 | |||
| Full name | Dumbarton Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Sons | ||
| Founded | 23 December 1872; 152 years ago (1872-12-23) | ||
| Ground | Dumbarton Football Stadium,Dumbarton | ||
| Capacity | 2,020[1] | ||
| Owner | Mario Lapointe | ||
| Chairman | John Steele | ||
| Manager | Stephen Farrell | ||
| League | Scottish League Two | ||
| 2024–25 | Scottish League One, 10th of 10 (relegated) | ||
| Website | www | ||
 Current season | |||
Dumbarton Football Club is asemi-professionalfootball club inDumbarton, Scotland.[2] Founded on 23 December 1872, they are one of the oldest football clubs in Scotland.[3][4][5]
The club plays home games at theDumbarton Football Stadium next toDumbarton Castle. They currently play inScottish League Two.
They were one of the most successful of the nineteenth century,winning theScottish Football League in the first two seasons of the competition (the first jointly withRangers).
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.[6]
Since then, the club have spent the majority of their history outside the top flight, with their last appearance at the top level coming in1984–85. 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 theScottish football league system.
In May 2021, whenStephen Farrell was appointed as the club's manager,[7] it was announced that Dumbarton were to change ownership, with previous owners Brabco selling their majority share to Cognitive Capital.[8] In November 2024 the club was placed intoadministration.[9]
On 24 June 2025 the club was taken over by a new company wholly owned by Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe, with the original company entering liquidation.[10] Dumbarton remained in League Two with the remaining 5 point deduction as already planned.[11][12]
For 2025–26, the side will wear strips from theMacron brand for the fourth season. The home strip is mainly white with a black and gold band. The away kit is gold and black.[13]
The club's badge features an elephant with a castle on its back, this representsDumbarton Rock withDumbarton Castle upon it, based on the historic town crest. Dumbarton Rock, avolcanic plug, 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.
Dumbarton play their home games at Dumbarton Football Stadium (commonly referred to as "The Rock" by supporters). The 2,020[1] all seated stadium has been used since 2 December 2000. The only stand is overshadowed byDumbarton Rock & sits aside the banks of theRiver Leven. The stadium has been named for sponsorship purposes for most of its existence:
Prior to December 2000, the team played atBoghead Park 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 sharedCliftonhill in Coatbridge withAlbion Rovers.
In November 2014 the club's owners at the time, Brabco, formally announced their intention to move to a new ground[20] 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 withDumbarton Castle. The plans were rejected byWest Dunbartonshire Council in March 2018.[21]
| Season | League | Average | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | League One | 606 | 1,113 |
| 2023–24 | League Two | 662 | 2,020 |
| 2022–23 | League Two | 635 | 1,086 |
| 2021–22 | League One | 539 | 1,198 |
| 2019–20 | League One | 663 | 1,394 |
| 2018–19 | League One | 637 | 1,353 |
| 2017–18 | Championship | 838 | 1,652 |
| 2016–17 | Championship | 1,130 | 1,660 |
| 2015–16 | Championship | 1,033 | 1,978 |
| 2014–15 | Championship | 1,074 | 1,850 |
| 2013–14 | Championship | 938 | 1,469 |
| 2012–13 | First Division | 927 | 1,530 |
| 2011–12 | Second Division | 660 | 1,088 |
| 2010–11 | Second Division | 640 | 853 |
| 2009–10 | Second Division | 695 | 1,227 |
| 2008–09 | Third Division | 722 | 1,396 |
| 2007–08 | Third Division | 560 | 907 |
| 2006–07 | Third Division | 709 | 1,089 |
| 2005–06 | Second Division | 946 | 1,594 |
| 2004–05 | Second Division | 900 | 1,446 |
| 2003–04 | Second Division | 1,039 | 1,861 |
Dumbarton were the first league club in Scotland to have asupporters' trust, which works to strengthen the links between the club and the fans. The trust owned a significant number of shares in the club and were the fourth largest shareholder prior to Mario Lapointe's takeover in 2025. The supporters' trust works with the club to produce the match programme and run the club website.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Recently, the club and its fans named their "best player of all time" and a "Hall of Fame" including:
18 Dumbarton players were chosen to representScotland between 1880 and 1898.[23] The club's international players were as follows:[23]
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In 2018 midfielderDimitris Froxylias received a call-up to theCyprus national football team, making his debut againstMontenegro in March 2018. It was the first of two caps he would earn whilst a Sons player, becoming the club's first international since IrishmanHarry Chatton in 1932.[24]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Stephen Farrell[25] |
| Assistant manager | Frank McKeown |
| Goalkeeping coach | Eric Phillips |
| Sports scientist | Calum Strang |
| Video analyst and head of youth development | Gordon Scanlan |
| Football advisor | Neil Watt |
| Season | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 36 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 51 | 66 | -15 | 20* | 10 (R) | League One |
| 2023–24 | 36 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 56 | 44 | 12 | 58 | 4(P) | League Two |
| 2022–23 | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 49 | 39 | 10 | 62 | 2 | League Two |
| 2021–22 | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 48 | 71 | -23 | 34 | 9(R) | League One |
| 2020–21 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 24 | -10 | 25 | 9 | League One |
| 2019–20 | 28 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 35 | 44 | -9 | 38 | 6 | League One |
| 2018–19 | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 46 | 6 | League One |
| 2017–18 | 36 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 27 | 63 | −36 | 30 | 9(R) | Championship |
| 2016–17 | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 46 | 56 | −10 | 39 | 8 | Championship |
| 2015–16 | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 35 | 66 | −31 | 37 | 8 | Championship |
| 2014–15 | 36 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 36 | 79 | −43 | 34 | 7 | Championship |
| 2013–14 | 36 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 65 | 64 | 1 | 51 | 5 | Championship |
*Deducted 15 points for entering administration.
Manager records for all league, league play-offs, League Cup, Scottish Cup & Challenge Cup games (i.e. not including friendlies & Stirlingshire Cup games)[26]
As of match played 23 September 2025:
| Name | Nat. | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | %won | ||||
| Stephen Farrell |  | May 2021 | Current | 206 | 74 | 48 | 84 | |
| Jim Duffy | | October 2018 | May 2021 | 94 | 33 | 18 | 43 | 35.11 |
| Stephen Aitken | | May 2015 | October 2018 | 154 | 42 | 38 | 74 | 27.27 |
| Ian Murray | | November 2012 | May 2015 | 108 | 41 | 15 | 52 | 37.96 |
| Alan Adamson | | October 2010 | October 2012 | 83 | 32 | 16 | 35 | 38.55 |
| Jim Chapman | | December 2007 | October 2010 | 113 | 39 | 27 | 47 | 34.50 |
| Gerry McCabe | | June 2006 | November 2007 | 57 | 25 | 11 | 21 | 43.86 |
| Paul Martin | | December 2004 | June 2006 | 67 | 12 | 15 | 35 | 17.91 |
| Brian Fairley | | March 2003 | December 2004 | 66 | 30 | 10 | 26 | 45.45 |
| David Winnie | | June 2002 | March 2003 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 32.35 |
| Tom Carson | | October 2000 | June 2002 | 67 | 32 | 13 | 22 | 47.76 |
| Jimmy Brown | | March 1999 | October 2000 | 66 | 26 | 10 | 30 | 39.39 |
| Ian Wallace | | November 1996 | March 1999 | 95 | 26 | 24 | 45 | 27.37 |
| Jim Fallon | | September 1995 | November 1996 | 50 | 2 | 6 | 42 | 4.00 |
| Murdo MacLeod | | June 1993 | August 1995 | 88 | 28 | 24 | 35 | 31.81 |
| Billy Lamont | | April 1990 | June 1993 | 138 | 54 | 30 | 54 | 39.13 |
| Jim George | | October 1988 | April 1990 | 77 | 29 | 20 | 28 | 37.66 |
| Bertie Auld | | January 1988 | September 1988 | 24 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16.66 |
| Mark Clougherty | | July 1987 | January 1988 | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 30.00 |
| Alex Totten | | July 1986 | April 1987 | 46 | 23 | 8 | 15 | 50.00 |
| Derek Whiteford | | May 1986 | May 1986 | |||||
| Alex Wright (caretaker) | | February 1986 | May 1986 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 35.30 |
| Davie Wilson | | March 1984 | February 1986 | 97 | 32 | 22 | 43 | 33.00 |
| Billy Lamont | | July 1981 | February 1984 | 124 | 44 | 26 | 26 | 35.48 |
| Sean Fallon |  | July 1980 | May 1981 | 43 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 32.56 |
| Davie Wilson | | July 1977 | April 1980 | 127 | 51 | 38 | 38 | 40.16 |
| Alex Wright | | March 1973 | May 1977 | 192 | 66 | 42 | 84 | 34.37 |
| Jackie Stewart | | November 1968 | January 1973 | 190 | 89 | 34 | 67 | 46.84 |
| Ian Spence | | September 1967 | October 1968 | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 28.26 |
| Willie Toner | | October 1964 | September 1967 | 131 | 47 | 27 | 57 | 35.88 |
| Jackie Fearn | | May 1962 | September 1964 | 100 | 41 | 17 | 42 | 41.00 |
| Bobby Campbell | | July 1961 | May 1962 | 43 | 10 | 10 | 23 | 23.26 |
| Bobby Combe | | May 1959 | November 1960 | 63 | 28 | 14 | 21 | 44.44 |
| Peter McGown | | May 1954 | April 1959 | 216 | 108 | 33 | 75 | 50.00 |
| William Irvine | | June 1950 | May 1954 | 155 | 51 | 32 | 72 | 32.90 |
| William Guthrie | | August 1946 | June 1950 | 153 | 42 | 27 | 84 | 27.45 |
| Jackie Milne | | June 1945 | August 1946 | 38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 36.84 |
| William Guthrie (secretary) | | August 1944 | June 1945 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 18 | 30.00 |
| Fred Donovan (secretary) | | June 1940 | June 1944 | 120 | 45 | 20 | 55 | 37.50 |
| Jimmy Smith | | January 1939 | June 1940 | 45 | 9 | 8 | 28 | 20.00 |
| Fred Donovan (secretary) | | June 1931 | January 1939 | 274 | 98 | 48 | 128 | 35.77 |
| Donald Colman | | June 1922 | May 1931 | 359 | 139 | 65 | 155 | 38.72 |
| Paddy Travers | | April 1920 | May 1922 | 95 | 24 | 17 | 54 | 25.27 |
| George Livingstone | | March 1919 | April 1920 | 47 | 14 | 12 | 21 | 29.79 |
| James Collins | | May 1914 | March 1919 | 174 | 55 | 46 | 73 | 31.61 |
