Dumbarton Football Club’s supporters’ trust has called for answers from the club’s owners – warning that disillusioned fans will withhold season ticket money without clarity on what the future holds.
The Sons were bought by Cognitive Capital last May, an investment group headed by Norwegian businessman Henning Kristoffersen.
At the time, the group said they had ambitions to transition to full-time football and make the Sons “a stable Championship club.”
They also said they aimed to revive controversial multi-million pound plans for a new stadium at Young’s Farm, near Renton, that had been rejected by West Dunbartonshire Council in 2018.
However, that statement is the only communication fans have had from the owners, whilst on the pitch the Sons were relegated to the fourth tier for the first time in 13 years.
The club’s previous owners, Brabco 736 Ltd, had been working on the Young’s Farm proposals for almost a decade when they were finally rejected by planners.
There were further concerns about developments off the park too, with Cognitive Capital having bought 3.4 acres of land from the club for an undisclosed fee.
A letter from Sonstrust chair David Brownlee to DFC chairman Dr Neil Mackay outlines concerns about the land deal, and why Cognitive Capital borrowed £2million from Pendragon Group Ltd – a private limited company based in Oxfordshire.
The letter thanks local directors Dr Mackay, Colin Hosie and Sonstrust representative Stephanie Park for their efforts, but warns: “The club owners, if not in person then through yourself, require to give hard evidence rather than just warm words that they have Dumbarton FC’s best interests at heart.”
It continues: “To summarise the concerns of supporters: the outline planning permission on the land to the north of the stadium should be the club’s insurance policy were we to need to fund major stadium repairs, other unexpected costs or to increase the playing budget in an effort to halt our current slide down the leagues.
“Instead, it appears to us that we no longer own the land and have received an IOU from Cognitive Capital.
“I would urge you to reconsider the option of the club owners and/or the DFC Board on holding a public meeting to explain matters to the supporters.
“The trust board’s view is that the support deserves that.
“If the club is soon to be asking fans for engagement and money, there needs to be some effort to try and build a relationship that right now feels non-existent.
“We have a deeply unhappy support and not without justification.
“We know that even loyal supporters are threatening to withhold season ticket renewals if they don’t see clarity in the way forward for the club.
“It is now over a year since the new owners took control of the club promising a bright new future.
“To date the Sonstrust has seen no evidence to support the assertion that the current owners have ambitious plans to take the club forward.
“Rather than openness and transparency, there has been opaqueness, secrecy and an apparent recurring theme of the owners failing to deliver on promises made.”
Cognitive Capital did not respond to our request for a comment.
