Football Season Guide

Dumbarton were relegated from the Championship last year after losing in the playoffs, and they return to League One with the intention of bouncing swiftly back. Over the course of the summer, there has been a huge turnover in players at the club. The majority of the first team squad has been allowed to depart, with an almost entirely new team in its place. There are, however, some areas of consistency, most notably down the spine of the team, where Craig Barr and Andy Dowie should team up in the heart of the defence, and in midfield, where Stuart Carswell and Kyle Hutton will play. Otherwise, the changes have been dramatic and their success will depend on how their players bed in. Grant Adam had a season on the bench with Forfar last term yet may start as No.1 this time around, but in the full-back areas there could be a weakness. Willie Dyer is highly experienced by Cammy Ballatyne is not. Barr is injury prone in the rearguard, and Ross Perry is not striking as a particularly good back-up option for a title-chasing side. The additions made in midfield, where Ross Forbes, Ryan Thomson, Bobby Barr and Michael Paton all look strong signings, suggest that Dumbarton will have a strong core, although they are a little short in attack. Iain Russell is now 35 and to expect him to be potent is too much, although Rory Loy should be capable of having a big impact at this standard. A lack of depth to the squad is perhaps the only major concern that Dumbarton have, although if they use the loan market effectively or avoid injury problems or serious fixture congestion, it should not be too great a problem. This is a squad well capable of challenging for the title if things fall into place for them.