Dumbarton Football Club is a

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club in

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Founded on 23 December 1872, they are one of the oldest football clubs in Scotland. The club plays home games at the

Dumbarton Football Stadium The Dumbarton Football Stadium, commonly known as The Rock, and currently named The moreroom.com Stadium for sponsorship purposes is a stadium in Dumbarton, Scotland, used mostly for football matches; it is the home ground of Dumbarton Footba ...

next to

Dumbarton Castle Dumbarton Castle ( gd, Dùn Breatainn, ; ) has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It sits on a volcanic plug of basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high and overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton. History Dumba ...

. They were one of the most successful of the nineteenth century,

winning Winning may refer to: * Victory Film * ''Winning'' (film), a 1969 movie starring Paul Newman * '' Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'', a 2015 documentary by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams Music * ''Winning'', an album by Ten Foot Pole, 2022 ...

the

Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...

in the first two seasons of the competition (the first jointly with Rangers). The club ceased playing in 1901 and did not return to action until 1905. Although at the time it was emphasised that this was a new club, subsequent directives by the SFA and Scottish Combination appear to countermand this, possibly to fast-track the re-formed club into their competitions. Since then, the club have spent the majority of their history outside the top flight, with their last appearance at the top level coming in 1984–85 and the side currently playing in

Scottish League Two The Scottish League Two, known as cinch League Two for sponsorship reasons, is the fourth tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League Two was ...

. The club were the first team (and one of only two) to win at least one league title in each of the top four tiers in the

Scottish football league system The Scottish football league system is a series of generally connected leagues for Scottish football clubs. The Scottish system is more complicated than many other national league systems, consisting of several completely separate systems or 'gra ...

. Stephen Farrell is the club's manager, having been appointed in May 2021. In May 2021, it was announced that Dumbarton were to change ownership, with previous owners Brabco selling their majority share to Cognitive Capital.

Colours and badge

For 2022–23, the side will wear strips from the Macron brand for the first season. After three seasons playing in predominantly yellow the home strip is mainly white with a black and gold band. The away kit is navy blue and white. The club's badge features an elephant with a castle on its back, this represents

Dumbarton Rock Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

with

upon it, based on the historic town crest. Dumbarton Rock, a

volcanic plug A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged mag ...

, is said to resemble an elephant. The team's nickname 'The Sons' is derived from the phrase 'Sons of The Rock', a term used for those born in the town of Dumbarton.

Stadium

Dumbarton play their home games at Dumbarton Football Stadium (commonly referred to as "The Rock" by supporters). The all seated stadium has been used since 2 December 2000. The only stand is overshadowed by

& sits aside the banks of the River Leven. The stadium has been named for sponsorship purposes for most of its existence: * Strathclyde Homes Stadium (Dec 2000 – Sep 2011) until the receivership of Strathclyde Homes * Dumbarton Football Stadium (Sep 2011 – Feb 2012) * Dumbarton Football Stadium Sponsored by DL Cameron (Feb 2012 – Jul 2012) * The BetButler Stadium (Jul 2012 – Sep 2014) until the liquidation of BetButler * Dumbarton Football Stadium (Sep 2014 – Jun 2015) * The Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium (Jul 2015 – May 2017) * The YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium (July 2017 – May 2018) * C&G Systems Stadium (May 2018 – May 2021) *Dumbarton Football Stadium (May 2021 – September 2021) *Moreroom.com Stadium (September 2021 – present) Prior to December 2000, the team played at

Boghead Park Boghead Park was a football ground in the town of Dumbarton, Scotland. It was owned by Dumbarton F.C., who played there for 121 years between 1879 and 2000. By the time the ground closed in 2000, it was the oldest stadium in Scotland that had b ...

from 1879 until the end of the 1999–00 season; at that time their tenure of 121 years was the longest a senior Scottish club had stayed at the same ground. Between May and November 2000, Dumbarton shared

Cliftonhill Cliftonhill Stadium, commonly known as Cliftonhill and currently 'The Reigart Stadium' for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the home ground of Scottish Professional Football League tea ...

in Coatbridge with

Albion Rovers Albion Rovers Football Club is a semi-professional football team from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier of the Scotti ...

. In November 2014 the club's owners, Brabco, formally announced their intention to move to a new ground after only 15 years at their home, situated in what is Young's Farm to the North of Dumbarton between Dalreoch and Renton. The proposed development would have doubled the existing capacity to 4,000, with the existing site being used to build 180 houses and a walkway along the River Clyde connecting the town centre with

. The plans were rejected by

West Dunbartonshire Council West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

in March 2018.

Attendances

Supporters and culture

Dumbarton were the first league club in Scotland to have a

supporters' trust In British sports, a supporters' trust is a formal, democratic and not-for-profit organisation of fans who attempt to strengthen the influence of supporters over the running of the club they support. There are over 140 supporters' trusts across Eng ...

, which works to strengthen the links between the club and the fans. The trust own a significant number of shares in the club and are the fourth largest shareholder. Following a £25,000 direct investment, the trust also has a representative on the club board of directors. The supporters' trust works with the club to produce the match programme & run the club website. As well as those important functions, the trust's main role at the club is that of overseeing commercial activity. One of the main ways supporters back the club financially is by playing the club's weekly lottery. Launched in association with Our Club Lotto by supporters trust board member Stephanie Park in 2020, fans of the club have raised thousands of pounds through their entries. Draws to win up to £10,000 take place every Wednesday night with all profits reinvested into the running of the football club.

Players

Squad

On loan

Hall of Fame

Recently, the club and its fans named their "best player of all time" and a "Hall of Fame" including: * Lawrie Williams – 372 apps (1970–1980) *

Ray Montgomerie Ray Montgomerie (born 17 April 1961) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a defender for Dumbarton, Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle. Montgomerie started out playing with his local Scottish Junior club Saltcoats Victoria before signin ...

– 180 apps (1981–1988) *

Murdo MacLeod Murdo Davidson MacLeod (born 24 September 1958 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. MacLeod, who played as a midfielder, made 20 appearances for Scotland and played in the 1990 World Cup Finals. He had a ...

– 87 apps (1975–1978) and 66 apps (1993–1995) as Player/Manager *

Donald McNeil Donald McNeil may refer to: * Donald McNeil (footballer) (born 1958), Scottish footballer * Donald G. McNeil Jr. (born 1954), American journalist * Donald C. MacNeil Donald Campbell MacNeil (January 4, 1924 – October 24, 1978) was a Canadian ...

– 320 apps (1975–1988) * Colin McAdam – 70 apps (1969–1975) * Albert Craig – 138 apps (1981–1986) *

Tom McAdam Thomas Ian McAdam (born 9 April 1954) is a Scottish former footballer who played for a number of British clubs, spending around half of his career with Celtic. He began as a forward but was later converted to a defender, where he played for the ...

– 76 apps (1970–1975) * Johnny Graham – 385 apps (1967–1977) *

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army a ...

– 84 apps (1972–1975) * Kenny Wilson – 74 apps (1970–1972) *

Charlie Gibson Charles deWolf Gibson (born March 9, 1943) is an American broadcast television anchor, journalist and podcaster. Gibson was a host of '' Good Morning America'' from 1987 to 1998 and again from 1999 to 2006, and the anchor of ''World News with Ch ...

– 257 apps (1989–1996)

Internationals

18 Dumbarton players were chosen to represent

between 1880 and 1898. The club's international players were as follows: * Ralph Aitken * Jack Bell * Robert 'Sparrow' Brown * Robert 'Plumber' Brown *

Geordie Dewar George Dewar (20 July 1867 – 2 September 1915) was a Scottish footballer who played in the early days of professional football for Blackburn Rovers as well as being capped twice for Scotland. Playing career Dewar was born in Dumbarton, Scot ...

* Leitch Keir * Archie Lang *

Joe Lindsay Joseph Lindsay (13 November 1858 – 12 October 1933) was a Scottish footballer. Career Lindsay played for Dumbarton, Rangers, Renton and the Scotland national team. Honours ;Dumbarton * Scottish Cup: Winners 1882–83 – Runners Up 1880� ...

James McAulay James McAulay (28 August 1860 – 13 January 1943) was a Scottish footballer. Career McAulay played for Dumbarton and Scotland. Honours ;Dumbarton - Scottish Cup: Winners 1882–83 - Runners Up 1886–87 - Dumbartonshire Cup: Winners 1884� ...

* William McKinnon * John McLeod * Thomas McMillan * Peter Miller * William Robertson *

Duncan Stewart Duncan Stewart may refer to: * Duncan Stewart (Mississippi politician) (1761–1820), lieutenant governor of Mississippi, 1817–1820 * Duncan Stewart (Uruguayan politician) (1833–1923), interim president of Uruguay in 1894 * Duncan Stewart (colon ...

* Jack Taylor * William Thomson * Hugh Wilson

Coaching staff

Recent league history

Managerial history

''Manager records for all league, league play-offs, League Cup, Scottish Cup & Challenge Cup games (i.e. not including friendlies & Stirlingshire Cup games)'' * Permanent managers only. Stats include permanent managers who had initial caretaker spells. As of match played 11 February 2023:

Honours

League

: Winners 1890–91,Shared with Rangers after both clubs ended the season on 29 points. A play-off game at Cathkin Park on 21 May 1891 finished 2–2, so the clubs were declared joint champions 1891–92 *

Scottish First Division The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as t ...

:Known as Division Two prior to 1975 Winners 1910–11, 1971–72 **Runners-up 1907–08, 1983–84 *

Scottish Second Division The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. History The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SFL ...

: Winners 1991–92 ** Runners-up 1994–95 ** Play-Off Winners 2011–12 *

Scottish Third Division The Scottish Football League Third Division was the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system between 1994 and 2013. History The Scottish football league system had operated with three divisions in the Scottish Football League (SFL) fro ...

: Winners 2008–09 **Runners-up 2001–02 * Scottish Combination League: Winners 1905–06

Cup

National

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1882–83 ** Runners-up 1880–81, 1881–82, 1886–87, 1890–91, 1896–97 *

Scottish Challenge Cup The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,2017–18 *

Scottish Qualifying Cup The Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup. The Qualifying Cup w ...

: Runners-up 1911–12 * Scottish Consolation Cup: Runners-up 1907–08, 1910–11 * Scottish Supplementary Cup: Runners-up 1945–46 *

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...

St. Mungo Quaich: Winners 1951–52

Other

Stirlingshire Cup The Stirlingshire Cup is an association football cup competition for clubs in the county of Stirlingshire, Scotland. The competition was founded in 1883 and is contested annually by senior member clubs of the Stirlingshire Football Association. Th ...

: Winners (16) 1952–53, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1995–96, 2009–10,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

**Runners-up 6 times *

Dumbartonshire Cup The Dumbartonshire Cup was the championship trophy of the Dumbartonshire FA from its inception in 1884 until the organization disbanded in 1938. There was however an 'extra' playing of the competition in 1939, immediately after the outbreak of the ...

: Winners (20) 1884–85 1888–89, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1894–95, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1914–15, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1939–40 ** Runners-up 17 times * Dumbartonshire Association Tournament: Winners 1885–86 * Stirlingshire Consolation Cup: Runners-up 1950–51 * League Charity Cup: Winners 1890–91 * Glasgow Charity Cup: Runners-up 1881–82, 1884–85 * Greenock Charity Cup: Winners 1889–90, 1890–91 ** Runners-up 1888–89, 1891–92 * Dumbartonshire Charity Cup: ** Winners 1916–17, 1917–18, 1919–20, 1921–22, 1922–23 ** Runners-up 1918–19, 1924–25, 1925–26 * Clydebank Charity Cup: Runners-up 1918–19 * United Abstainers F.C. Gold Cup: Runners-up 1889–90 * Oban Saints Keyline Trophy: Winners 2005–06

Reserves

* Scottish Second XI Cup: Winners 1881–82 ** Runners-up 1883–84, 1886–87, 1889–90 * Glasgow & District Reserve League: Runners-up 1942–43 (First Series), 1943–44 (First Series) * Scottish Alliance Reserve League: Winners 1956–57 (First Series) ** Runners-up: 1956–57 (Second Series) * Combined Reserve League: Winners 1958–59 (Second Series) ** Runners-up: 1958–59 (First Series) * Scottish Reserve League (West): Runners-up 1985–86 * Glasgow & District Reserve League Cup: Runners-up 1942–43 * Dumbartonshire Second XI Cup: Winners 1888–89, 1889–90, 1890–91, 1891–92, 1892–93

Youths

* Scottish Under 19s League: Runners-up 2010–11

Club records

Biggest win:

Scottish Cup The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...

: 1–11 v

(30 January 1926)

Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...

: 1–11 v

Ayr United Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...

(13 August 1952) Biggest home

attendance Attendance is the concept of people, individually or as a group, appearing at a location for a previously scheduled event. Measuring attendance is a significant concern for many organizations, which can use such information to gauge the effectiven ...

: 18,001 v

Raith Rovers Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leag ...

, (2 March 1957)

: 1,978 v Rangers, (19 September 2015) Most goals in a season: Kenny Wilson (38), 1971–72

References

External links

*
Supporters Trust Website
{{Scottish Football League Dumbarton Football clubs in Scotland Football in West Dunbartonshire Association football clubs established in 1872 Scottish Football League teams Scottish Football League founder members 1872 establishments in Scotland Scottish Cup winners Scottish Professional Football League teams