Dumbarton Football Club - Sons of the Rock 1872

WELL DONE TO WASPS AND STAGGIES

Thursday 12th April 2012

ALL associated with Dumbarton Football Club send hearty congratulations to Ross County and to Alloa Athletic on their achievements this week.

County have been promoted to the SPL for the first time after winning this year's First Division championship. Alloa, on the other hand, will return straight back to the Second Division next season as Third Division Champions – a feat achieved by Sons in 2008/9.

Ross County were admitted to the national league system only 18 years ago, in 1994/5. Dumbarton have experienced some tough Scottish Cup, Challenge Cup and Scottish League Cup tussles with the Staggies in recent years. In 2008/9 Sons earned an impressive 2-2 draw at Dingwall in the Scottish Cup, before eventually going down 2-1 at the Rock.

The last time the two teams faced each other in the League was in 1998/99, in the Third Division. Dumbarton's only victory against Ross County since they joined the top rank was a 3-2 away win on 13th December 1997. When Sons were in the Premier Division in 1984/5, County plied their trade in the Highland League.

Meanwhile, there have been plenty of on- and off-field connections between the Wasps and the Sons over the years. More recently they have included ex-Dumbarton boss Alex Totten (1986/7) who also managed Alloa four years earlier, and current Athletic defender Ben Gordon, a former Sons captain and Player of the Year.

Simon Barrow