Sons FC

Time to be optimistic again - that was a great window. I couldn't understand the angst in here during the wait for players. Pretty much everyone was looking for a few payers to move and prioritised defenders, a goalkeeper and a forward. This is exactly what happened - three left, two defenders, a goalkeeper, a forward come in and we retain Thomas - in the meantime a number of people on here were predicting certain relegation, the club was going out of business and being wound up, etc. Time to start believing again. #Duffydelivers.

We're sorry to lose him - he will certainly be missed by Crawley but at least he is going to a good club.

Give us your thoughts on Tom Dallison.... He's just joined and only started two games. Solid enough without being spectacular - he is being nursed through the early games by the more experienced defenders around him. He did have a good game on Saturday when we beat Swindon - he didn't put a foot wrong. Connolly is a much better player but his wife is Scottish, he has just had his second child and the thinking is that she wants to return to Scotland.

I watch Crawley Town down here on a regular basis and there are rumours here claiming Mark Connolly may be on his way to United. Great player, hope you don't get him!

Nobody called you "an old fart who complains for no reason" Wilf. Nobody on here (or I suspect relatively few) know the state of your health, so your comments about not attending matches because of a drum do come across as a bit bah humbug.

It would certainly help the finances - can you ten play every week for us?

We've all got tons we can do on a Saturday - go shopping with the missus, visit friends etc but there are only so many soft furnishing shops you can go into, only so much cake you eat. How does this compare with the excitement, the spectacle, the hope, fears, dreams, expectations, highs, lows and belonging that comes with a Sons' game?

My brother and I had one each - bought from Tyrrell's - great memory OS! I had it for years until it just simply wore out (a bit like OS!). What is all this talk about going out of business? Get a grip folks. One bad result at Brechin and we are relegated? We are barely half way though the season, Duffy is in his first transfer window but still having to cope with the mess left behind by the "saviour", the finances are not great but they are no better or worse than at the start of the season - there are many clubs that manage on a lot less than we do. There are a lot of games to go, there are a lot of ways the club can generate money and too much collective gloom and misery on here.

Any thoughts on Tom Dallison signing for Crawley in League Two?

The problem is there are so many other attractions now that weren't available in previous decades. The only alternative to going to the football then was the Rialto (and you really didn't want to go there very often). There was no live football on TV, Sportscene showed only half an hour of highlights on Saturday night on one game, there were no updates or programmes like Sky Sports Saturday. If you went to the pub on Saturday afternoon, you had no idea what was happening, except for one game on the radio.

This is only a snapshot though. I remember when home attendances in the early to mid seventies were closer to 3,000.

...and?...for those of us not on Facebook?

This is an outstanding point Cameron. I am a great believer in this. It is very common in football and players are unfairly criticised when team mates let them down.

And somewhere in the distance, Sons TV wept.

It wasn't specified but I am sure there are some on here who will know.

I haven't watched the tape for some years now (for obvious reasons) but I know there is a midweek game against Aberdeen at Pittodrie on there - it ended 1-1 with John Bourke scoring for us - is that the one you mean?

The transfer is not the issue OS, that is straightforward, the copyright and distribution rights are a bigger issue.

I remember it well.

I'm looking into to Jumbo - the footage will almost certainly be subject to copyright, which would be vested in the rights holder, in this case the SFL. However, the present SFL is not the same legal entity that existed then, so it all depends on what rights were transferred over. The other issue is if I can find it! (I am sure I can - I don't have Old Scrotum's blank memories).

It was definitely the Texaco Cup. I remember an advert on STV calling on people to attend the game to see Dumbarton qualify.

The Chase says give up the chronic third person Duff patter. Duff Man says...you're right. The hilarious parody, using deliberate exaggeration for comic effect has run its course.

I can just about remember the Drybrough Cup. I do remember Texacogate very well. We didn't ever buy Texaco petrol again after that. I remember the Spring Cup game at Firhill (was it the semi-final?) and how good Ian Wallace was that day - did we lose 3-1 to Airdrie?

We were 3-1 up AT halftime, after Celtic scored first. John Bourke headed against the bar from a corner early in the second half before Celtic salvaged the game. Hughie McLean was different class. Johnny Doyle said years later that that was the turning point and if that header had gone in, the Celtic players didn't think they could get back in the game.

I have an old VCR recording of all the Dumbarton footage from STV. I don't think the Celtic game was covered by STV as it is not on the tape.

Duff Man says, brings a tear to the eye. Oh Yeah.