Latest news with #Lapointe
Daily Record
02-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Mario Lapointe reveals investment in Dumbarton goes beyond cash as owner bares his soul to management and punters
The new Dumbarton owner is bullish over the events which have transpired since he took the reins at The Rock in Jun Right now Mario Lapointe is a happy chappy. The new Dumbarton owner is bullish over the events which have transpired since he took the reins at The Rock in June after the Good Ship Sons ran aground in the form of liquidation and the subsequent forming as a newco after a 15-point penalty put paid to their League One status. Scottish football is no stranger to unexpected saviours but a French-Canadian musician who has made his money in the world of electronics is the unlikeliest spark for a club in need. But Lapointe is bullish over the Sons' future with ticket sales on the up, added investment in the club's youth set-up and pioneering pay it forward schemes directly engaging youths in the Dumbarton area. They will start the League Two season with a five-point penalty but the mood music around Lapointe's most ambitious project yet is rising after a Premier Sports Cup campaign which started with a win over Stirling Albion and ended with a victory over crisis-hit Hamilton. Montreal native Lapointe is a big personality but his role as custodian of Dumbarton doesn't come with a laissez-faire attitude – just ask the management team who hear from him after every game. Football advisor Neil Watt, appointed by Lapointe himself, and manager Stevie Farrell receive an instant debrief from the boss who is back in Scotland for their League Two opener against Clyde as they aim to quickly wipe out the deduction they were slapped with. Speaking exclusively to Record Sport, Lapointe said: "I'll be watching our games and I take notes and I take notes and after the game I'll write to our adviser Neil Watt and Stevie, our coach, and I'll share my notes. "I coached hockey 19 years and there's things in hockey that we cannot take a low effort or something like that or we're attached to details because it's a very fast game, ice hockey is very fast compared to football "I write what I see, just like I'm talking to you now, I'm a guy that's very direct. I don't beat around the bush too much. and so, I write exactly what I see. "And then to push my efforts, I'll make sure that if I have a solution for it, the solution will be there too, and I send it to them and they (management team) probably go, "Oh my god.", "And this is why I went to get Neil Watt at the same time. I had set five different aspects for me to evaluate our coaching staff and those five aspects. "So for me to be able to evaluate, let's say, the coaching staff, the confidence level, it's like statistics, you have a certain way of saying things, but what's your confidence level? for the coaching staff to receive it, it could not just be from this French Canadian guy that knows about hockey and coaching. It had to be also from a guy that agrees with it, or doesn't agree with it in Neil Watt, right now in our perspective, he's that guy. He's taking care of it. "He's the mentor of the coaching staff, but also he's a guy that's taking his notes as well, and he receives mine. And maybe our notes match sometimes, and perhaps they don't. I cannot be everything, which I am not the best at everything, but I'm pretty good at everything. But I surround myself with some of the best. I'll try to anyway. and that's what I tried to do in this case." The new man in town is an open book and appears willing to self-evaluate after admitting the emotions of his first voyage to the Shire resulted in emotions running high and a club legend offering a quiet gesture to avoid the owner boiling over in front of his public. Lapointe admits his primal reactions in the stands came as a surprise to himself. He added: "During the game, I'll say nothing. I'll watch. If I'm at the stadium, it's a different thing though because at the stadium, I did find myself getting mad a couple of times last time and that's not usually me. "But when you coach for so many years behind a bench, you're not a guy that lets yourself go so much because everything's planned and you're going at it, But when you're in the stands, it has been a while that I haven't been in the stands for a long time. It was good because I was sitting next to Murdo MacLeod and he put his hand on my shoulder a couple of times "So, I don't know if he noticed that, but he was really trying to calm me down, I think. And that's fine because I am a competitive guy. I like to obviously win and I don't mind losing. I've never been a bad loser, but every loss is an opportunity to find out why you lost and how you can do something different and right now I'm happy." Lapointe comes with no airs and graces despite his success in life and his modesty in the abode he rests his eyes on when he makes the trip from Canada to his new home. And his open doors policy has stretched to his social media presence, with Dumbarton fans invited directly to his personal Facebook page as he toyed with letting those beyond the stadium hear about the success of a team under new ownership. He said: "They say that change is hard to happen, and for me I don't have that problem of being uncomfortable. You know what I mean? if I send you where I live when I go to Scotland right now it was a mattress in an empty apartment and that was it, and I got it late and stuff and I couldn't care less. "I had a picture on my Facebook with a huge church bell that comes in the rack and a lot of people, 'my god, what does he want to do with that and stuff?' And I didn't buy it, of course. but in Montreal, one of the biggest things is that people have a losing team,..but when they score, the whole town knows because you can hear that bell ringing, and it puts a smile on your face every time."
NDTV
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Kriti Sanon Gives High Velocity Drama In A Rust-Coloured Elie Saab Jumpsuit
When it comes to sleek silhouettes and figure-flattering ensembles, Kriti Sanon's style game rarely misses. The actress' fashion diaries carry the perfect balance of chic and glamour. Recently, we got to witness something similar when Kriti slipped into a stunning rust-coloured jumpsuit, coming from the shelves of luxury clothing label Elie Saab. The ensemble came with a cap-sleeved shirt with a collar and puffed shoulders. Underneath the shirt, Kriti wore a matching lace bralette. The shirt was tucked into a fashionable wide belt, which featured a prominent black and gold buckle. The lower half of her outfit featured high-waisted, wide-leg trousers that hugged her waist and hips perfectly before flaring out dramatically to floor-sweeping lengths. A glimpse of sleek black pointed heels peeked out from beneath the hemline, adding a touch of sophistication to the overall look. View this post on Instagram A post shared by S U K R I T I G R O V E R (@sukritigrover) Styled by Sukriti Grover, Kriti elevated her accessories game with a gold neck stack, matching earrings and rings. For makeup, the actress opted for a matte base, subtle contouring, defined brows and neutral eyeshadow. Her lips were painted with a soft brown lipstick shade that complemented her elegant appearance. Neatly middle-parted bun glam gave her a red carpet-ready look. Before this, Kriti Sanon stunned in an all-beige look. The actress wore a beige bodycon cut-out dress that just amped up her fashion game. The asymmetric cut-out gown came with mesh fabrication, which featured ruched detailing all over it. Kriti's dress had various cut-outs on the shoulders and at the bodice, adding extra glam to it. The thigh-high slit and the double-lined knot details made the dress look extra luxurious. From the shelves of Lapointe, the dress was worth Rs 121,700. Read the full story here. We are taking summer fashion inspiration from Kriti Sanon.
The National
28-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Mario Lapointe addresses Dumbarton property development concerns
French-Canadian electronics entrepreneur Lapointe – a singer-songwriter whose stage name is Vintage – completed his takeover of the former Scottish Cup winners earlier this week. The Quebec-based 57-year-old, who has been a hockey and football coach in his homeland for the past 20 years, stressed that he is determined to make the club profitable off the park and successful on it in the coming seasons. Read more: 'The fans will always have that suspicion about some guy coming in,' he said. 'But there is no temptation there for me. I can't destroy nothing. I am all for this and have no problem with how things are set up. 'You have the community trust. That is not an entity I am involved with. It's a non-profit that was already there before I arrived. This community trust's role is to get the artificial turf. They put it on this land and rent it to me for, say, a dollar. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'This group has people from the council, people from our club, people from the community. So, that ensures this land will be used for football purposes. 'We need to turn the facility into a community hub. We need to get the artificial grass down. That turf will help us have that seven-day activity going. It has to be win-win everywhere. 'I could have built housing around my place in Canada. It would have been much easier. I'm not coming across the pond to build housing.' Read more: Dumbarton have only been able to exit administration by becoming a new company – and Lapointe revealed that was the only route available to him. 'When I approached them, I was thinking it was a bankruptcy,' he said. 'Usually with a bankruptcy, you're looking at paying 20 cents on the dollar or whatever. But it wasn't that. 'There's particulars I can't talk about because they have me on an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Forming a new company was the only option. We weren't allowed to do anything else actually.'
The Herald Scotland
28-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Mario Lapointe addresses Dumbarton property development concerns
The Quebec-based 57-year-old, who has been a hockey and football coach in his homeland for the past 20 years, stressed that he is determined to make the club profitable off the park and successful on it in the coming seasons. Read more: 'The fans will always have that suspicion about some guy coming in,' he said. 'But there is no temptation there for me. I can't destroy nothing. I am all for this and have no problem with how things are set up. 'You have the community trust. That is not an entity I am involved with. It's a non-profit that was already there before I arrived. This community trust's role is to get the artificial turf. They put it on this land and rent it to me for, say, a dollar. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'This group has people from the council, people from our club, people from the community. So, that ensures this land will be used for football purposes. 'We need to turn the facility into a community hub. We need to get the artificial grass down. That turf will help us have that seven-day activity going. It has to be win-win everywhere. 'I could have built housing around my place in Canada. It would have been much easier. I'm not coming across the pond to build housing.' Read more: Dumbarton have only been able to exit administration by becoming a new company – and Lapointe revealed that was the only route available to him. 'When I approached them, I was thinking it was a bankruptcy,' he said. 'Usually with a bankruptcy, you're looking at paying 20 cents on the dollar or whatever. But it wasn't that. 'There's particulars I can't talk about because they have me on an NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Forming a new company was the only option. We weren't allowed to do anything else actually.'
Glasgow Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
New Dumbarton owner on not being a 'dud' and drafting in David Byrne
There is nothing, though, that is in the slightest bit routine about the new owner of Dumbarton, the larger-than-life French-Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe. Lapointe, a musician and performer whose stage name is Vintage due to his love of all things old, has spent the past week at The Rock casting his eyes over his latest investment, meeting staff and supporters and finalising his ambitious plans for the future. The Quebec-based entrepreneur spoke to the media yesterday to explain how and why he had got involved with the venerable Dunbartonshire institution and he did, their longsuffering fans will be reassured to hear, outline in detail how he intends to stop them haemorrhaging money, turn a profit once again and revive on-field displays. But there were revelations, opinions, quips, asides and declarations aired by the colourful, engaging and hugely likable character during the course of a lengthy chat with reporters at the stadium which have never been heard at a fitba press conference in this country before and almost certainly never will be ever again. Read more: Asked about who his musical influences were and what kind of artist he is, Lapointe said, 'It's weird because I listen to rock, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Supertramp, Styx, Def Leppard and the like, but I don't sing like that. 'People tell me I am a triangle of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. In terms of my own style, it's more of a storytelling style. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, all these places. Someone recently told me I have 7,000 people in Brazil who listen to my music every month.' So what composition can one of his Instagram followers in Sao Paulo expect to be treated to next? A heartfelt rendition of his latest power ballad I'm So Happy I've Bought Dumbarton FC perhaps? Nothing should be ruled out. 'I will have to wait for the emotions to go down,' he said. 'I was at a bar recently and someone said to me that I must be really proud of what I have done. I started to bawl. But I have a song for every emotion that you have. Whatever you're going through, I have something for you. If you go and listen you'll see that it's very authentic. There are a few songs that are dark.' (Image: Colin Mearns) Lapointe is about as hail-fellow-well-met an individual as you could ever have the good fortune to meet. So where on earth does this darkness he mentions come from? It turns out that his woman done gone and left him. That devastating life event was the catalyst, in fact, for him dusting off his Gibson Hummingbird and returning to the stage once again. 'I used to write music when I was much younger,' he said. 'I used to be in a band around the time I went to engineering school. Then I basically stopped for about 30 years or something. But after 25 years of marriage, three boys, a cheating wife and getting divorced you end up with quite a lot to say. So I wrote songs about it.' Popular music legend David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of the seminal American new wave band Talking Heads, originally hails from Dumbarton and it was no surprise whatsoever when Lapointe admitted yesterday that he had attempted to get in touch with the Sons' most famous son during their hour of greatest need. 'I tried to reach out to him so that I could get him to make a little video so that I could pump the tyres of the volunteers,' he said. 'Just so he could say something like, 'Hey! Dumbarton! I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!' But he didn't answer.' Dumbarton were on the Road to Nowhere for a long time under their previous owners. Cognitive Capital appeared far more interested in using the land around their stadium for lucrative property developments than assembling a winning team for fans to cheer. But Lapointe, who has been a hockey and football coach for the past 20 years as well as a successful electronics entrepreneur, believes he has devised a recipe for success on and off the park. Read more: 'I always compare a good team to a good salad,' he said. 'You can't have a good salad with just lettuce. I like radishes. In sports terms, that would be guys who have a little character. People like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, guys who are a little bit different. 'I want to have a team with Dumbarton who have character. It should be tough coming here for opposition teams. When a team shows real passion and character, sometimes you overlook a little bit the results. Even if you're not top of the league, people recognise a team giving it's all and being totally committed.' Lapointe added, 'The burn rate (loss) for the club has been close to £200,000 per year. My goal is for the club to move away from that and not to burn money. 'One of the first things we are going to do is spend around £20,000 to revamp our main hospitality suite. We want that to be something that appeals to people. They can come and have a great day out at the football and really enjoy our hospitality experience. 'We also have some big spaces, big halls, inside the stadium. Those could be used for birthday parties, wedding functions, stuff like that. At the moment, they are not being used at all. 'I also want us to start hosting music nights and open mic comedy nights. These are things that could help with revenue whilst also engaging with the local community in Dumbarton. Read more: 'You have to invest in things like this initially to start finding ways of bringing in revenue. Otherwise, you will just end up in the same situation where the club is pouring money down a hole. 'Stevie (manager Farrell) knocks on my door every week. We've had good conversations so far about our budget. But cup money, league money and sponsorship money equals the player wages. That's basically it. It can't be any more simple than that. You can't run a club purely with ego and ambition. You have to run it with math. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'People will attach themselves to our story of resilience if they feel we're successful. Nobody wants to be struck with a dud. I want everybody to be positive, because positivity spreads like a virus. 'The romance of Super Mario will fade. But we have one year where we can say, 'If you want to help this crazy French-Canadian, get a season ticket'. Some people are going to get in the locomotive and some are going to sit in the wagon. But at some point I'm going to unpin the wagon and we'll continue without the deadwood.' Only time will tell if Mario Lapointe can resurrect Dumbarton's fortunes. They are an odd couple and then some. But one thing is absolutely certain. There will not be a dull moment as he tries.
