybe, Sons could hold the lead for the rest of the game. Whilst the Edinburgh side had seen plenty of the ball, ex-Hibee Mark Brown had, had little to do of note. It was sure to be a long and tense thirty-five minutes plus stoppage time. The game continued to ebb and flow with both teams creating reasonable opening without exerting either ‘keeper. Andy Graham more than redeemed himself for his earlier error with a dominant display alongside Gregor Buchanan, whilst the personal battle of the Scott’s continued to go the way of Taggart. Jon Routledge picked up his obligatory booking for a foul on Allan halting a fast breakaway, whilst the now clearly frustrated Allan was booked for a crude lunge on substitute Jamie Lindsay. The tiring Garry Fleming, who had produced a true captain's performance, was replaced by Gordon Smith for his league debut as Sons attempted to run down the clock. They needn’t have bothered as Hibs only mustered one effort on goal in the final ten minutes of normal time - Martin Boyle’s effort flying wide of Mark Brown’s post. Referee Don Robertson’s final whistle finally arrived after almost five minutes of injury time and was greeted with surely one of the loudest roars the Rock has ever heard. Dumbarton had beaten the Edinburgh giants for the first time in thirty-one years. Or to put it another way for the first time in the lifetime of seven of the starting eleven. Things could not have started any better for Aitken and assistant Stevie Farrell. At the time of writing it remains only one of two defeats suffered by Hibernian all season, and the other was against Rangers at Ibrox. As expected it was also Scott Allan’s final appearance in the green and white before he surprised Scottish football by joining Premiership champions Celtic. The start of the season had heralded two wins and a defeat. A stunning seventy minutes at Cappielow, a torrid one-hundred and twenty at Bayview and an astonishing ninety at the Rock. All eyes were now firmly focused on Ian Murray’s St Mirren side, and a first competitive visit to the (recently named) Paisley 2020 Stadium the following week. Date: 15/08/2015 St Mirren 1-2 Dumbarton Sons Scorers: Gibson (26), Fleming (86, pen) When the fixtures were released there was one match that most Sons fans looked for eagerly. As well as being local, and being the new home of Ian Murray (and Scott Agnew) it would also be Dumbarton’s first visit to New St Mirren Park. After such a promising start to the season expectations were high heading to Paisley. The Sons lineup showed only one changed from the team which had beaten Hibs the week before. Captain Darren Barr was fit again and able to make his league debut in place of Andy Graham: Mark Brown Scott Taggart Gregor Buchanan Darren Barr Mark Docherty Willie Gibson Grant Gallagher Jon Routledge Kevin Cawley Garry Fleming Steven Craig It was the Saints who started the game on top, and they had the ball in the net after only four minutes. Winger Paul McMullan - on loan from Celtic - cut inside from the left-wing before finding Jason Naismith in space, he played a one-two with Alan Gow before the experienced former Clydebank striker chipped a ball through for Calum Gallagher who rolled the ball beyond the static Brown. Sons’ needn’t have worried as Gallagher was correctly flagged offside long before the ball hit the net. Gregor Buchanan the halted Lewis Morgan inside the box with a perfectly timed tackle at the expense of a corner. Ex-Sons Scott Agnew floated a perfect ball onto the head of Sean Kelly who knocked the ball across goal, but Sons cleared before the impending goal line ‘stramash’ occurred. The ball returned to the box moments later and bounced around before being cleared - Dumbarton were under serious pressure. Despite the difficult first twenty minutes Sons finally settled down in the game and began to create chances of their own. Garry Fleming pinched the ball from Jack Baird and drive in on goal before blasting a powerful effort from just outside the area off a St Mirren defender. The best chance of the game then arrived, and it came the way of the home side. Lewis Morgan’s delivery was met by the unchallenged head of Jason Naismith ten yards out. Fortunately for Sons he failed to direct his free header on target and Sons had escaped. As is so often the way in football Sons then went up the pitch and took the lead. Kevin Cawley was rather unceremoniously dragged down by Agnew about thirty yards from goal. There was no competition for the taking of the free-kick after Willie Gibson’s heroics against Hibernian. Once again Gibson stepped up. Once again the ball ended up in the net. It wasn’t quite as perfect as last week’s effort as a huge deflection off the wall took the ball around Mark Ridgers and into the net. But I doubt anybody in a Sons top cared. They had ridden an early storm and now held the lead. Dumbarton - and Gibson in particular - were now full of confidence. The winger produced great skill to take the ball by a couple of Saints defenders before chipping a cross to the onrushing Grant Gallagher, Ridgers however made a routine save from the former Stranraer man's headed effort. As well as Gibson Scott Taggart was also producing another impressive performance at right-full-back, keeping the talented and tricky McMullan quiet and as a result the home side quiet. Grant Gallagher produced an exemplary ‘Cruyff Turn’ around Stuart Carswell and opened up space for a shot, unfortunately however his effort was dragged well wide of the target in what was the final effort of note in the first half. In the second forty-five St Mirren continued to have more efforts on goal, but still hadn’t seriously tested Mark Brown, with Gallagher and Carswell being the main culprits. They equalised just under twenty minutes into the second half, but it wasn’t without controversy. Jason Naismith showed wonderful skill to take the ball by ex-Buddie Mark Docherty, he then turned away from Willie Gibson but got his studs caught in the turf causing what we now know to be serious knee ligament damage. Gibson immediately signalled to the officials to get the medical staff on. Referee John Beaton obliged, but only after inexplicably awarding the home team a free-kick. Naismith had been injured, but it had not been the result of contact with another player. After a length delay the Buddies captain was stretchered off and replaced by Barry Cuddihy. Carswell’s free-kick eventually bobbled it’s way out to Scott Agnew who produced a moment of magic to earn a deserved equaliser. The ball spun out to the former Sons hero who hit the ball with stunning technique directly into the top corner. It was a controlled, off the top of the foot finish, a near enough impossible technique to learn and it got St Mirren deservedly back into the match. The Paisley side continued to be a threat especially from cross balls, Carswell sent a header wide before Jack Baird hit the crossbar. Sons were once again under all sorts of pressure and looked to be tiring. Stevie Aitken responded by replacing Steven Craig, who hadn’t completed a full pre-season, with Jordan Kirkpatrick. Home icon Steven Thompson clattered into Mark Brown as he gathered a cross. It looked a straightforward decision for Beaton, but the former Scotland international was furious, the ball was knocked into the empty net long after the whistle, Saints had now seen two goals correctly ruled out by the officials and must’ve been fearing it wasn’t going to be their day. They were correct. Jon Routledge picked out the tireless Kevin Cawley with an outstanding cross-field ball. He got by substitute Cuddihy who knocked him to the ground inside the penalty area. The first foul Cawley had won in the game had resulted in Gibson’s opener, could the last foul he won result in another goal? The pressure was all on Garry Fleming, the penalty would be taken beside the section of the stand that housed the travelling support, a winner with only four minutes remaining would send them into raptures. It was never in doubt. Fleming calmly powered the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal and the away end erupted. It was as loud a cheer as had been heard from Sons fans in a long while. Surely they could hold on from here? Andy Graham came on for his final league appearance in place of Willie Gibson as Sons attempted to sure things up at the back as well as to waste another few second. Foul winning hero Cawley - who had produced an outstanding, hardworking performance - came off as the game moved towards its fifth minute of injury time for left-back Calum Waters to make his league debut. After six minutes of injury time the final whistle finally came. Sons had recorded two wins out of two against two of the teams tipped to be up at the top of the league come the end of the season. It hadn’t been perfect against St Mirren, but defensively Sons had stood firm and they had taken their chances when they came their way. Six points out of six also saw Sons sitting joint top of the league, ahead of Rangers even though the Glasgow giants had a game in hand. Now the matter of staying there...and scoring a goal from open play. It might have been a dream start, but it quickly came to a shuddering end. Date: 21/11/2015 Dumbarton 3-3 Raith Rovers Sons Scorers: Saunders (81,83), Fleming (pen, 87) It took Sons until November twenty-first to register their next victory, a two-one triumph over ten man Livingston at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium. It was a crucial three points, but the performance was still below par and it took a late winner from Eamonn Brophy - his only goal for the club - to snatch all three points from a Livingston side who had arguably been better since going down to ten men. The victory did little for Sons on the pitch however, and was followed by four straight defeats - a four-two against Hibernian at Easter Road was followed by a five-nil home humiliation against Falkirk. The pressure was really on heading into the banks of the Clyde derby with Morton - but a defensive mix up allowed the ‘Ton to gain revenge for their July Petrofact Cup defeat courtesy of a late Denny Johnstone winner. A trip to Palmerston also ended in defeat, one-nil, with Paul Heffernan grabbing the only goal of the game for the Dumfries side. The defeat to Queen of the South had seen a radically different Sons lineup take to the pitch, Stevie Ross was handed his starting debut, Mark Docherty move into midfield and Calum Waters took the left back berth. The performance was an improvement as well, so Stevie Aitken made only one change for the Rovers game, fit again Steven Saunders came in for Ross - allowing Scott Brown to return to his central midfield berth. Mark Brown Steven Saunders Darren Barr Gregor Buchanan Calum Waters Jamie Lindsay Jon Routledge Scott Brown Mark Docherty Grant Gallagher Eamonn Brophy Nobody in the crowd of seven-hundred and seven could have imagined how the game would pan out. If ever a match summed up why we, as fans, both love and loathe football then this was it. Following the playing of the French national anthem in tribute to those killed in the Paris attacks the night previous, Raith got the game underway shooting towards the Castle Road end. It took them little time to present the nightmare start for Aitken and co. Lewis Toshney’s high ball was misjudged by Gregor Buchanan allowing Mark Stewart - so often a thorn in Dumbarton’s side - to control the ball to the right-side of the penalty area. Darren Barr and ex-Son Mitch Megginson bumped into each other and the ball rolled out to Craig Wighton who fired a ball across goal for James Craigen to tap in at the far post. Four minutes in Sons had shown yet another way of gifting the opposition a goal. It didn’t get any better, Barr misjudged a tackle of Stewart who broke clear, his cross however was somehow turned over by a mixture of Mark Brown, Waters and goalscorer Craigen from six yards. Sons were lacking any form of quality when in possession, every pass was going astray and Eamonn Brophy was looking increasingly isolated upfront on his own. They did have a good opportunity from a free-kick thirty yards out after Ryan McCord floored Grant Gallagher off the ball as he broke towards the area. Brophy’s free-kick however went a high and over the fence. Then Sons were two down, and it’s not a moment that Mark Brown will want to relive. The experienced ‘keeper came thundering off his line in an attempt to punch McCord’s corner cleared. He completely missed leaving the ball to bounce off Jon Routledge and into the net. A number of home fans made their feelings very much heard as the half-time whistle blew moments after. Aitken and the players were subjected to abuse that hadn’t been heard since the Paul Martin era. Whether or not you agree with booing and abusing your own players is a matter of personal opinion. Raith deserved to be leading however, and a long, miserable second-half looked likely for Dumbarton. Aitken realised that the formation and tactics implemented for game weren’t working, and at half-time Garry Fleming and the now injury free Kevin Cawley came on for Waters and Scott Brown. Cawley had only played ten minutes of football since scoring the opener against Livingston in October. His pacey and tricky wing-play and strong work ethic had been badly missed. He almost had an immediate impact with a powerful drive from range that Kevin Cuthbert got down well to save. It hadn’t taken almost forty-six minutes, but Sons had finally mustered their first effort on target. Raith’s Scott Robertson then put the game to bed. He cut inside from the right, sauntered past the static Sons defence and sent the ball into the bottom corner. The booing got louder and the home end began to rapidly empty. It was completely understandable, Sons had produced a performance that was so bad they looked like a League One or Two team playing against far superior opposition. Craig Wighton somehow contrived to miss from five yards as Raith continued to press for another goal. The young Dundee striker firing off the crossbar when it looked considerably easier to score. Then the slightest glimmer of hope arrived on the pitch, with gloves, a base layer and strikingly pink boots Wille Gibson was easy to identify. His arrival in place of Grant Gallagher couldn’t have came soon enough. His first action was to pick out fellow sub Cawley with a raking thirty yard ball. The former Alloa man nodded across goal for the onrushing Jamie Lindsay, but his header went wide. For the first time in the entire game however, Dumbarton looked like a team again. His second action was to provide an assist for Sons first goal. After seeing a shock closed down at the expense of a corner Gibson himself stepped up. His driven delivery was perfectly knocked in by Steven Saunders for his first goal in the white and gold - and his first since November 2013 for Ross County. Celebrations were muted in the extreme. It was all too little too late. Gibson continued to give ‘vers full-back Toshney a torrid time on the left flank. After turning the former Celtic man twice he laid off the ball for Mark Docherty who took a touch and produced a fine left footed deliver. Right onto the head of...Saunders. This football business that had looked so alien to Sons a mere ten minutes previously was starting to look rather simple. Kick the ball off Steven Saunders’ head and it’ll end up in the net. Suddenly the comeback was looking freakishly likely. Having been three down three minutes earlier the deficit was now only at one. Those comebacks only happen in dreams and magazines though, don’t they? Those left inside the home end of the stadium began to vociferously roar the team on, Raith had started to look uneasy and they could sense a point could be gained in the final eight minutes. Garry Fleming got a golden opportunity to snatch it, Gibson cut inside and fired a powerful effort towards goal. Iain Davidson blocked with his hands and Sons had a penalty. It looked harsh, for me Davidson was outside the box, but after some questionable decisions in previous weeks it was a bit of long overdue good luck. The pressure must have been immense, but Fleming remained the calmest man in the stadium and fired the ball beyond Cuthbert - who had guessed correctly - and into the bottom left hand corner. In seven minutes Sons had scored as many goals as they had managed in their last four games combined. Surely the wouldn’t go one better now? Incredibly they very nearly won it injury time. The man of the moment Gibson beat Toshney again and bent a right footed effort off the bottom of Cuthbert’s left-hand post. The scenes if that had gone in would’ve been remarkable. The visitors also could’ve won it however with the last kick - or header to be precise - of the ball. Firstly Jon Daly saw his effort cleared off the line by Jamie Lindsay before Mark Brown punched clear James Craigen’s rebound. It would’ve been a harsh end to an utterly bizarre game. The final whistle blew before the resulting corner could be taken and the small numbers left in the home end were left wondering what they had just witnessed. Gibson had single handedly won Sons a point from a seemingly impossible position. He had dug his team-mates and his manager out of a pretty big hole, and spared another barrage of abuse from heading their way at the final whistle. Despite the sheer jubilation of such a remarkable comeback big issues still stuck out, Dumbarton had been second best for the first eighty minutes of the match, something that couldn’t be afforded every week. They also had a massive run of games coming up against their main rivals at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Championship. It was the wrong time to think about any of that, it’s not very often a team scores three goals in just over six minutes to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat. Sons fans would saviour the moment and worry about the following week’s Scottish Cup tie with fellow part-timers Alloa when it arrived. Date: 12/12/2015 Dumbarton 1-0 St Mirren Sons’ Scorer: Fleming (50) The incredible comeback against Raith had acted as a catalyst for Sons’ stuttering season. A four-nil defeat to Rangers on a Tuesday evening - with all four goals coming in the second forty-five - was followed by back to back victories over Alloa. Two-nil in monsoon conditions at the Indodrill and then five-nil back at the Rock in the Scottish Cup. Optimism was once again in the air in West Dunbartonshire, or it might have been yet more rain, as Ian Murray’s St Mirren side rocked into town. Murray had endured a torrid time in Paisley, recording a mere two league wins from sixteen games. The pressure was very much on his side heading into the match with the inform Sons with speculation about his future rife. Stevie Aitken made only one change heading into the match - with Steven Saunders replacing Gregor Buchanan at right fullback - that meant that star of the Alloa victory, Donald McCallum, started a game for the first time in the league. Ironically against the man who gave him his Sons’ debut. Mark Brown Steven Saunders Darren Barr Frazer Wright Mark Docherty Grant Gallagher Jon Routledge Jamie Lindsay Kevin Cawley Donald McCallum Garry Fleming Right from the kick off Sons, and McCallum were causing problems. Kevin Cawley drove forward, after a one-two with Garry Fleming the ball found it’s way to the Campbelltown born youngster. A dangerous cross was met by the head of Saints Sean Kelly who diverted it into his own net. The whistle of referee, Nick Walsh, for a nudge by Gallagher came to Kelly’s rescue. Experienced Buddies number one Jamie Langfield then had to look alert to tip over a Darren Barr header from ex-Saint Mark Docherty’s free-kick after a foul on Cawley by Craig Reid. Sons were doing all the attacking and were in complete control of the game, but the visitors were unlucky not to be ahead. Kelly picked out Callum Gallagher with an impressive through ball, Mark Brown however produced an equally as impressive low save to keep his clean sheet run (which was now over two games) intact. If his first save had been good, his second was absolutely tremendous. A poor header back across goal by Cawley landed straight at the feet of Gallagher, his cutback was sent towards goal by Stuart Carswell from ten yards, but Brown flew across to block and then jump on the ball. The trickery and movement of McCallum continued to haunt Andy Webster, the twenty-eight times capped former Scotland international seemed intent on fouling McCallum at every opportunity he had. The referee and his stand-side assistant ignored the protests from those in Sons colours much to the continued frustration of the home fans. Although Dumbarton were still on top the visitors were coming in the game more and more, and looked dangerous on the break. Despite this Darren Barr and Frazer Wright, two players who aren’t blessed with the gift of pace, were dealing admirably with the energetic St Mirren strikeforce of Shankland and Gallagher. Gallagher then missed another guilt-edged chance. Sean Kelly’s wonderful cross picked him out, unmarked, at the far post. With plenty of time and under no pressure he nodded a weak header into the glove of the relieved Brown. It was a let off for Sons as they headed towards half-time. They did have the final say in the first half however, Docherty’s cross was narrowly missed by Garry Fleming where any contact would have resulted in an almost certain goal. A strong first half performance had came to an end, the question now was could Sons sustain it for the full ninety minutes and come away with all three points? The early indications were positive, Gallagher’s ball across goal fell to Cawley, but he couldn’t trouble Langfield with a weak effort from a decent position. Then the moment Ian Murray would have dreaded arrived. Docherty’s long ball was missed by Fleming but Grant Gallagher - overlapping on the right-wing - was picked out perfectly. His initial delivery was half cleared, but his second - after a great piece of skill on the edge of the box - was perfect. Fleming turned one way, then the other before firing an unstoppable left footed effort into the top left hand corner. It was a goal of exquisite quality, and showed how well Fleming had grown into the number nine shirt. It was also his second in as many games against the team who had tried to sign him in the summer. His last was a winner, would this one be as well? The visitors almost drew level immediately, Shankland hit a volleyed effort from over thirty-five yards which Brown just managed to tip over the bar. It would have been an absolutely stunning goal, but the big number one didn’t fancy having his run of clean sheets ended by it. Kelly sent a shot from the resulting corner well, well wide and stupendously high, despite being in a very decent position. It should have been very costly as Dumbarton broke upfield minutes later. Fleming drove forward with real pace and power. His first effort was blocked bravely by a defender but dropped back to his feet. He played the ball towards McCallum, but it was fractionally behind him and, with the goal gaping, he couldn’t collect the ball. St Mirren began to pile on the pressure, firing plenty of balls into dangerous areas, but never forcing Brown into a save of note. A plethora of corners followed, but all were cleared by the defence or collected by Brown. The visiting fans didn’t like what they were seeing, and they very much made their feelings heard. McCallum then did have the ball in the net, but the whistle of Walsh once again ended any celebrations. Good play between Jamie Lindsay and Mark Docherty opened up space for the on-loan Celtic midfielder. He unselfishly squared the ball for McCallum who knocked the ball into the the empty net. The far-side linesman’s flag was up, it looked close at the time, but on the video footage it looks as if McCallum was comfortably onside. The officials got the decision to rule out the Kelly own goal correct, but it looked as if they had got this decision wrong. The final whistle blew moments later, and it proved to be the final whistle for Murray’s time in Paisley. After two wins in sixteen league matches he resigned after receiving all manners of abuse from the away fans on leaving the pitch. Two-hundred and twenty-four days after the two all draw with Raith Rovers at the Rock, with his managerial stock sky-high, it had now reached rock bottom. That, as they say, is football. From a Dumbarton point of view it was an excellent result against a team who were on similar points. The victory handed Sons a six point advantage over the Paisley club, and another clean sheet and solid performance was very pleasing. McCallum had excelled since coming into the team, and he was forming a very decent strikeforce with Fleming, whilst Mark Brown’s three clean sheets in a row was a club best since the Third Division title winning team of 2008/09 - where seven-hundred and forty-seven minutes elapsed without the concession of a goal. Twenty-fifteen was rounded off with a one all draw with Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena courtesy of a late Steven Saunders goal and a one-nil defeat to high-flying promotion chasers Falkirk in Grangemouth. Despite the highs I’ve listed here, overall the year hasn’t been a kind one to Dumbarton Football Club. After some rough maths, which I confess is not a strong point, the statistics don’t make pleasant reading. Of the forty-one league and cup matches played Sons have won just ten, five have been drawn and twenty-six lost - one on penalties against East Fife. Giving Sons a win percentage of just twenty-four percent over the calendar year. Over that period Sons have scored forty-one goals - even I can work that out as an average of one a game! Whilst eighty have gone in at the wrong end, averaging 1.96 per game. Seven clean sheets have been recorded - three of them in a row in December! The year has been unforgettable, but in twenty-sixteen more wins are an absolute must if Sons are to continue plying their trade in the second tier of Scottish football. The early signs are promising after a good run of form, lets hope it continues long into the new year. Throughout the late 1990s in the height of the supertouring era almost every BTCC fan had time for one team and driver - plucky independent Matt Neal and his family run Team Dynamics outfit. Matt was very much one of a kind in this era of sky high budgets and international superstars behind the wheel - a driver with no works support who had both the ability and team to match the big boys.
His first BTCC win at Donington in 1999 will go down as one of the greatest moments from the series of all time. A composed first half of the now long deceased feature race almost counted for nothing when he stalled exiting the pits. Incredibly after losing places hand over fist in the pit lane he recovered to outmuscle James Thompson and take the victory. The only time an independent driver ever won a race outright during the height of supertouring (1995-2000) Times have changed a great deal since then, with Matt now one of only 4 works drivers on the grid. Since the departure of Vxr at the end of the 2009 season the BTCC has became a field dominated by privately owned teams. No year however has seen a team as strong as Warren Scott's Team BMR outfit, independent or factory owned, since the Soper/Winkelhock Schnitzer team from 1993. In my opinion anyway! Rumours circulate during close season. Everyone knows it and very little attention is paid to it, just this year Jean-Eric Vergne was linked to MG and Jason Plato to the World Touring Cars with Citroen on a certain online forum! But one particular rumour had been hovering around longer than most - that linking Jason Plato and Colin Turkington to the previously named 'Chrome Edition ReStart Racing' who had taken their first ever BTCC wins the season before at the hands of Aron Smith. Despite this few could believe their eyes when it was confirmed that two of the greatest drivers to take to the BTCC track in the last 20 years - or even ever - who had spent last season playing mind games during a title duel were to join forces alongside Scott and Smith in a quartet of Volkswagen CC's. The cars were decent, but not perfect. The drivers outstanding, but questions marks were raised over whether they could work as a team. On top of that, the fantasy touring car team turned up at Brands Hatch for the opening round without any sponsorship on the stunning looking machines. Things did initially look bright...until a puncture snatched victory from Plato's grasp and forced him into the gravel trap at Paddock Hill bend. It was to prove to be but a small blemish on one of the double champion's most impressive six months ever in the series. During his half season with the team we've seen a different side to Plato. A more cunning, calculating, intelligent side. His drive and determination for a third title seem to be even greater than ever. The previous rash decision making, hot headedness lust for victory - which had perhaps cost him titles previously - appears to have resided. As well as 4 victories Plato has found himself in the top ten of every race, bar 2 ... and there was a reason for both of those results. The first was the third race on the opening weekend of the season at Brands where he had started on the back of the grid. The second, at Croft just before the summer break was for a far more controversial reason. After a disappointing qualifying session, which left him mid-pack Jason publicly stated his intention to start the race from the pit lane and try and gain a fast lap in order to place well for race 2. It was argued by some that it was not in the spirit of the sport, but despite this it undeniably did work and he claimed a 2nd and a 5th to round off a very decent weekend's work at his home circuit. This weekend the series travels to Snetterton as the second half of the season prepares to begin. A mere 16 years on from Neal's sensational win, could the 'indy' drivers make it three titles in a row this season? It'd take a very brave man to bet against it. As I write this I can hear the rain smashing off my patio. The brief periods that it stops seem to bring about a fleeting moment of excitement in an otherwise drab period of the year. It sets the scene perfectly for my mood. The lack of British motorsport for months is the endless rain with the brief excitement of dry spells reflecting the droplets of news we are getting slowly teased with about the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season. So, what do we know so far?
The day after the extremely dark Brands Hatch finale I started a spreadsheet to keep track of confirmed driver and team entries for 2015. But what it doesn’t show is the new rule changes implemented for the new season which are just as intriguing as a new manufacturer entering the series (more about that later). So what’s changed? An increase in success ballast should prevent one driver running away with race weekends and keep the title race open for longer than it was in 2015. Secondly the independent validation of start-line performance and acceleration should help to even out the apparent rear-wheel drive advantage that we heard Jason Plato talking about so frequently last season. Similarly the re-validation of engines by both TOCA and an independent expert should prevent cars such as Dan Welch’s Proton being cut so far adrift at the back of the pack it became a mobile chicane for the leaders down the long straights of Silverstone and Donington. The most widely talked about and most simple change to the rules for 2015 is how the grid for race 2 shall be decided. Fastest laps instead of finishing order from race 1 should ensure a more jumbled grid and more competitive racing. But what about the drivers and teams who will compete to these new rules? The Autosport International in early January should give us a greater idea of who we will see on the grid next season, for now however the confirmed drivers and teams points towards a promising grid for the new season. Dan Welch will be back in his family run Proton following a disastrous 2014. The teams plans to build their own engines backfired (non deliberate pun, honest) leaving Dan and team mate Ollie Jackson stuck at the wrong end of the grid. Jackson has now left the team with his slot being filled by Andy Wilmot. The 34 year old former Fiesta champion has only competed in 3 British Touring Car Championship races before (in 2013 for Team HARD.) but achieved solid Top 20 finishes in all 3 races. Also returning for 2015 will be the ever popular Rob Austin Racing team. Austin hinted on Twitter that his trusty Audi A4, Sherman, would be looking a bit different for 2015 but hasn’t expanded upon those comments. It looks like he’ll be joined once again by friend and former British GT4 Vice Champion Hunter Abbott. Team BMR will be looking to build on strong 2014 and they have already secured the services of race winner Aron Smith and BRDC rising star Jack Goff. Smith, who scored two race victories last season, may well be a dark horse for title whilst Goff will be hoping to start scoring consistent top 10 finishes. With ambitious team owner Warren Scott also investing in 4 Renault Clio cup cars the future looks bright for the Buntingford based outfit. The biggest news of the off-season is the arrival of Infiniti in the series. The ‘Infiniti SupportOurParas’ team will be running two Q50 models for Derek Palmer Jnr and Richard Hawken. Ex Clio cup driver Josh Cook looks set to join in another armed forces backed team- ‘Racing for Heros’ who are also entering cars in all 5 support series. Simon Belcher will be back for a second crack at the series in his ‘Handy Motorsport’ Toyota Avensis whilst Chris Stockton and ‘Power Maxed Racing’ switch to a Chevrolet Cruze Saloon from the rather boxy and unaerodynamic hatchback model. Alex Martin joins ‘Motorbase’ from the Ferrari 458 Challenge series, whilst Mike Bushell replaces the successful but underfunded Dave Newsham at ‘AmdTuning.com’. Adam Morgan scored his first race win at Brands in October and he returns in his Wix supported Mercedes A-Class, Aiden Moffat will also pilot an A-Class for 2015 under the ‘Laser Tools Racing’ banner. Question marks remain over some of the biggest names in the championship however. Matt Neal has dropped hints that Honda Yuasa Racing will return in 2015 with a Civic Type-R model but it looks unlikely that anything will be confirmed before ASI. Reigning champion Colin Turkington’s WSR squad have been rocked by the news that title sponsor Ebay Motors have pulled out casting doubt over the Ulsterman’s future at the team. Sam Tordoff has already been confirmed at the team and he will bring his undoubted quality to a car that proved to be far more reliable than the MG6 he was driving last year however. Speaking of MG it’s looking like all change at the 888 ran outfit as well. With Tordoff confirmed as having joined rivals WSR it’s also looking as if record winner in the series Jason Plato will not be at the team next season. Speculation is rife as to where the double champion will end up. Jeff Smith rejoins Eurotech alongside, one would presume, Andrew Jordan. Presume that is… So there you have it. My mid-December motorsport blues have been temporarily lifted with a shower of BTCC related words. Much more will hopefully become clear during the Autosport International show in January and in the weeks following it. It’s under 100 days until media day at Donington where all will be revealed, not that I’m counting. It's been a frantic evening.
At about half-past five Sam Tordoff retweeted a message about Infiniti having something to reveal tomorrow to help boost their brand in the United Kingdom. Four hours and a heck of a lot of 'internetting' later I can provisionally reveal what I think (and only think!) the Japanese manufacturer will reveal tomorrow. TeamPara (named after the Paratroopers) seemingly plan on running two NGTC Q50 models for former Dutch Supercar Challenge and HSCC SuperTCC racer Derek Palmer and Richard Hawken (who raced David Leslie's 1997 Nissan Primera Supertourer also in the SuperTCC) Nothing is confirmed it is of course important to remember and with 31/32 TBLs already taken it remains to be seen who's licenses will be taken by the new team. The car appears to be built and with the announcement pending it looks like one of the class of 2014 will be relinquishing their license. The photo's seemingly show a standard Q50 road car being transformed into a fully fledged racing car complete with 'HiQ' light stickers and 'Dunlop' number plates along with a standard style NGTC bodykit and Dunlop branded tyres indicating clearly which championship the team plan on entering. The announcement is expected tomorrow morning and we can hope to have a clearer picture of what the teams plans are for 2015. What is for sure is that it looks like the BTCC could have a new works backed team amongst its ranks for media day in March Source: http://imgur.com/a/wHOY0#Yf8wzCT http://imgur.com/a/GP880 *I reserve the right to pull this article if my info turns out to be way of the mark! The term legend is chucked about meaninglessly nowadays. Players who have scored one decent goal are instantly labelled as one from over excited fans. Bryan Prunty is no such player.
Signing for Dumbarton in May 2011 nobody could surely have predicted how much of a hero the hitman would become with the Sons faithful. Bryans first goal for the club came against East Stirlingshire in the Ramsdens Cup, it wasn't the greatest goal you'll ever see but in his celebration you could see just how much it meant to him, it was this that most endeared the former Alloa man to us- the ordinary fans. Whenever he took to the pitch he looked genuinely proud to be wearing the Elephant on his chest and that showed in his never-say-die attitude on the pitch. He scored 16 goals in the promotion winning season of 2011/12, including one in the home leg of the playoff final against hometown team Airdrie which caused me to rip my leg open falling down three rows of seats celebrating! Of course one aspect of his game will be remembered above all other, his legendary overhead kicks. In each of his three seasons with the Sons 'Prunts' notched one. His first came after only 45 seconds in a 3-0 victory over Stenhousemuir at the Rock. He became a cult hero in my Standard Grade Computing class earning the nickname Robin Van Prunty and thanks to that goal against Stenny he was a regular topic of conversation in the class. In 2013 he fancied going one better with, undeniably, one of the best goals ever scored by a Dumbarton player. It was February 2013, Sons had lost 3-4 to Livingston the previous week at home and now faced them at Almondvale. 4 minutes in Paul McGinn (making only his second start for the club) swung in a cross to the edge of the box, what happened next will never be forgotten. Prunty took the ball on his chest, jumped backwards and unleashed a wonderful overhead bicycle kick from the edge of the box into the top corner of Andy McNeil's net (ironically McNeil will now be his team-mate at Airdrieonians) The goal went viral and even featured on Skys Soccer AM. Last season it took until the 75th minute of a game before he scored his trademark goal. It was a cold, miserable December night against former employers Alloa when he struck with a low effort from the edge of the box. The goal rescued a crucial point for the Sons. His final goal came in a pre-season draw with Premiership Partick Thistle in July 2014 The thing many people will remember most about Prunty's time with Dumbarton isn't actually his performances on the pitch, it would be his son Liam who became the most famous ballboy in the stadium. 'Mini Prunts' as he was nicknamed was an ever present at the Rock and was always involved in his Dads celebrations. Seeing both celebrating goals was a brilliant sight which would even have touched the heart of away fans. This morning it was revealed on the official website that Bryan had rejoined his former club Airdrieonians. The lack of game time recently meant that moving on would be best for both parties and that afternoon he (and 'Mini Prunts') were given a heroes send off as the home end applauded him down the tunnel for one final time. 'Prunts' leaves the Sons with a record of 75 starts, 36 substitute appearances and having hit 33 goals. He will go down in history as the man who scored 'That Goal' as well as a true Sons legend for his loyalty, ability, attitude and personality. All the best in the future Bryan, hopefully we'll see you back at the BBS soon! Bear with me for a bit as this is my first bit of writing I've done on Touring Cars that I've felt is acceptable enough to publish! It will get better, I promise. In under 2 weeks time Britains premier saloon car championship comes to Scotland for its only visit, and seen as Croft this year clashed with my holiday, my only visit to a round this season. Best season ever was the hashtag used to promote the season and whilst I may look back on the 'golden era' of supertouring with tinted specs (or in Rob Austins case Aviators) it's becoming hard to disagree. No fewer than 7 former champions took to the grid this season with all experience different kinds of luck. Last seasons winner, Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) has experienced an indifferent year. A double win on the opening day at Brands has been cancelled out with disappointing weekends at Oulton Park and last time out at Snetterton (where a big shunt in free practice meant that he missed qualifying and was eventually told not to take part in race 3 on medical grounds) Following a full car rebuild it would be hard to discount Jordan on a track which has always suited the smaller wheelbase cars. 2012 champion Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa Racing) has again had an impressive year. Driving the all new Honda Civic Tourer 'Flash' has been incredibly consistent finishing every race to date and sitting commandingly in 2nd in the drivers championship. Gordon has strong connections to Knockhill as the husband of the circuit managers daughter and has always performed well in the past at his home circuit. A fire in race 3 last year ruined his day, but you'd be daft to bet against the Fifer not winning at least once on home soil. Sheddens team-mate at Honda Yuasa Racing is vastly experienced triple former champion Matt Neal. Unlike his team-mate however Neal has had a disappointing year...with year being the most important word. Despite consistently strong pace the 2005 Champion hasn't won a race since Croft in June 2013. Matt endured poor weekends at both Oulton & Croft where a mixture of incidents and poor results prevented him from scoring any meaningful points. It's always difficult to discount a man with as strong a pedigree as Neal. His duck has to be broken one day...doesn't it? There are few more controversial drivers on the grid than Jason Plato (MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save Racing). Watching him however gives you the idea that he quite enjoys being the pantomime villain. Despite endlessly moaning about the rear-wheel drive advantage the 2010 and 2001 champion still sits in a commanding third place in the Championship 43 points behind leader Colin Turkington. Plato and the MG6GT have, at times, struggled for pace and if he doesn't win the championship this year it is widely speculated that the manufacture may pull out. Whether or not these rumours are true is one thing, but the championship is still very much within Platos reach, and it's difficult to think of something he'd like more than matching arch-rival Matt Neals number of championships. Colin Turkington (Ebay Motors) has had an interesting BTCC career thus far. After starting off in 2002 with 'Team Atomic Kitten' he has progressed (unlike the band) into one of the Championships star drivers. He graduated from TAC into the works MG team in 2003 however prior to the 2004 season the manufacturer pulled out. After another season in the ageing MG ZS he switched to VXR at probably the worst time possible. For the start of the 2005 season they had replaced the car which had won 4 championships on the trot (the Astra coupe) with the all new Astra Sporthatch. Whilst other teams had moved on to Super-2000 spec cars VXR had stuck with the outdated BTC-T spec regulations. The S2000 Honda Integras ran away with the championship and Turkington left after only one year. From disappointment came perhaps the best move of his career joining up with WSR who used to run the MGs. After one season campaigning the old ZS in Team RAC colours they switched to the BMW E90 320si which delivered the Northern Irishman his, and WSRs, first BTCC title. After a brief switch to WTCC Turkington returned to WSR (now Ebay Motors) to drive the BMW 125i M Sport, which this year has been the car to beat. Turkington currently leads the championship by 23 points with both Knockhill and Rockingham suiting RWD cars he has to go down as the current favourite to lift the title. The two other former champions on the grid have endured frustrating seasons. 2007 and 2008 champion Fabrizio Giovandardi (Airwaves Racing) currently sits 13th and has struggled for both success and incident free races. The other former champion is a legend from the supertouring era; Alain Menu (Chrome edition Restart racing). Having won the 1997 title for 'Williams Renault' and 2000 for the prodrive ran 'Ford Team Mondeo' Menu was making a long awaited BTCC comeback in 2014 and despite driving a car with obivous pace he has not done anywhere near as well as he'd have hoped. With Team BMR already committed for next year and with the obvious talents of Aron Smith and Jack Goff as his team-mates the Swiss driver should be challenging nearer the top next season. But who else might challenge?It's not just the former champions to look out for with 5 out of the top 10 places taken by drivers who've yet to win a title. Rob Collard (Ebay Motors) always goes well at Knockhill. The aforementioned Aron Smith (Chrome edition Restart racing) has won twice this year in his Volkswagen CC and team-mate Jack Goff showed real pace at Snetterton. Rob Austin (Exocet racing) has been unlucky throughout the season with various issues stumping the Audi drivers progress. On the track where he gained his first ever BTCC pole last season the podium is a realistic aim, whilst team-mate Hunter Abbott (AlchoSense Breathalysers Racing) followed an excellent weekend at Croft with a disappointing one at Croft. Motorbases Mat Jackson is a picture of unspectacular consistency and should be hoping to go one better following an excellent 2nd at Snetterton. Whilst young drivers Tom Ingram (Speedworks) and Sam Tordoff (MG KX Clubcard Fuel Save Racing) are being touted by many as future champions following impressive showings in only there first and second seasons respectively. Finally Adam Morgan (Wix Motorsport) has shown real pace this season in his Mercedes A Class, following a seasons best 4th at Snetterton the former Ginetta Champion may be an outside bet for a podium place. How about the rest?Despite a relatively lowly 17th place in the championship ex Formula 3 champion Marc Hynes (Quantel BiFold Racing) has had a decent first year back in racing. The Maurissia F1 driver coach has been let down at times by other drivers and by his own decision making. Expect next year to be a far more impressive one. Scotsmen Dave Newsham (AmdTuning.com) and Aiden Moffat (Laser Tools Racing) will be looking to make an impression on there home track. As will former British GT Champion Glynn Geddie (United Autosports) Last seasons Jack Sears trophy winner Lea Wood (Houseman Racing) will be looking to creep into the top 15 in his Toyota Avensis more than he has managed so far as will Jack Clarke (Crabbies Racing) in his Ford Focus. American Robb Holland (Rotek Racing) scored his first point at Snetterton and will be looking to build on that at his favourite track in his immaculately prepared Audi S3 saloon. The STP Racing with Sopp + Sopp Protons of Ollie Jackson and Dan Welch have had a season plagued by engine issues. Consistent finishes would be the aim after a decent 2013 for Welch. Finally Chris Stockton (Power Maxed Racing) should have his new Swindon engine fitted in time for Knockhill. The former Lexus driver has had a horrendous season with problems plaguing his RML built Chevy Cruze hatch, making him the only driver to have competed in every round not to have completed over 50% of racing laps. Stockton and the hard working crew at BTC Racing, much like STP Racing, will be hoping for 3 race finishes in Fife.
So there you have it, a complete preview of the next 3 rounds of the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. My first 'official' bit of writing on the subject and something a bit different from the normal football on here! |
Archives
April 2020
CategoriesAuthorI'm Fraser, 22, Sons fan who is now living the dream of reporting on Dumbarton for the Lennox Herald. |