TheFarPost

That's exactly our approach.

Here, as promised, is the initial Sonstrust response to the Brabco statement this morning: https://sonstrust.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/sonstrust-response-to-brabco-statement/ We have also commented to the Dumbarton Reporter (which you will be able to see tomorrow) and to the Lennox Herald (Wednesday).

A full statement in response to the Brabco one on the DFC site will be going up on the Sonstrust site later today, after I've finished talking to the local press this morning. I'll post the link here, of course. There are a number of very important issues raised by this statement, which we'll be handling in detail. I'm sure everyone here will realise, of course, that this move towards greater transparency/enagement (and in particular, movement on offshore ownership) is a direct result of both public and private pressure from fans through the Sonstrust - and the coverage in both the local papers and the Sunday Herald, to which we have been party every step of the way. One very important point: regarding "We are involving a wide group of stakeholders in this work, including those who are members of the Sonstrust." We have asked for this and we are very willing to engage seriously and productively, but *not* in exchange for any kind of gagging order. There will be legitimate issues of commercial confidentiality which need observing as we look at business modelling for a new stadium and what follows (of course... we understand that). *But* there can be and there will be no silencing the trust from raising legitimate questions and concerns as we move forward. The maximum possible transparency benefits everyone (building trust and partnership) when there is nothing to hide. Last comment at this stage: what this shows is that the voice of fans can be not only "heard", but effective in bringing the accountability we want. But *only* if we are united and strong. So sorry to be boring about this, but please recruit friends to the Sonstrust TODAY! https://sonstrust.wordpress.com/join-here/ This is vital, along with the support we have from the local MSP and other senior people in public life. We need the maximum support for the Sons, our club, on and off the pitch. Btw, we had a trust board meeting on Saturday morning, and some important decisions were made/confirmed (further to what I reported at the AGM) which you'll also be hearing more about soon... Best, Simon

This from today's Reporter, in case you haven't seen it. You'll see my comment at the end from the trust. (I'm declining to comment on what DFC or Brabco do or don't say to the press, but our position about the maximum transparency around the stadium proposals, subject to reasonable commercial conditions, remains steadfast.) Simon

This is true!

The corrected online headline for the same story on the Lennox, after a word was had...

Great. Yup me too, re. tix. (Didn't mean to suggest that you were having pop!)

Cash management is *always* tight at DFC, given how scarce our resources are. Having only one game in five at home is obviously part of that this time. TBH, I don't think many of us are aware of what a determined job the chairman and board do on finance in making sure we stay afloat. Yes, there are many things we supporters want to change/improve going forward, but DFC has done incredibly well to stay at this level for so long and to avoid debt. Our commercial director, also the trust director, does a really great job for nowt, too. I may not be popular with some hardened cynics for saying all this, but it's true. The Advanced Season Ticket offer is one way we can really get behind the team - and is one of a range of factors that can maximise our chance of staying in the Championship.

To do our best at staying in this division, and to continue punching above our weight (remember), the club needs all the support and resources it can get. A great Advance Season Ticket offer for fans and money coming in at this stage for DFC benefits everyone. Let's get behind it!

You need to be able to drink, type, think and swear simultaneously. *Proper* multi-tasking...

In the case of the Lennox and this kind of article I know they don't. In some other places they do, though traditionally not. Far less easy than it sounds. You often have an exact number of characters to fill, they have to be 'reader-friendly' to please your editor, and the stories are flying at you from all directions. Also, you'll simultaneously be subbing, laying out copy, etc. etc. You might even be working from a remote office on several papers from different localities at once. It's also one of those things that gets better with experience... but is actually often thrown at youngsters who are just learning the ropes these days. Staff cutbacks mean that many local papers run on a shoestring, with crap wages, low morale and overwork, etc., endemic So its easy to judge from the outside, but much tougher if you're in the den. I'm not uncritical of the decline in journalistic standards (which is a serious issue), but as a longstanding National Union of Journalists rep/activist I sympathise with those in the from line because I know what it's like. (These days I run a policy think-tank and do commentary rather than reporting, but I've experienced the whole gamut of print journalism.) Simon

The journalist does not write the headline, please remember. And with cuts, everyone (including headline writers) are working under significant pressure. I've spoken to them. Genuine misunderstanding, I believe. Someone scanned the story quickly and misconstrued. It will be corrected. I'm a journalist too, by the way! Simon

I was trying to be polite. I've spoken to them about it. The headline will change on the website, I have been told. Plus, of course, there will be a comment from the trust, to clarify the situation, next week. Actually, what there is at the moment is a scheme for planning approval (which we have all had the opportunity of seeing) and indicators about commercial intentions, possibilities and proposals. But there is as yet no planning approval, and no 'plan' in the sense of a costed, timetabled and verified business plan in writing that we are aware of. That's what we are looking forward to engaging over in the coming weeks. At that point the question as to whether something is on the table that can be backed will arise. **Not until then**. But, yes, positive signs... Simon

A decent summary of where we are. (Well, I would say that, wouldn't I, because it accurately reports and reflects what we're saying! ... But, seriously, the Reporter has been very professional about this all along). Simon

As I'm sure you will all have noticed, the headline does not reflect the story or what I said (if it is read as implying some change of position by the trust). I'll put something up on our website later today, but just to be crystal clear, what we are saying after this meeting about the new stadium proposal is what we were saying before it, and what we will go on saying until we see independently verifiable evidence that the plan is workable, sustainable for DFC, and what the majority of fans want. Namely: IF there is a win-win situation here (a new stadium which benefits the club, benefits the fans, secures our future and is good for the community of Dumbarton and its environment), that will get the backing of supporters, we are sure. But if not, it won't. It's as simple as that. What we *are* very much up for, and have been asking for, is direct engagement with the club's owners and the club on the details of the plan, so that we can be confident in the appropriateness, viability and feasibility of what is being proposed. The meeting on Saturday - pushed for very hard by us, over a long period of time - was a significant step forward. But also a first step. For all concerned, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. My role is to reflect fans' views (which vary, but are universally concerned that this development doesn't leave us in peril) and to speak on behalf of trust members, who we continue to consult very closely on all this. Signs that the owners and the club want to, and are willing to, bring us on board much more are welcome. Ultimately, fans *are* the club, and we certainly want to be key stakeholders moving forward. We're going to try to be positive. But we're not issuing blank cheques to anyone. Nor is the club chairman. Any further questions I'll be happy to answer here, or via PM. Best, Simon

There are attitudes around which I'd describe as "old fashioned" that need to change. We're working really hard to improve relations and try to get things moving a bit, and actually the stadium discussions are helping with that. But note from what I wrote above - there's also apathy and negativity among us fans. I'm not criticising anyone, just saying we all have a job of work to do. We need to bury past resentments and get stuck in! Now... three points from Ayr today, pleeeeease lads!! #MonEhSons

This is also relevant to the issue of going or staying: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/dumbartons-iconic-whisky-tower-just-9832403

The trust has made such proposals in the past. They've not been taken up. The club has non-existent PR and a poor reputation at present. That can and must change. We also need committed fans to get stuck in, too. The under-16 season ticket offer, which as people say was a great deal, produced a take-up lower than the number of fingers on one hand. There had been strong calls for the club to do this (which the trust took up), but then no-one responded when it happened. It's this kind of thing that produces negativity towards suggestions for change, so it's a two-way street.

Blame autocorrect! That said.... http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Firt

Just realised I didn't answer this bit of your question. In all, 16 possible sites were assessed in terms of their suitability, and for a range of planning and allied reasons the Dalmoak site deemed the only workable one, and the only one identified for potential development purposed in the LDP. There's no reason to revisit that question that we as a trust can see. (This is one of a number of questions which have been asked and answered on numerous occasions, here and elsewhere, including at the two public meetings we've organised and the two public consultations, over the past few years. Which is why we want to put together an updatable FAQ, to make sure everything that's known and agreed/not agreed can be more easily viewable by anyone who wants to know). Simon

This from the Lennox Herald today. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/dumbarton-fc-fans-voice-fears-9817481 Actually we never used the word "fear". We're not frit!! But we did, rightly, talk about uncertainty and concerns, the need for key questions to be addressed, the need for engagement with supporters, the need for communication, and the need for a positive way forward.

Dumbarton FC can survive and flourish if we as supporters get behind a positive vision for the future, increase our stakeholding, engage responsibly and vigilantly with the owners, and work hard with the club to ensure that the right decisions are taken. That's what we're doing - together! We don't need alarmism, we need commitment and a growing membership. Join us! https://sonstrust.wordpress.com/join-here/ All the best, Simon

Quick response on some of the above: * Does the trust have a plan? Well, three and a half years ago we produced the outline of a 'Vision Strategy' (discussed at two AGMs) which began the process of looking at how we want the club to move forward, and the role of fans as serious stakeholders in that. It was the beginning of a 'business modelling' project. Then the stadium move proposal came on the table, and we shelved the plan while we put our energy into dealing with that. But we have said (as I reported at the AGM on 11th November) that we need to get back to the business of looking at plan for different possible scenarios, and we intend to do so after the upcoming Trust Board meeting with Brabco. * Does the trust have any other plan? Yes, to remind you, we are actively looking at transitioning the trust to a member-based Community Interest Company, which would enable us to undertake social enterprise business initiatives and fundraising, and would also provide a possible model for the club in the future (a CIC is a private company which commits to operating in the community interest and has a legal lock on its assets for that purpose). * Should we stay or should we go (the club re. the stadium, that is)? There are risks and advantages to both options, and the jury is still out. Both need some serious business planning, no doubt. Drawings and wish-lists aren't enough. We shouldn't move to a new stadium unless that can be shown to be workable and sustainable for the club. On the other hand, if the move doesn't come off, there are big challenges ahead too. I'm a little less sanguine than O'Kelly Isley III on that, but I won't get into all of that right now... One thing is certain: a plan is needed. We are talking with the club about that. Simon

Yeah, I'm not being a humourless git here... But as we're half way between banter and comment, I just wanted to stress what this is all about from my/our POV. There are serious stakes involved. It's not simply a question of "if Brabco walk, everything's fine", as I think *some* people reckon. It really isn't.

Just to be clear - we're not spoiling for any kind of fight here; just stating things as they are, in a reasonable way, and looking for a response which takes the fans seriously and answers the questions that people want answering. Our *only* concern as a trust in all this is to ensure the security of DFC, to seek the best possible deal on any development proposals, and to develop a growing stake in the future of the club we love. Given the (understandable) public concern, scepticism and questions over the stadium move development, it's important also to say that DFC faces big challenges if this *doesn't* go ahead, too. Money is tight, costs are increasing, attendance isn't buoyant, and there's no tooth fairy to bail us out. So simply sticking a finger at the current owners isn't a viable strategy, either. We are pursuing conversations with them in good faith, wanting communication, assurances, information and engagement. But whatever happens, you can be sure that we'll be sticking up for the best interests of DFC and of you (all of us), the supporters. And that we'll continue to keep you informed and involved as best we can. Best, Simon