Trawler Rum & Weetabix

I think we should all drop the bad neighbour theme. If there were no residences within a mile of the Bet Butler it wouldn't matter a damn as Brabco has never had any intention of spending money or applying for planning permission there. Their sole purpose is in flogging that site and turning some sort of profit. Everyone should begin to focus on what they will do if they can't manage that

My sister-in-law's daughter is getting married in 2016 and she was asking if there are likely to be sample wedding menus available tomorrow ??

If we can take the emotions surrounding Brabco out of the equation for a bit, it seems to me that finance may be a major problem in all of this. Dumbarton has seen an explosion in new house building over the last decade, and you have to wonder if there is a market for even more. Presumably if there was then someone would have developed the other side of Castle Road. Apparently several of the Turnberry flats on Castlegreen Street are now on the rental market as the departing owners could not sell them, and that's at a time when interest rates have been at a historical low, rates which are very likely to be moving upwards again just as Brabco/Denny Homes are likely to be laying bricks. So, the key point. If the BBS site was worth say £4M in 2007, there is absolutely no certainty it will be worth £2.5M in 2015; it will be worth exactly and only what the market is willing to pay. All of which matters, as that figure might not even cover Phase One, never mind Brabco skimming a wedge.

Why not ? Community ownership need not mean big kids let loose with a train set; there is a broad skill set in both the Trust and wider community, and perhaps the need to remain solvent would direct DFC down a more customer-focused route. Does anyone know just what Brabco are contributing financially at present ?

Other than house-building Dumbarton and the Vale don't figure highly on any measures of economic regeneration, and I'm really struggling to think who ar what would be attracted to the area in question. Sure it's just off the A82 which is a tourist route, but we already have hotels and travel lodges with another currently in construction in Balloch, a more pleasant part of the world. The only thing I can think of would be an outlets type of thing but even that that seems one hell of an ask. I'm figuring the economic numbers wouldn't stack up for a golf range or a garden centre, so what does anyone on here think could realistically pump prime capital into DFC being able to achieve a 4000 capacity football ground ??

This is probably the best post yet on this topic, and I wouldn't argue with a word of it. But I get the sense that minds may already have been made up at the club and they will press on regardless of any supporter or Sonstrust opinions. There is also the issue that the council seems desperate to develop the current site.

Good luck with that, it smacks too much of Raise The Rock Day.

Indeed, it's an awful start to the week and my heart goes out to Andrew, Scott and Kirsty's Mum.

They will but there may be more to follow on that one.....

As long as they are of decent enough quality. We need a consistent reliable keeper and none of three already signed fit that bill, it will be a travesty if all the outfield team building is offset bycontinuing to leak rank bad goals, never mind cacking ourselves every time the opposition wins a corner.

It's been taken down as a precaution as it was felt that people were being kept unnecessarily informed.

Aye, we've come a long way since Jim George and Gerry Whatshisname.

If that's true then that's what I feared, fleecing folk is shite whoever they support, businessmen or not. No-one can complain over a modest increase but £90 would be 'kicking the arse out of it'.

I see there's a note on the DFC website about hospitality packages. I really hope the club doesn't try and kick the arse of what has been a very good value-for-money package until now, especially as there is to be no extra capacity at the ground.

So, another week passes without any obvious activity......

Apparently the replacement admin assistant suddenly jacked it in and the Chairman and CEO aren't coping too well. My source told me it's like Basil Fawlty, but not as well-mannered.

Ahead of the season in which sales of season tickets should rocket I hear that there is something of an admin and PR shambles at DFC right now - anyone else heard similar ?

A wee postscript to this temporary stand stuff; has anyone considered what would happen if everything was put in place and the fixture was cancelled, something not unknown in recent years ? Would we all be willing for DFC to take a financial hit in that event, something that could end up costing us money ? The only way round it would be to have the apparatus in place for all the home games and it would be interesting to see how that cost compared to 6 paydays. Anyway, plenty involving Ian Murray in today's papers, but still no hint of further signings

£250 ??? Have we put Scott Smith on a 2-year meal deal ?

As I said above, I hope no-one is playing silly beggars Convince us.....

There seems to a bit of speculation going on here, but as to any departure by Ian Murray basically two things can happen. Either we gradually collapse and head back down a division or two, or we can use the club's enhanced profile and better cash situation to attract another manager of good calibre. As long as we remain in the Championship we would surely be an attractive option for an ambitious manager. As for right now, I hope no-one is playing silly beggars.

If he's half as good as his Dad then we're three quarters of the way to having a player.

[/quote name=Bring Back Paddy Flannery' timestamp='1359117125' post='7015592] Can't say I'm overly bothered he's been farmed out, has looked out of his depth this season and will benefit more from regular games at Annan than sitting on the bench with us. Obviously Murray has deemed him not good enough for this campaign and I'd tend to agree with that on what I've seen so far. Still young so hopefully we'll see him back a better player, he was decent last season. Quite pleased with this, as it's another indication that Ian Murray understands the quality of player needed to play in this division. Martin McNiff is young and willing but falls short of quality and pace for me. He is also extremely one-footed. We wish him well at Annan but I think we need to set our sights higher and I hope that Murray is actively working on that.