Following the sacking of Alan Adamson, Gilbert Lawrie, Dumbarton chief executive, and his board now must turn their attentions to appointing his permanent successor.

Jack Ross has been appointed on an interim basis and is welcome to apply for the role however he is unlikely to be the only interested candidate.

Below, we take a look at the likely candidates for the job: Jack Ross: Adamson's assistant for the second-half of last season and so far this campaign, the former Clyde, Falkirk and St Mirren player would be first choice for a number of Sons fans.

As well as his Dumbarton duties Ross also plays an important role within the Scottish PFA and is a regular writer and pundit for the BBC where his wealth of football knowledge is displayed.

Outside of football Ross is a keen author and has had numerous children's books published.

Gus MacPherson: Out of work after leaving Queen of the South in the summer, the former St Mirren boss has a proven record at this level having led the Buddies to promotion to the SPL and also winning the Challenge Cup while at St Mirren Park.

MacPherson then kept St Mirren in the SPL for four seasons before leaving the club in May 2010.

The following year MacPherson moved onto Queen of the South, however his time there was not so successful and he left the club in April this year after they were relegated to Division Two.

Gary Bollan: Livingston fans are still scratching their heads as to why Bollan was sacked from the club earlier this year.

Having led the club to promotion from the Third Division into the second and from the second into the first, Bollan's team were competing well in the First Division when he was sacked in February.

It is believed the club took the decision as they felt he was not promoting enough players to the first team from the youth set-up.

Bollan started his coaching career in 2004 when he joined Clyde in a player/coach role.

He left Clyde at the end of the 2004/05 season but returned in 2007 as head of youth development before becoming Livingston manager at the start of the 2009/10 season. Gordon Chisholm: Another former Queen of the South manager, Chisholm is on the look-out for a new club after leaving East Fife last month.

After numerous spells as an assistant manager, Chisholm spent just under a year in charge of Dundee United when he replaced Ian McCall, to whom he had been assistant.

Chisholm enjoyed just under a year in the job before he was sacked at the start of 2006.

Chisholm's next management opportunity came when he again replaced McCall, this time at Queen of the South, for the 2007/08 campaign.

The highlight of his spell in charge of Queens came when he qualified the team for Europe after leading them to the 2007/08 Scottish Cup final.

Chisholm's other business commitments may be the only stumbling block if the Dumbarton board saw the ex-Queens boss as the answer.

Ian McCall: Having manager Clydebank, Morton, Airdrie, Falkirk, Dundee United, Queen of the South and Partick Thistle, McCall is the most experienced manager to make our short-list.

The majority of McCall's time as a manager has been spent in the First Division, while he also enjoyed two years in the SPL while in charge at Tannadice.

His most recent management job was at Firhill where he left at the end of the 2010/11 season.

Billy Brown: This season Steve Clarke has shown that the transition from assistant manager to the top job can be made and can be a good move for clubs looking for a new manager.

Clarke enjoyed spells as assistant manager at Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool and is now proving a great success as manager of West Brom.

Likewise Brown has held the role of assistant manager at Berwick Rangers, Falkirk, Hearts, Bradford City, Kilmarnock, and Hibs.

Is it now time for a club to offer Billy Brown the top job?

Andy Millen: Although Millen may be a novice in terms of management, his playing record makes him one of the most experienced people in Scottish football.

Starting his career in the mid-80s with St Johnstone, a 45-year-old Andy Millen played 19 games for Queens Park last season, collecting a player of the month award during that time.

Between starting his career in Perth and finishing last season with the Spiders, Millen played for another nine Scottish clubs, making almost 800 appearances and becoming the oldest player to ever play in the SPL.

The former defender/midfielder has since enjoyed coaching spells with St Mirren and Hamilton and is seen by many as the perfect candidate for an SFL management position. Jim McIntyre: With only one management job under his belt, McIntyre may be seen as a bit of a gamble by some.

However it is worth noting that while in that job McIntyre led Dunfermline from Division One into the SPL in season 2010/2011.

Since leaving Dunfermline in March this year, McIntyre has helped his friend Derek McIness in a coaching role at Bristol City but it is believed he is keen to get back into management himself.

Craig Levein: May soon be on the look-out for a new job?

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