Dumbarton Football Club prepare to mark their 150th anniversary on December 23

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Dumbarton Football Club marks its 150th anniversary this Friday, with community figures hailing the Sons for hitting the milestone.Formed on December 23, 1872, the Sons of the Rock were one of the most successful teams in the early years of Scottish football – lifting the first two Scottish Football League titles, and winning the 1883 Scottish Cup.And this weekend Dumbarton will celebrate a century-and-a-half of football with a programme of events prior to their Christmas Eve fixture with East Fife.West Dunbartonshire was a hotbed of football in the late Victorian era – but now just two names from that time remain, Vale of Leven and Dumbarton.The Vale, formed just a few months before the Sons, marked their 150th birthday in August.And Sons’ club historian Jim McAllister explained the impact Dumbarton had as football grew in popularity.He said: “In the early days of football in the 1880s and 1890s Dumbarton toured England and Northern Ireland showcasing football.“Queen’s Park and Dumbarton took football to parts of England and Ireland.

They developed the game.“But the very history of Dumbarton was started by the Vale of Leven when a group of shinty players went to watch Queen’s Park play the Vale.“They watched on the Saturday, had a meeting at Levengrove Park on the Sunday and formed the football club on the Monday.“1872 was very much the year Scottish football took off.“In that year alone six clubs were formed in West Dunbartonshire; Vale of Leven, Renton, Alclutha, Dunbritton, Kilmaronock Thistle and Dumbarton.“Across Scotland, 36 teams were formed in 1872.“In Dunbartonshire, linked to the Scottish Football Association, there have been 47 clubs.“Of those 47 however, only one is left.”Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: