Sons' sorrow

[Silverton End]

Very wet in Helensburgh take it its the same at the rock.

Yeah. Very windy too.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Is an official inspection still due to take place or did our own inspection remove the need for one?

The weather is horrible just now and judging by the forecast that wont be changing any time soon.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Is an official inspection still due to take place or did our own inspection remove the need for one?

The weather is horrible just now and judging by the forecast that wont be changing any time soon.

Ignore this - totally forgot the match thread in the cup forum existed.

[Jan Vojáček]

It's off

[Dumbarton Rock]

Games off

[Guest TOPFITTER]

Think POSITIVE Two Saturdays unbeaten

[Howlin' Wilf]

Do we have a hall of fame? Seen a few clubs having hall of fame nights recently for new inductees and wasn't sure if this was something we ever had.

Would be great to get something set up if we dont. Could host a night for inductees once a year, make some dough off it, whilst we have the pleasure of getting steaming in the company of club legends.

Must be a fair whack of suitable nominees kicking around worthy of a slot in our hall of fame.

I'll start - Sir Patrick of Flannery.

We had a Hall of Fame Dinner in the early days at the Rock. I had the pleasure of introducing some of the players to the audience.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

We had a Hall of Fame Dinner in the early days at the Rock. I had the pleasure of introducing some of the players to the audience.

Who's currently included in the hall of fame?

It's something I'd be really keen to see re-introduced.

[Howlin' Wilf]

Who's currently included in the hall of fame?

It's something I'd be really keen to see re-introduced.

There were so many dinners in the early days at the Rock where ex Sons attended that I honestly can't remember which players were at which. I remember Kenny Wilson, Roy McCormack, Peter Coleman, John Bourke and Hughie Gallagher at the Hall of Fame thing but there were certainly many more than them there. I've certainly been at the same table as Jim Meechan, Paul Martin, Tom Carson, Craig Brittain, Stevie Gow and Jim Marsland at various things down there. I don't think there actually is a 'Hall of Fame' as such, I think they just gave that dinner the name as the idea was to unite as many former Sons players as possible..

[Howlin' Wilf]

Who's currently included in the hall of fame?

It's something I'd be really keen to see re-introduced.

I think the problem with doing anything like (the dinner) is attracting enough interest to cover costs. As I recall I think the cost for the Hall of Fame Dinner was about £40-£50 per head. If you take it that at least three tables worth were ex players, then they wouldn't be paying so the paying guest revenue is down by well over £1000 as well as having to pay out for their hospitality. It was much easier in the early noughties to charge that kind of money for tickets to dinners. Even then sometimes the place was hard to fill.

[DumbartonTheSons]

A Hall of Fame Dinner would be a cracking event I reckon.

Evokes great memories thinking of Sons heroes of times gone by who might be worthy of an 'induction' if there is an actual Hall of Fame.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

A Hall of Fame Dinner would be a cracking event I reckon.

Evokes great memories thinking of Sons heroes of times gone by who might be worthy of an 'induction' if there is an actual Hall of Fame.

OK, so who would organise it ? Events like this have to be 'worked' incredibly hard in order to fill the room, and unless there is a group of very hard-working people involved it won't fly.

I actually doubt whether it could fly anyway, such is the apathy surrounding the club right now. And even if some folk did get involved, they'd better be prepared for negativity at every turn.

[ThirdrockfromtheSon]

OK, so who would organise it ? Events like this have to be 'worked' incredibly hard in order to fill the room, and unless there is a group of very hard-working people involved it won't fly.

I actually doubt whether it could fly anyway, such is the apathy surrounding the club right now. And even if some folk did get involved, they'd better be prepared for negativity at every turn.

Just an observation, with no malice intended; is your glass ever more than a quarter full?

Of all the Sons fans I've encountered, only one stands out for negativity on all fronts: OKI 3.

Yes, you.

[Howlin' Wilf]

Just an observation, with no malice intended; is your glass ever more than a quarter full?

Of all the Sons fans I've encountered, only one stands out for negativity on all fronts: OKI 3.

Yes, you.

Having been chairman of both the Craig Brittain Testimonial Committee and the Gordon Lennon Memorial fund I can speak from experience. I was also involved in promoting several of the dinners in the early days at the Rock. OK3 is quite correct to point out the difficulties in staging such events. At the Craig Brittain Dinner in the last few days before it I was on the phone calling every favour in simply to get people to attend. There were many call offs in the last few days too which meant that we had to pay the Raddison for an unsold table. One of the speakers (Chic Charnley) called off six hours before the event. At the Gordon Lennon Dinner four of his team mates at Dumbarton didn't pay for their tickets despite repeated requests and one booked table of guests from another club, failed to turn up. Over both dinners there were unpaid auction items amounting to 100s of pounds. For a Hall of Fame Dinner, you would need about a third of our home support to attend at £50 a head to make it viable. In the current economic climate I can't see it.

At the Gordon Lennon dinner, a caterer provided the food and waiting staff at cost. Even then it cost £2700. Partick Thistle gave us the function suite foc. The catering for Craig's dinner at the Raddison was about £5k......eight years ago.

Even if you got the function suite at the club for nothing, catering at cost for a three course meal including waiting staff for 200 people would be around the £4k mark at £20 per head.

The trust ran a great comedy night for a couple of years. They had to cancel the last one with tickets at around £20 including buffet for lack of interest.

[ThirdrockfromtheSon]

Having been chairman of both the Craig Brittain Testimonial Committee and the Gordon Lennon Memorial fund I can speak from experience. I was also involved in promoting several of the dinners in the early days at the Rock. OK3 is quite correct to point out the difficulties in staging such events. At the Craig Brittain Dinner in the last few days before it I was on the phone calling every favour in simply to get people to attend. There were many call offs in the last few days too which meant that we had to pay the Raddison for an unsold table. One of the speakers (Chic Charnley) called off six hours before the event. At the Gordon Lennon Dinner four of his team mates at Dumbarton didn't pay for their tickets despite repeated requests and one booked table of guests from another club, failed to turn up. Over both dinners there were unpaid auction items amounting to 100s of pounds. For a Hall of Fame Dinner, you would need about a third of our home support to attend at £50 a head to make it viable. In the current economic climate I can't see it.

At the Gordon Lennon dinner, a caterer provided the food and waiting staff at cost. Even then it cost £2700. Partick Thistle gave us the function suite foc. The catering for Craig's dinner at the Raddison was about £5k......eight years ago.

Even if you got the function suite at the club for nothing, catering at cost for a three course meal including waiting staff for 200 people would be around the £4k mark at £20 per head.

The trust ran a great comedy night for a couple of years. They had to cancel the last one with tickets at around £20 including buffet for lack of interest.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough Wilf, or you're maybe reading too far into what I was trying to say.

I don't doubt for a second the effort put into the Club by passionate, willing people. Anyone who has the time, passion and willingness to do things whilst the rest of us sit back and let them gets my vote.

I was merely pointing out that OKI3, who if it is who I think it is, seems to have a huge lot of negativity on many things about DFC. I said it above - an observation only and no malice was intended.

[supersons]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough Wilf, or you're maybe reading too far into what I was trying to say.

I don't doubt for a second the effort put into the Club by passionate, willing people. Anyone who has the time, passion and willingness to do things whilst the rest of us sit back and let them gets my vote.

I was merely pointing out that OKI3, who if it is who I think it is, seems to have a huge lot of negativity on many things about DFC. I said it above - an observation only and no malice was intended.

Probably the most knowledgable of all sons fans would be oki3, he has also been trust chairman and witnessed halcyon and shite days as a sons supporter so imo he knows the time of day of what goes on at the club and also around it with trying to organise things.

He is probably being realistic with what he says, if that offends you then so be it!!

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Settle down chaps it was only a suggestion/idea/something I think would be good fun/a crowd pleaser!

I appreciate the work that goes into these sort of things and FWIW I wasn't suggesting we organise anything on the scale of 50 quid a pop tickets for an evening up the Radison.

I was more thinking cheap, cheerful, bevy, club legends, hall of fame induction and a bit of a laugh. Maybe something more like the poty night which always seems to attract decent numbers. I'm in absolutely no position to dedicate much time to helping organise something like this unfortunately, I have a harem of hoes at home and time consuming day job so it was merely an idea/discussion point type of thing. I also have zilch experience trying to run or organise these type of events so again I have no idea whats involved tbh.

I still think folk should be encouraged to come up with ideas to raise funds, even if they maybe don't add up in the end.

[Howlin' Wilf]

Settle down chaps it was only a suggestion/idea/something I think would be good fun/a crowd pleaser!

I appreciate the work that goes into these sort of things and FWIW I wasn't suggesting we organise anything on the scale of 50 quid a pop tickets for an evening up the Radison.

I was more thinking cheap, cheerful, bevy, club legends, hall of fame induction and a bit of a laugh. Maybe something more like the poty night which always seems to attract decent numbers. I'm in absolutely no position to dedicate much time to helping organise something like this unfortunately, I have a harem of hoes at home and time consuming day job so it was merely an idea/discussion point type of thing. I also have zilch experience trying to run or organise these type of events so again I have no idea whats involved tbh.

I still think folk should be encouraged to come up with ideas to raise funds, even if they maybe don't add up in the end.

That's fair enough. The thing is that the POTY night is just such a night and isn't centred on fundraising. The Quiz is reasonably priced too. However these nights can be hard to sell too. Yer man OK3 was working behind the scenes for the Quiz to raise teams this year. I've been unable to go the last two years because of other commitments - and that is the first problem that organisers hit. People are doing so many other things. To attract former players in significant numbers, I don't think the equivalent of a night down the pub would cut it.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

That's fair enough. The thing is that the POTY night is just such a night and isn't centred on fundraising. The Quiz is reasonably priced too. However these nights can be hard to sell too. Yer man OK3 was working behind the scenes for the Quiz to raise teams this year. I've been unable to go the last two years because of other commitments - and that is the first problem that organisers hit. People are doing so many other things. To attract former players in significant numbers, I don't think the equivalent of a night down the pub would cut it.

I think you're probably right regarding the scale of the event in terms of attracting the ex players to attend. For some of these guys playing for Dumbarton wont be the highlight of their career so it would maybe take more of a formal dinner/event to encourage them to attend.

We could always just fling Stuart Findlay 20 quid to come down and MC for the evening. A one man hall of fame.

[Silverton End]

We're lucky if we can fill the Supporter's Bus these days. ????