Dumbarton Football Club (DFC) has kick-started plans to move from the Bet Butler Stadium.

The club is proposing to relocate from its existing Castle Road site to a new location at Young’s Farm at the west end of town.

A pre-planning application for a 4,000 capacity football stadium was submitted to West Dunbartonshire Council as the Reporter went to press.

The new stadium would have 3,000 seats and terracing for 1,000 people.

Along with the stadium, dedicated training facilities, additional playing pitches for community use, and car and coach parking facilities will be included.

Land restrictions mean that these requirements cannot be accommodated at the existing site.

A spokesman for DFC said: “The club has been looking for a new site for a stadium for over five years and we are excited to now progress plans for a new sporting facility that can put DFC at the heart of the local community.

“Consultations have been had with our Supporters Trust, and our forthcoming public exhibition will allow our supporters and residents to view our proposals.” The move has been welcomed by Sonstrust chairman, Brian Payne.

He said: "We want to ensure that supporters and the community have a significant stake in developments effecting the future of Dumbarton FC.

"We are pleased that the club has noted both these points explicitly in its statement, and is committed to sharing information with us and engaging directly, following a meeting between the club and trust boards earlier this year, conversations with the chief executive, and the report and discussion supporters had at our AGM in May."

He added: "Our job is to ensure that fans' voices are heard and responded to. The club is looking to match success on the pitch with decisions off it, and it is clear that there are big decisions ahead for all of us.

"The Sonstrust is going ahead with its own discussions with Dumbarton fans and will be encouraging maximum participation in the formal consultation. We are liaising directly with the club's CEO through our communications and projects officer, Simon Barrow."