EVERMORE

DAVID KEMP

AS a Dumbarton die-hard I’ve never had the chance to watch my team in cathedrals of world football like fans of clubs who regularly compete on the biggest stage in Europe.

I can only imagine how it must feel seeing your heroes in action in iconic arenas such as the Nou Camp or San Siro in cities like Barcelona and Milan.

The Shropshire market town of Oswestry, for many Sons fans, is the highlight of following our side.

And the winning goal from Dimitris Froxylias at Park Hall – that football Mecca – was worthy of any stadium in the world!

OK, it was the Irn-Bru Challenge Cup semi-final in 2018 but it was a brilliant late free-kick to seal a 2-1 comeback win with Danny Handling cancelling out Dean Ebbe’s opener for The New Saints.

It secured Dumbarton’s place in their first cup final since Queen Victoria sat on the throne and the Oswestry pubs were packed with jubilant fans.

By chance I bumped into my cousin Alex Stewart who had travelled from Jersey for the game.

I even gave my 20-something-year-old scarf to our manager Stevie Aitken and got a shiny new one for the final.

I’ve seen Dumbarton promoted, relegated, knocked out the Scottish Cup by non-league sides, win two titles and win and lose play-offs so to reach a cup final was special, even if we did lose to Inverness.

Growing up in the village of Old Kilpatrick, I had the choice of two local clubs, Dumbarton and Clydebank, but my childhood best friend John Muldoon was a Sons supporter and attended Boghead with his dad.

When he asked in May 1984 if I’d like to go to a match against Ayr I jumped at the chance and have never regretted it, despite a 3-0 defeat that day.

Over the next five years, my attendance was sporadic since my own dad was only really interested in cup games. I was allowed to go without adult supervision in 1989 (2-2 at home to Stirling Albion) and became the proud owner of a season ticket that, at £15, was cheaper than it is to gain entry to one game now!

I used to stand in the enclosure in front of the main stand at Boghead. I also found out my neighbour Gordon Kirkpatrick supports the Sons and we still attend games together.

My favourite players have been Allan Moore, Stuart MacIver, John McQuade, Shuggie Ward, Martin Mooney, Stevie Murray and Charlie Gibson.

But the greatest is overhead-kick specialist Bryan Prunty.

I’ve been a Sons Supporters Trust member for many years and since 2013 I’ve been helping document the history of our club through the Sons Archive website, of which I became administrator.

The club have launched a crowdfunder that provides invaluable finance just now. Dumbarton will celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2022 and we certainly hope to have a club then and beyond.