FANS of Dumbarton Football Club have denied throwing their support behind plans for a new a new community football stadium and facilities in the town.

National newspaper reports last week suggested the Sonstrust, which represents the views of 350 members, had backed the football club’s proposals for a new 4,000 seater community stadium on a 40 acre site known as Young’s Farm.

However, this week Sonstrust issued a statement to clarify its position – which stopped short of throwing its full weight behind the proposals – but welcomed Dumbarton FC’s move to engage with the public on the ambitious proposals.

Simon Barrow, the Sonstrust communications and projects officer, said: “We very much welcome the community engagement emphasis that the owners of Dumbarton FC have recently brought into their proposals to relocate the club to a new stadium at Young’s Farm.

“We have advocated the community approach for many years – and it is really good to see that it is being taken seriously at last.”

The trust’s comments come as the club launches a major campaign to win support in the town for the new football stadium and facilities.

The club plans to quit its current ground in the shadow of the iconic Dumbarton Rock and open up the ground for housing, with money from the homes being used to build a new stadium and other community facilities.

These would include public football pitches, a restaurant and full hospitality facilities.

However, the plans, which have been submitted to West Dunbartonshire Council, have run into controversy, with Silverton and Overtoun and Bonhill and Dalmonach community councils lodging objections.

They question the football club’s assertion that moving to the farm site would contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of the town.

In listing a range of reasons for objecting, including “loss of an area of natural beauty rich in wildlife”, they state that “the environmental and social costs of the development far outweigh any potential economic developments”.

Rose Harvie, secretary and planning officer 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.”

This week the Sonstrust issued a statement to the Reporter to clarify its position following some media reports that group was backing the move to the Young’s Farm site.

The group stops short of throwing its weight behind the Young’s Farm proposal at this stage, saying it wants to be fully engaged with the development as it moves forward.

The statement, issued by Simon Barrow, the Sonstrust communications and projects officer, said: “We very much welcome the community engagement emphasis that the owners of Dumbarton FC have recently brought into their proposals to relocate the club to a new stadium at Young’s Farm.

“We have advocated the community approach for many years – and it is really good to see that it is being taken seriously at last.”

The proposals include: – A new 4,000-capacity community stadium and home for Dumbarton FC – Two full-size 3G pitches and five-a-side pitches – A restaurant and full hospitality facilities – New ‘hub’ for community football to complement East End and Argyll Parks – A sustainable future for the club, first-class facilities for local Dumbarton Clubs, and a facility serving the Dumbarton Football Development League – Town centre regeneration on the existing stadium site and support for Dumbarton Castle as a world-class visitor attraction Commenting on the proposals,

Chris Stainton, on behalf of the Dumbarton FC Board said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Dumbarton Football Club and for Dumbarton.

“We have worked hard to get the best proposals possible to bring forward fantastic new facilities that create a sustainable future for our club, and that also create some of the very best community football facilities in Scotland.

“We need as many people as possible to give these proposals a ‘thumbs up’ to make this happen.”

The Sonstrust says it is encouraging members to “fully engage” with the process, and let the club know what they think.

The Sonstrust statement continued: “We are encouraging supporters to make their own views known, and the owners are naturally lobbying hard for support for their project.

“Our aim remains to ensure that any community stadium development, on a new site or on the current one, is appropriate, sustainable and beneficial for the club, and that fans are fully engaged.”

Brian Payne, chairman of The Sons Supporters Trust (Sonstrust), added: “We want Dumbarton FC to have a thriving future, with fans and the community at it’s heart.”

Dumbarton FC bosses say the campaign will be rolled out in the coming weeks to support the planning application for the new facilities, which, according to the football club’s website, will go before the planning committee of West Dunbartonshire Council at the end of January.