3 days ago
Dumbarton boss enthused with new owner - but budget pressures remain for L2 bid
The Sons boss admits his side will face a tough fight in terms of finances - but believe his side can still compete well in League Two.
Dumbarton boss Stevie Farrell has been left full of praise for the club's new preferred bidder - and said clarity over the club's future will help as they plot to climb out of their admin-enforced League Two deficit.
The Sons boss has been locked in intensive discussions with Canadian Mario Lapointe after the businessman was named by the club's administrators as the prospective new man at the helm last month.
The club's prospects off the pitch now look much brighter as an escape from administration is planned in the coming weeks - but Farrell warned a tighter playing budget next term means a high turnover of the squad at the Rock is likely ahead of the fourth-tier return.
He told the Lennox: 'The relationship has started very positively and we speak most days.
'He is very enthusiastic and has put his money where his mouth is, so it's an exciting time for the club because he is very invested in the club and making it a success.
'The discussions we have had have also been very transparent and truthful; the budget this year will be reduced quite considerably and he has told me the reasons for that but I like the fact that I know where I stand and I'm going about my business accordingly.
'We are likely to lose the majority of our squad from last year and the process of building for the next campaign is well underway.'
The fate of many members of last season's Dumbarton squad has been up in the air, with winger Craig McGuffie announced as leaving the club, following on from Jinky Hilton's move to Clyde.
Talented Rangers youngster Kristian Webster - who impressed after moving into a full-back role at the tail end of the last campaign - could possibly be a target for a return to the Rock after his release from the Ibrox club was confirmed last week.
But despite the monetary constraints - and a minus-five points deduction to start the season due to entering administration - Farrell is bullish about his record in the division and in the squad he will be able to build.
'Speaking with Mario has allowed us to have complete clarity in where we are and the market for players, so we're way down the line with that while keeping the restrictions in place we have until the middle of June due to administration', he added.
'We will have one of the lowest budgets in the league but I believe we can compete in the division and myself and my coaching staff have a history in League Two and how football is a changeable thing.
'There is a real positive vibe at the club now and the new owner has really lifted the spirits and much of the doom and gloom that had been about over the ownership at the club for a long time.
'The calmness is clear and there is no longer a sense of looking around the corner for the next problem from the ownership side; that brings stability to the club and that is so important.'
