Sons' sorrow

[George Parr]

Part of the issue stems from over a decade of grim struggle, both on and off the park.

A victim of our own success in the Championship to some extent, we got used to scrapping week after week for any points going. There were some notable highlights in that period and we went toe-to-toe with some of the biggest teams in Scotland but after a while losing more than you win, being on the backfoot and negative goal differences start to take their toll. Then there was the largely miserable period under Jim Duffy, Covid and relegation under Faz from League 1. I think that's why, as a collective support, we never fully bought into the winning run at the beginning of the season. We're so conditioned to loss and struggle.

The other, arguably bigger, concern is our off the park circus. It's really quite challenging to be positive when governance of the football club appears irreparably fucked.

I dearly hope we win the league - it'll make for a good night oot. But a neutral observer might note Jan's points and conclude that Stirling Albion have more going for them and more to offer League 1 next season. 

 

[FifeSons]

You can only hope the dressing room doesn't have the same ridiculous, defeatist attitude.

[FifeSons]

1 hour ago, Jan Vojáček said:

players celebrating goals like they've won the league (and I mean that in a good way, not in a 'aw youse think youse have won the league in March' way).

If I were Faz, I'd be showing that to the players and hyping it up as Stirling thinking they've won it.

[Quentin Taranbino]

1 hour ago, Jan Vojáček said:

Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But I've watched the Binos' goals from last night (and followed their Twitter during the game) and they look like a side in a promotion battle.

Busy stadium, buzzing atmosphere, fans right behind the team on Twitter and players celebrating goals like they've won the league (and I mean that in a good way, not in a 'aw youse think youse have won the league in March' way).

Compare that to us. When we were winning there was no buzz. Just a sense that the winning run will stop. Now we aren't winning there's a strong sense of misery. We had less than 500 home fans at the game on Saturday too.

I've only seen us win a league once, but the atmosphere was nothing like this. Nor was it like this in 2011/12 when we won the playoffs. If I read the posts on FB correctly too we've not even filled a supporters' bus for Forthbank. First v Second. First title fight in over a decade. And we can't get fans to go to the closest away day in the league (or one of them anyway).

If you were shown Tweets and Facebook posts and asked which team in the league they related to, you'd say Bonnyrigg.

We don't play scintillating football. We have a dire pitch. And we have a manager who splits the fanbase. That's before you delve into the mess behind the scenes. I understand all that.

But my God. We've spent near enough the last eight seasons battling relegation. I'm just glad there's absolutely no danger of that this year.

@Francesc Fabregas mentioned it to me the other week after the Stenny game at home. There is an overpowering feeling of misery around the club at the moment, and it's as bad as I can remember it. Despite the fact we're in a title hunt. I stand by what I said last night, there's a section of our support that enjoys defeats so they can moan. Because when we win games and play well, that Facebook group is almost silent.

As a Stirling fan I would say that's a relatively accurate statement from our side anyway, but would like to point out how things can change oh so quickly. 

Eight months ago or so I had never ever felt so disillusioned with my club on so many fronts. Season after season of mid table league two obscurity, the club board and the trust board dragging each other through the gutter. Horror stories and bad press about stuff going on behind the scenes. Ask any Albion fan what it was like a year ago or so and it would be up there with the lowest times supporting the club. Regardless of which 'side' you were on, it was horrible watching it unfold.

For better or worse, it has been mostly resolved. There has been a complete change at board level, a title campaign, supporters have flocked back, interest renewed, everyone working towards a common goal and a great atmosphere at the club now both on the park and behind the scenes reportedly. 

Whilst we still have a long way to go and for some the damage is too much and the bitterness won't ever leave, by in large the club seems to be in the best place it has been for many a year both on and off the park. Debate will be had as to the real reasons and cause for this but it matters not from my perspective. The club is on the up and the majority of the supporters are happy.

So fear not Sons fans, quick changes to mentality do and will happen. 

Good luck whichever way it goes

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

1 hour ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I'm not on Facebook so I don't know who these folk are, but provided they're not abusive they are entitled to their opinion.

Their opinions are tedious pish regardless of how we play or if we win. You can almost sense the glee and excitement from some of them when we get beat. If they gave credit when it was due that would be fine, but they don’t, they are a very strange collection of people. 

The main offender recently admitted he doesn’t actually attend any games, which is funny because he seems to post an in depth review of our performance after every game, which is generally complete word salad.

[Nowhereman]

1 hour ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I'm not on Facebook so I don't know who these folk are, but provided they're not abusive they are entitled to their opinion.

I've followed Dumbarton for over sixty years and this is one of the strangest seasons I can recall.  The club is chasing a league title yet you would hardly notice from the miserly home attendances and the mood of apathy in the town.  In that regard the Facebook folk are untypical.

OK, we are now in the bottom division and that has an impact but for me an air of decline has gradually settled over The Rock in the last few years to the extent that whilst most supporters still retain hope, belief is maybe nowadays in shorter supply.

In saying that I offer absolutely no criticism of Stevie Farrell, his squad and backroom team, in fact quite the opposite.  I don't think anyone at the start of August expected us to be where we are today, and at the least we can probably expect a tilt at the Play-Offs.  The football hasn't been eye-catching at times but we have certainly played to our strengths.

The club has a Chairman, a Football Director and a Community Director - that is your Boardroom folks.  I can't think of another club presently in Scottish senior football which operates with such a skeleton Board.  They have a massive task, but don't help themselves by a lack of communication with the support.

Money is a major issue and we learned that one-sixth of the club's income is generated by the ground rental from Rangers 'B'.  We struggle to fill hospitality and attract sponsors, and whilst we live in serious economic times that's not the whole story.

I don't have all the answers but anyone looking for them could do worse than start keep tabs on Companies House.

Yup, just over two weeks until the club becomes a coronation present for Chucky

[BB_Bino]

1 hour ago, George Parr said:

I dearly hope we win the league - it'll make for a good night oot. But a neutral observer might note Jan's points and conclude that Stirling Albion have more going for them and more to offer League 1 next season. 

We quite possibly have however that wasn't always the case. There had been plenty of in-fighting at Forthbank over the years, and the start of the season it became all too consuming for many. The change, rightly or wrongly depending on where you sit, happened at October/November time and somehow the club just seems to be in a better place on matchdays. Is it in general, time will tell, but on a matchday now, we are like a club reborn. Wins on the park have brought the fans back, we had been in this position before under Dave Mackay and never got the fans bounce, we do now....to levels that have probably not been seen at Forthbank in the league out with Championship seasons, important derby games or important Play Off deciders and it's definitely exciting. What are the club doing differently.......I really don't know but as I say, on a matchday things feel good.

What does that have to do with you guys.....I suppose it's flipping the mindset. Change at our club, rightly or wrongly, brought the most vocal of moaners onside and wins on the park turned them into the biggest flag wavers. The moans and groans from the vocal minority/majority hoover the feel good out of the match day. The young lads that come, brought more friends as the football (by and large) has been good, and it's then the snowball affect. Are this board better than the last board.....I honestly can't answer that truthfully, but is there a feel good factor throughout the club now, absolutely and it's that feel good factor that's pulling people in, despite the club being in the doldrums for years.

So, I think my point is, you can change it at Dumbarton as we did, but you as a fan group have to be united in changing it and you need to silence the mood hoovers. It might be a case of hitting the ground running as we have, or it may take some short term pain but ultimately you can get there. 

[WC Boggs]

43 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I'm not on Facebook so I don't know who these folk are, but provided they're not abusive they are entitled to their opinion.

I've followed Dumbarton for over sixty years and this is one of the strangest seasons I can recall.  The club is chasing a league title yet you would hardly notice from the miserly home attendances and the mood of apathy in the town.  In that regard the Facebook folk are untypical.

OK, we are now in the bottom division and that has an impact but for me an air of decline has gradually settled over The Rock in the last few years to the extent that whilst most supporters still retain hope, belief is maybe nowadays in shorter supply.

In saying that I offer absolutely no criticism of Stevie Farrell, his squad and backroom team, in fact quite the opposite.  I don't think anyone at the start of August expected us to be where we are today, and at the least we can probably expect a tilt at the Play-Offs.  The football hasn't been eye-catching at times but we have certainly played to our strengths.

The club has a Chairman, a Football Director and a Community Director - that is your Boardroom folks.  I can't think of another club presently in Scottish senior football which operates with such a skeleton Board.  They have a massive task, but don't help themselves by a lack of communication with the support.

Money is a major issue and we learned that one-sixth of the club's income is generated by the ground rental from Rangers 'B'.  We struggle to fill hospitality and attract sponsors, and whilst we live in serious economic times that's not the whole story.

I don't have all the answers but anyone looking for them could do worse than start keep tabs on Companies House.

Jan, the team is all we've got to unite behind, after two vile campaigns by  the trust board to remove the exec board in 6 years. A lesser known third plot in between, involving a former club chairman and plotters signing non disclosure agreements with "remove the club board" at the top of the agenda.

Now that the they have finally succeeded, we have a supposed interim board installed by the trust board, consisting of the child protection officer who doesn't have a vote and two large shareholders.  One who resides in London and another  who was a former trust board secretary and social media muckraker.  Who has a more skeleton board than you?  We do mate.

It's Darren Young and his squad that have brought the numbers and the buzz back despite all the crap, going on around them with warring egos and supporters  The war is over, but only the team's performance really preserves an uneasy peace.  It's far from something ideal to hold up in comparison, but easy to understand why you thought it might be.

Would be football Che Guevaras  sitting with a boner at every defeat and failure. Oh yeah we had plenty of those too.   Just pray your team can bring you through your own crap and get you up and out of the squeaky bum league.  In the end that's where we both are and hope for a better future from somewhere.

[headthebaw]

36 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

If I were Faz, I'd be showing that to the players and hyping it up as Stirling thinking they've won it.

Nobody at Stirling believes we’ve won it. We’ve seen too many false dawns and falls at the last fence in recent years.

[BB_Bino]

Just now, headthebaw said:

Nobody at Stirling believes we’ve won it. We’ve seen too many false dawns and falls at the last fence in recent years.

I'll second this!

[WC Boggs]

2 minutes ago, BB_Bino said:

I'll second this!

Ditto.

[WC Boggs]

4 minutes ago, headthebaw said:

Nobody at Stirling believes we’ve won it. We’ve seen too many false dawns and falls at the last fence in recent years.

nobody except one twat who thinks next Saturday is a title decider.

[Skyline Drifter]

2 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

The club has a Chairman, a Football Director and a Community Director - that is your Boardroom folks.  I can't think of another club presently in Scottish senior football which operates with such a skeleton Board.

Queen of the South have operated with a 3 man Board of Directors since 2012.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

27 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

Queen of the South have operated with a 3 man Board of Directors since 2012.

I stand informed, and thanks for that.  Can I ask why that is - is there a particular reason ?

[The Moonster]

If the board are struggling with 3 people, is there an effort to add to the board? Obviously our owners may have blocked anything in the past but if Henning has left the building what is there in place that would stop the appointment of further board members?

[Boghead ranter]

I'd advise most people to do what I finally did last night - mute the Sons of the Rock FB group.  I'll still be able to see the content if I'm feeling suicidal, but the mood hoover level dross from the usual suspects won't be put right in my face by the FB algorithm. 

The group hasn't worked out to be what I think @optimistic wanted it to be when it was set up.

[Skyline Drifter]

7 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

I stand informed, and thanks for that.  Can I ask why that is - is there a particular reason ?

Because that's what they want. A streamlined Board makes it much easier to take decisions. I don't think they've held a formal Board meeting since about then either. Major decisions can be made either with a phone call or two, or indeed in the car on the way to a game. We used to have a 5 or 6 man Board who weren't all necessarily local and it made it more difficult to get a decision on anything. Three of them left in the wake of a financial struggle in 2011/12 and were never replaced.

I'm really not sure why you'd need a bigger Board to actually get things done unless you're saying people will point blank refuse to do them without being made directors. We've several senior volunteers or staff members who help the club run, they don't need to be directors to do so.

[FifeSons]

1 hour ago, headthebaw said:

Nobody at Stirling believes we’ve won it. We’ve seen too many false dawns and falls at the last fence in recent years.

 

1 hour ago, BB_Bino said:

I'll second this!

 

1 hour ago, WC Boggs said:

Ditto.

I know. I'd just want our players to think that's the case to fire them up.

[FifeSons]

Most importantly, we need a match thread, because I’m increasingly tempted to start one.

[WC Boggs]

2 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

Most importantly, we need a match thread, because I’m increasingly tempted to start one.

Gimme a couple of minutes mate.