NOTEBOOK by BILL HEANEY
It was always known as The Swing Park. I never kicked a ball in anger or otherwise there, but many talented young people did. They were the ones who had the beautiful game running through their veins.
Some of them went on to great things, some didn’t. Everyone played football then. There was nothing else to do but find a tanner ba’ and get a game up. Jaickets for goalposts.
Danny Currie and Archie McHard played for Clyde, Peter Goldie donned the green and white hoops to take the field for Celtic, and ‘way before that even Findlay Speedie played for the famous Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox Park.
Believe it or not Findlay was great football ecumenist who went along with a plan to have Johnnie ‘The Rooter’ Madden, who played for Celtic and Dumbarton, transferred to Prague, where he became one of Europe’s most famous football coaches.
The guys got together to have a business card printed for Madden which said he was “John Madden of Rangers” and he did no more than shake hands with their directors to land the coveted post.
I remember Billy and Charlie Robinson, Joe ‘Digger’ O’Neill, Dick Goldie, Joe Davin, John Connolly and Davie Thomson, possibly one of the best players ever who played at primary school level for Knoxland and Dunbartonshire West.
Football is on the wane here in the 21st century, however.
Dumbarton, once widely forecast to become the third force in Scottish football, are languishing in the lower leagues, a “semi professional” club no longer competing with Rangers and Celtic, which is very sad.
But are times changing? Are we in the next few years once again going to have local boys and girls – good girls even – signing for the big name clubs? Are the girls going to drag us out of the doldrums?
The Lennox Herald has a story this week which gives us hope for this.
Their reporter Fraser Clarke has revealed Dumbarton United and Dumbarton Riverside had both expressed concerns over plans to transfer East End Park to St Patrick’s FPs, with councillors agreeing to delay a decision until all three clubs had held talks.
And that St Patrick’s FPs will only take on the running of East End Park if other tenant clubs agree.
The top amateur side are looking for a permanent base in the town, and had been offered the astroturf pitch at Dumbarton East in a move that could save the local council around £27,000 annually.
Others had their eyes on it, but Saints pledged that no clubs would lose access to their lets.
However these plans were met with a furious reaction from Dumbarton United and Dumbarton Riverside – both of whom currently play and train at the facility.
More than 300 players used the pitch every weekend.
WDC’s assets co-ordinator Michelle Lynn, said: “We’ve had discussions with the SFA and advised them of the situation.
“We’ve told them that we would not agree to anything that puts the other clubs at a detriment, and they are happy with what we’ve come back with so far.”
Councillor David McBride proposed that St Patrick’s plus Dumbarton United and Riverside should have access to the pitch and this was agreed.
Kenny McInnes of Dumbarton United, said: “Thankfully common sense prevailed and the committee have requested that all stakeholders will now come together to engage in meaningful consultation to seek a solution. We welcome this. It’s a huge relief to all concerned.”
The parents of players for the clubs involved took part in the talks which have been successful.”
This was the Denny’s shipyard ladies’ team in the Fifties. Top picture: A Westclox works team from the Seventies played at Dumbarton East. Note Miss Westclox extreme left back row.