Sons' sorrow

[Howlin' Wilf]

This is a fair point. 
It would be helpful to see some solid evidence to support the 'minutes from oblivion' line that we've seen on here with increased frequency over the past several weeks. At the moment we can only rely on anecdotal contributions from anonymous posters on an internet forum - and they assured us there was no way we could afford to dismiss Aitken.
Perhaps we do have major financial issues but until the club or the trust address the support directly then it's all just heresy.

You’re misrepresenting what has been said. Make no mistake that, but for a last minute intervention, the club was facing a very, very serious situation. As for anonymous, it is very easy to find out the real identity of OKI, Balloch Sons Fan and me. If you think that we are the kind of people who come on to this forum and spread rumours and untruths then that’s your prerogative. You’re wrong though. Nobody assured anybody we couldn’t afford to sack Aitken. We just pointed out that it might not be a straightforward process for a club already facing serious debt. A way has been found and I’m sure it was pretty hard work.

[TheChase]

Lads, I've written about 3,000 words. 

I enjoyed these words very much [emoji106]

[FifeSons]

15 minutes ago, Howlin' Wilf said:

You’re misrepresenting what has been said. Make no mistake that, but for a last minute intervention, the club was facing a very, very serious situation. As for anonymous, it is very easy to find out the real identity of OKI, Balloch Sons Fan and me. If you think that we are the kind of people who come on to this forum and spread rumours and untruths then that’s your prerogative. You’re wrong though. Nobody assured anybody we couldn’t afford to sack Aitken. We just pointed out that it might not be a straightforward process for a club already facing serious debt. A way has been found and I’m sure it was pretty hard work.

I don't know anything about the inner workings of the club, so I wouldn't doubt any of what you're saying. I'm sure you and the others you've mentioned are much better informed than myself. I just think some people find it a bit odd that we were able to go out and assemble such a strong squad (which was joint, if not slight, favourites for the league) if things are/were so precarious, but then it not to be reasonable for us to expect Aitken to be handed his jotters when things went tits up.

Anyway, I'm a bit sick of all the bickering among fellow Sons fans. This season is a blank canvas now, let's move forward.

[TheChase]

On the basis that I was one of the reps who were involved in the series of meetings between Brabco, the club board and the trust board, I can categorically state that the limited information I know about our financial position  isn't hearsay.

Aye ok.

[albundy]

Brace yourselves. Here we go. 3,378 words on Stevie Aitken's tenure as Dumbarton Football Club manager. I've probably missed a few things out, but hopefully nothing glaring.
http://talesfromtherock.weebly.com/home/stephen-aitken
Let me know where the typos are by the way, my eyes are going to dissolve if I look at a screen for much longer.

Excellent article. I wondered the same thing over the weekend, what happened to the Stevie Aitken that we started with?

At what point did he abandon the belief in attacking football?

[sonsanorak]

Thanks and goodbye Stevie.

Not Hartley, Brian Reid or anyone like that please. I’d be surprised if it was Duffy and expect either another experienced manager from the lower leagues (a la Aitken) or an untested ex player.

[FifeSons]

Great article @Ross Forbes. Joe Nuttall was another odd one that couldn’t get a game, but went on to feature for Blackburn Rovers in League One and the Championship.

[Jan Vojáček]

Just now, Stevie Aitken said:

Great article @Ross Forbes. Joe Nuttall was another odd one that couldn’t get a game, but went on to feature for Blackburn Rovers in League One and the Championship.

Cheers, aye I'm tempted to write a sub article looking on where it all went wrong - but that might have to wait until the end of the week. 

[FifeSons]

It would be a great troll if it turns out we haven’t actually sacked Aitken and he’s landed the Partick job.

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

Houston is an arsehole but I wouldn't be completely against him...

He's assistant at Morton these days to an inexperienced manager, I think he's quite happy there.

Hope to god you stay away from Hartley, but I think he would take it if offered. He's not getting a job in the top two tiers after destroying Dundee and Falkirk, and you lot are a very appealing League One side.

[Howlin' Wilf]

It would be a great troll if it turns out we haven’t actually sacked Aitken and he’s landed the Partick job.

Probably more likely to resurface at Queen's Park or the next League 2 vacancy. Berwick is probably too far.

[DumbartonTheSons]

Brace yourselves. Here we go. 3,378 words on Stevie Aitken's tenure as Dumbarton Football Club manager. I've probably missed a few things out, but hopefully nothing glaring.
http://talesfromtherock.weebly.com/home/stephen-aitken
Let me know where the typos are by the way, my eyes are going to dissolve if I look at a screen for much longer.

An excellent article with some great memories in there. Well Done.

Stevie had done a good job, but his marriage with us was on the rocks (pun intended) since the turn of the year.

I certainly wish him well for the future, but it's absolutely the correct decision. How the board have financed it I, and most others won't know, but credit to them for doing so. It needed to happen and I don't know how anyone can still think otherwise.

A new man will hopefully be able to galvanise this squad which has quality in it, and start getting points on the board.

[Howlin' Wilf]

Cheers, aye I'm tempted to write a sub article looking on where it all went wrong - but that might have to wait until the end of the week. 

Good article and fairly well balanced.

[FifeSons]

7 minutes ago, Howlin' Wilf said:

 

Probably more likely to resurface at Queen's Park or the next League 2 vacancy. Berwick is probably too far.

 

I think he could do with a break from football for a little while, for his own sake.

[tigger]

Barry Smith looking for a job [emoji106]

[Jan Vojáček]

3 minutes ago, DumbartonTheSons said:

An excellent article with some great memories in there. Well Done.

Stevie had done a good job, but his marriage with us was on the rocks (pun intended) since the turn of the year.

I certainly wish him well for the future, but it's absolutely the correct decision. How the board have financed it I, and most others won't know, but credit to them for doing so. It needed to happen and I don't know how anyone can still think otherwise.

A new man will hopefully be able to galvanise this squad which has quality in it, and start getting points on the board.

 

Cheers - appreciate it. Aye, I agree. Everyone knew his time with us was coming to an end, and the longer it had dragged on the more unpleasant it would become. The longer he stayed the more damage he would've done to himself and the club imo.

1 minute ago, Howlin' Wilf said:

Good article and fairly well balanced.

 

Cheers - getting the balance was always going to be the tricky bit. 

Stevie was responsible for some outstanding moments. Beating Hibs twice, Dundee United three times, the draw at Easter Road, getting us to the Cup final. All of those moments were amazing.

Unfortunately he was also responsible for Bonnyrigg, last season's shambles and a trio (I think) of 6-0 defeats. 

The erratic nature of us under Stevie seemed to represent the views our fans had on him. To the folk of Aitken's Army he could do very little wrong, to others (I'm looking at Twitter's Del Kinnon here) he could do absolutely nothing right. 

[Rovers2017]

Boooooooo bad decision by the board. 

[sonsism]

Full statement: https://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=3805

Good to see they're not wasting any time.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

He's assistant at Morton these days to an inexperienced manager, I think he's quite happy there.
Hope to god you stay away from Hartley, but I think he would take it if offered. He's not getting a job in the top two tiers after destroying Dundee and Falkirk, and you lot are a very appealing League One side.

I totally forgot he was there actually. We can rule him out then.

I'd be astounded if we were interested in Hartley and vice versa.

[Howlin' Wilf]

The club statement is very carefully worded and gives due credit to Stevie way beyond the usual "We thank him for his efforts and wish him well". I don't think it has been an easy decision but after the defeats by Raith and Stranraer there was an inevitability about it.  Good luck to him. I notice Ian Durrant and Craig McPherson are still listed on the website as Assistant Manager and Coach.