Wednesday 23rd December 2020
DUMBARTON Football Club is 148 years old today – and we have an update on plans to mark the 150th anniversary which is now just two years away!
Club historian and press officer Jim McAllister has an update for supporters, with the calendar of celebration now only 17 months away from starting.
We’d also like to invite any supporters who are interested in becoming involved to get in touch with the club.
Jim takes up the story:
This week Dumbarton FC is 148 years old. There has been no year like it and everyone hopes there will be no more like it. Even two World Wars did not disrupt football the way the current pandemic has.
Earlier this year we started to put plans in place to celebrate our 150th Anniversary in 2022. The club didn’t really celebrate its centenary and we would like to make sure we celebrate this landmark.
As one of the oldest clubs in Scotland we have plenty to celebrate, being champions in the first two seasons of the Scottish League, albeit one of them was shared.
A tentative plan has been drawn up for 2022-23 and, assuming some normality returns in 2021, we will begin to move forward with that plan. There is always room for addition and we are open to suggestions for other events.
The most time-consuming part of the plan is the updating of the club history. During lockdown and the period where football was not being played, we have used the time to begin this task and are further ahead than had been anticipated.
We have decided the 150 year celebration will commence in May/June 2022 and end in May 2023. This allows for a celebration of the 1971/2 team winning the league and taking the club back to the top flight for the first time in 50 years, through the period of our formation and past the first games played.
Other events being planned are a suitable game to reflect our history, 150 year commemorative merchandise and the creation of a Dumbarton FC Hall of Fame.
If possible ,we would like to have some sort of exhibition of all things Dumbarton FC.
In addition we intend to work with ‘The Sons Archive’ team to try to complete all the information available, including opposition teams, by the end of Season 2022-23.
It is our intention to create a central register of contacts for former players/mangers etc in order that we would be able to contact them when hosting events now and in the future. Many people have a few of these contacts but there is no record held by the club at present.
We would like as many Dumbarton fans to become involved as possible, whether that be by organising events, providing access to memorabilia, suggesting events, visiting libraries to check information or simply by patronising the events .
If you can help in any way, please email dumbarton150@gmail.com
Help us to make this an anniversary to remember.
Happy birthday to us – and thank you to all supporters, players, staff, directors, sponsors and everybody else, past and present, who has helped us reach 148 years.
The big milestone will be upon us before you know it!
Dumbarton Football Club