Friday 4th June 2021
WHEN Stuart Carswell next takes to the field for Dumbarton, it will be for the 150th time.
But it will be as part of a vastly changed Sons side, under a different manager. Which prompted a lot of thinking for the captain.
In the end, he didn’t just decide he wanted to go for 150. He wanted to give himself a shot at cracking 200.
The midfielder re-signed with Dumbarton today – one of three deals announced by the club.
However, he won’t just be here for one more year. His new deal lasts for two, and sees him retain the armband.
There were many things for him to consider when manager Stevie Farrell made him an offer, but in the end, they all added up.
Speaking to www.dumbartonfootballclub.com, Stuart said: “I’m delighted. I had a long think about it this year with the new regime, but the manager seems to have it all planned out.
“It all sounds good to me. We had a really positive chat about the future and that was what made my mind up.
“We talked about how he sees the club moving forward and his ambitions for the club. I also have a connection with the fans and all the staff at Dumbarton and that was it really.
“That was why I wanted to play here for the next two years. I’ll be captain as well and that was a big thing for me, that he wants me to do that.
“It’s something I enjoy doing and it was nice to hear that from him, that he wants me to continue.”
As things stand, only Stuart, Conner Duthie and Ryan McGeever will be with Dumbarton next season out of the squad who completed the previous campaign.
Sam Ramsbottom, Jaime Wilson and Adam Frizzell have yet to give answers after they were made offers this week.
But whatever the make-up of the squad, Stuart is aiming for better fortunes in League One than Sons enjoyed in the 2020/21 term.
And having been delighted to see the fans return for the game against Edinburgh City that clinched survival, he hopes they are now there to stay.
He added: “It’s going to be a tough league, and that was one of the things I thought about.
“Last season was a tough one and as a team, we need to strengthen. The manager seems confident about aiming for the top four and that fits into my vision as well, rather than fighting for survival.
“That was something we achieved last season and it was great to see the fans back in the stadium for the second leg against Edinburgh City.
“That was a high pressure game and was always going to be on edge. It was just about getting the job done.
“We managed to get it done and hopefully next season will see better football, more goals and more things to cheer. We want to do well.
“The manager has made some decisions regarding players and some of them had to make their own decisions quickly as there was no manager at the time.
“But that’s part of football – players move on, and we have to build on the good things we did last year.”
Stuart Carswell 04.06.21
Images copyright Andy Scott Photos 2021.
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Andy Galloway