Friday 5th August 2016
HE’S the only outfield player who’s been a Dumbarton first team player in the Championship since day one.
And now, at the start of season number five, Garry Fleming is the club’s reigning player of the year.
The forward enjoyed a stellar 2015/16 season as Sons clinched survival – the coup de grace being THAT goal against St Mirren to seal it.
But it’s not just what he achieves on the pitch that keeps him going. It’s the relationship he has with the fans off it.
Three months on from lifting the player of the year trophy – one of four prizes he won – Garry remains grateful.
He said: “Last season was probably the best I’ve played. I’ve mentioned it to the boys in the changing room that if I can chip in with a few goals and create them, it will feel just as good as scoring.
“It means a lot to me winning the awards I won. Being from Dumbarton and knowing a lot of the fans, and the support they have given me over five years, it is special.
“The fans are great home and away and always stick by the team however we are doing.
“It’s a big achievement for myself to win the awards and I’m grateful to the fans who voted for me.”
As remarkable as it sounds, Garry will turn 30 not long after the end of the coming season.
He wants to celebrate his milestone looking forward to another season in the Championship – and is in no doubt it can be achieved.
He added: “Every season our ambition is to stay in the league and we’ve achieved it every year.
“We’ve strengthened every year, brought experienced players in, and the squad this season has a lot of experience.
“Obviously staying up is the ambition again but we want to look a bit higher and hopefully push further up. We know it will be difficult but the manager keeps looking at players to bring in.
“The league is a new one for myself and a lot of the players in terms of the teams in it, but Hibs are still there.
“We’ve shown we can compete against these teams and with the gaffer strengthening the squad, we can do it again.”
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Andy Galloway