Do YOU Want SPL ‘Colts’ In Our League?
THE second of three questions being put to all Dumbarton FC fans by the Sonstrust can now be voted on online – using the link below, and on the Trust and Club Facebook pages.
It concerns the proposal being put forward by the Scottish Premier League that SPL ‘colt’ teams should be permitted to compete in the lower leagues – what are now the SFL Second and Third Divisions. The precise nature of what is being suggested is unclear at present – but the media rumour is that it will apply only to the SPL ‘elite’.
Fans of Scottish League Clubs overwhelmingly rejected the idea in the Supporters Direct survey, which 5,000 people participated in, as did representatives of all but three of 33 Trusts at a meeting in Falkirk on 23 January 2011.
However, the Sonstrust believes the question should be put directly to Dumbarton fans as part of our poll – which will be used to seek action from DFC, the SFL and others in advance of decisions which the SPL is planning to make “within the next few weeks“. We gave some more background on the issue here.
VOTE NOW BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW
Do you want SPL ‘colt’ teams allowed to play in the lower leagues?
Sons Supporters Trust 
What frightens me is not this proposal per se, but the reaction of the owners and Boards of Directors of the SFL clubs to it.
Like Casey, for me this is a no-brainer; as soon as Scottish senior football surrenders the democratic right to ‘one man, one vote’ then I’m off, end of.
However, a slickly-presented PR-crafted proposal, full of buzzshit like stakeholders and revenue streams, and accompanied by veiled threats may have an entirely different reaction on financially hard-pressed administrators of the middle and lower order clubs. They will perhaps view the Colts element of any such package as a ‘kerching’ factor – instead they will be adding two plus two to make five.
Sure there may be temporary novelty in such an idea, but I’ve lived here long enough to know that those who have a genuine interest in the fortunes of DFC already follow the club, and anyone who considers that other than a very short-term financial lift will occur really needs to take a serious reality check.
The end result will be that dozens, if not more, of us will simply walk away from the game, leaving every one of us connected with Dumbarton FC the poorer. Is that really the course of action Brabco and our Board of Directors wish to pursue ?
Finally, we have had various Meet The Manager set piece events down the years. Such is the importance of what is now unfolding that I would really much welcome the opportunity to Meet The Directors in a public forum in the very near future, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Over to the Trust.