The owners of Dumbarton Football Club have given six written guarantees to fans over the controversial proposal to move the club stadium to a site at Young’s Farm in the town.

The assurances, covering security and sustainability of the club, also pledge “significant changes to the club’s governance and board”.

The club owners, a group of investors known as Brabco, have given the guarantees to the club’s fans through the Sonstrust, a registered cooperative, ahead of a vote on whether the trust should give formal support to the planning application.

The move comes after a three-hour meeting of trust representatives with Brabco director Chris Stainton last Friday, and a Q&A session at the club’s stadium ahead of Dumbarton’s game against Dunfermline on Saturday.

At that Q&A there were mixed views about the move. But former Edinburgh City Council boss Donald Anderson, speaking for the club’s owners as director of the Playfair PR company, described the proposed new community stadium and housing development at Young’s Farm as a “fantastic, once-in-a lifetime opportunity” for the club.

Simon Barrow, communications and projects officer for the Sonstrust, who has led negotiations with the owners on behalf of fans, said that the trust had “pushed Brabco hard for clear assurances about the security and sustainability of the club if the move goes ahead”.

The trust has now received six signed assurances from Brabco ahead of a Sonstrust members’ vote later this week. The statement was written by Mr Stainton, along with fellow Brabco director, and former Dumbarton FC director, Ian Wilson.

It promises that “the new stadium will be owned in such a way as to secure its continuing use as a sustainable facility for DFC into the foreseeable future” and that “there will be no ground share during the relocation process” – an assurance that what happened to Clydebank FC, who left their ground in 1996 and spent six years without a home before being bought out and moved to Airdrie, will not happen to Dumbarton.

Brabco also pledges that there will be significant changes to the club’s governance and board, with the trust guaranteed continuing board representation and a commitment to find “people with the right skill sets to move the club forward.”

In addition, the Dumbarton owners agree with the trust that Dumbarton needs to be a strong community club.

They say they will involve fans through the trust in commercial planning and community engagement for the new development, and commit to “best practice processes for engagement with the DFC fanbase”.

Commenting on behalf of the trust, Mr Barrow said: “These commitments represent huge progress in our discussions with the owners of Dumbarton FC following nine months of exchanges and meetings.

“We have negotiated based our own cast iron priority as a trust – which is the security and flourishing of the club we love.”

Mr Barrow added: “We will be forwarding these assurances to our members, together with an FAQ document addressing the major issues around the relocation plan.

“It is then up to our members to decide whether the trust should formally back the major ‘green light’ that planning permission at the end of this month would mean for this proposal.”

Dumbarton FC risk a “cycle of decline” if the Sons stay at their current stadium in Castle Road – jeopardising any hope of playing in the Premier League.
That’s the warning issued by the club’s board of directors, who have written to West Dunbartonshire Council in support of ambitious plans for a 4,000 seater stadium and associated facilities at Young’s Farm in the town.
The club wants to quit its current stadium and open up the ground for housing, with money from the homes being used to build the new stadium and other community facilities.
The board’s letter, published on the Dumbarton FC website, issues a dire warning that significant levels of spending on repair and renewal of the existing facilities over the next five years would mean less finance available for the football team.
This would likely reduce performance with the knock-on effect of decreasing fan attendance and associated match-day revenue. 
It adds: “If DFC remain at Castle Road there is a serious risk of entering a cycle of decline which would be very difficult to reverse.”
The board’s statement says a stadium for 4,000 spectators, along with relevant infrastructure and facilities, would mean the team would be eligible to play in the SPFL’s Premiership.
But it adds: “Unfortunately, it is not possible to achieve this vision at our current location.” 
However, the plans are being opposed by two community councils – Silverton and Overtoun, and Bonhill and Dalmonach – who have lodged objections with the council.
They state that the environmental and social costs of the development “far outweigh” any potential economic developments.
Rose Harvie, secretary and planning officer for with Silverton and Overtoun CC told the Reporter: “I have no problem with the Sons fans wishing to expand their facilities, but it’s the wrong development in the wrong site for the wrong reasons.”
Meanwhile, the Sonstrust, which represents the views of 350 fans, has stopped short of throwing its full weight behind the plan, but welcomed the club’s move to engage with the public.
The trust is encouraging members to fully engage with the process and let the club know what they think.
In its letter to the council, the board says: "The board of Dumbarton FC has a vision of a successful, financially viable football club playing at the highest viable and sustainable level within Scottish football and contributing as a reliable partner to the economic and social well-being of its community. 
“To achieve its vision the club will require to grow the fan base and become the first club of choice north west of Glasgow; grow the revenue from corporate groups adding value for sponsors; and build a sustainable non-matchday revenue base.”
“A larger stadium that has a greater range and quality of in-stadium facilities for the use of both the teams, supporters, businesses and the community is required.” 
The planning application is expected to go before the council’s planning committee at the end of January.