A year in lockdown: Looking back as sport in West Dunbartonshire came to a halt

On the night of March 23 an announcement was made that turned the lives of everybody in Scotland the wrong way up.

A 3 week ‘lockdown’ mirroring that already launched in Italy was to be introduced in – a ban on leaving the home for all however important causes.

It put hundreds of thousands of lives on maintain throughout the nation, however for these concerned in sport there was a way of déjà vu.

On Friday March 13, fittingly, sport in any respect ranges in Scotland was stopped indefinitely. From Premiership soccer to Posties Park kickabouts, from rugby to rowing, karting to kickboxing.

The choice, initially hoped to be for simply six weeks, continues to influence the lives of individuals in Dumbarton and the Vale to at the present time.

Dumbarton Soccer Membership, as the world’s largest skilled aspect, confronted a number of the largest hurdles – with the SPFL plunged into disaster.

Membership historian Jim McAllister had the duty of charting this distinctive interval within the membership’s 148-year-existence – and he gave the Lennox a preview of how the Fortress Street aspect will document the coronavirus lockdown.

An extract reads: “The main problem over the yr has been, to make use of a soccer time period, that the goalposts maintain shifting.

“That is true of society far past soccer, but it surely has a big influence on the membership. Had we recognized then what we all know now it’s doable choices taken would have been totally different.

“All through the entire course of Dumbarton supporters have contributed to the wellbeing of the membership by way of the crowdfunding, shopping for season tickets for the present season, embracing the streaming service which has now turn into a part of matchday and by supporting all initiatives designed to see the membership by way of the disaster.

“They’ve been exemplary of their help.”

Throughout the first lockdown the Sons noticed their followers elevate greater than £25,000 in only a few weeks to make sure they stayed afloat, whereas gamers agreed to defer their wages till the furlough scheme was launched.

The best way supporters interacted with video games modified dramatically too, with supporters remaining locked out the one approach to see Jim Duffy’s aspect in motion stays through the membership’s state-of-the-art Pixellot streaming system.

Board conferences moved on-line for the primary time ever, and anybody coming into the stadium on a matchday is now topic to a temperature examine on arrival. Grants from the Scottish Authorities and James Anderson helped make sure the membership – and others within the SPFL – stayed afloat, even with followers unable to attend.

Whereas Dumbarton’s mid-table place meant that there was at the least no heartbreak on the pitch, the identical couldn’t be mentioned for 3 of the world’s different soccer groups.

Vale of Leven Juniors, St Patrick’s FPs and Dumbarton Academy FPs have been all on observe for titles – with all three lacking out because of the lockdown.

It might’ve been a very golden yr of sport too, with Loch Lomond Rugby Membership’s first staff dominating Tennent’s West Area Division Three, profitable all 11 league video games performed – scoring nearly 300 factors within the course of.

On the time, staff captain Euan Todd instructed the Lennox: “It was shaping as much as be our greatest season prior to now 28 or 29 years. You possibly can perceive why the choice was made but it surely’s actually disheartening. It took quite a lot of exhausting work to get to the place we have been.

“We’re gutted about it given the place that we have been in.”

After the concern, frustration and heartbreak of lockdown, native golf equipment need to the long run with renewed optimism – with brighter days hopefully on the horizon, and the significance of sport bolstered.

Angela Munn, of Loch Lomond RFC’s minis and juniors part, defined: “We’ve truly managed to select up a number of further gamers over lockdown.

“The coaches have been a bit apprehensive about what number of boys would come again, however when the foundations have been relaxed to allow us to practice then nearly everybody did return. I feel the lockdown helped make everybody realise simply how a lot they’d missed it.”

While Stewart Smillie of Alexandria Kickboxing Academy mentioned: “The kickboxing membership is all I’ve executed since I used to be about 14.

“Primarily from highschool proper by way of my social life was my fitness center buddies and the people who find themselves skilled with right here.

“For that every one to be shut has been fairly exhausting on myself, in addition to everyone else.

“We’re getting there although. The blokes are all working exhausting and staying motivated.

“These of us who’re all shut mates are a tight-knit neighborhood and we’re at all times messaging one another and on video chats.

“Numerous the mums who didn’t know one another earlier than the membership are fairly good mates now as properly. They’re all supporting one another by way of it, which is absolutely nice to see.”

And Dumbarton United chairman Gerry Docherty added: “Our coaches have executed a magic job. They’re nonetheless actually engaged with the youngsters, the youngsters are actually engaged with the coaches and the membership.

“I’m massively pleased with everybody. A number of the concepts they’ve provide you with to try to maintain folks concerned through the lockdown have been genius.”

Lockdown was even worse than my worst nightmare – however brighter days must be forward

A glance again on the previous 12 months by way of the eyes of a sports activities report.

It isn’t even honest to say that lockdown was each sports activities reporters’ worst nightmare. It was so unprecedented it wasn’t even one thing I’d ever woken up in a chilly sweat fascinated with.

Round 70 p.c of a standard Lennox sports activities part can be reside protection – be that soccer, rugby, hockey, bowls, cricket, boxing or no matter else was on that weekend. The remaining may be ready prematurely, however given we’re normally pushed for area (and time) on a Monday then a lot of the pages come collectively proper on deadline.

After a troublesome spell of winter climate had offered me with loads of Monday morning challenges to fill the paper, I used to be trying ahead to my first spring within the job.

We had three soccer groups and a rugby staff going for titles, a world champion boxer, world champion kickboxer and British champions in each powerboat racing and motorsport.

2020 ought to’ve been a golden yr for West Dunbartonshire.

As a substitute, on Friday March 13, I realised that grumbling about a number of weeks the place soccer was referred to as off as a consequence of snow was about to look a bit daft.

At first there was actually a novelty issue to compiling sports activities pages with none reside sport.

The primary lockdown gave me the chance to talk to folks I’d grown up idolising in a Sons shirt – most notably Neill Collins and Bryan Prunty.

It gave me the chance to get to know extra concerning the good native sports activities golf equipment within the space, and the folks behind them, lots of whom I’d solely ever spoken to over e mail.

However it was exhausting.

Every week I challenged myself to seek out at the least 5 tales – and for a lot of of these weeks there was nothing taking place to report on.

As spring grew to become summer time I started counting down the weeks till the Sons season resumed in October. I hate not being deliberate prematurely so my diary was filled with wee notes on doable concepts for every of the 29 football-free weeks endured.

By early October grassroots sport was given the inexperienced mild and so, very briefly, we had a Lennox sports activities part that seemed as regular because it had executed in months.

Then got here additional restrictions. Newbie sport was first to fall, then youth sport after which – in early January – the Sons discovered their season again on ice.

As with everybody, I discovered the second lockdown a complete lot tougher.

The dire climate, the query marks over when – or if – normality would return and the fatigue from the earlier yr made it by far probably the most troublesome spell of my quick profession.

Every week I ready myself for extra unhealthy information about extensions to restrictions and did what I might to try to make sure that my negativity wasn’t mirrored within the paper. Hopefully it wasn’t.

Fortunately, earlier this month, information got here that the SPFL season would resume – as would non-contact grassroots sport.

Contact youth sport is only some weeks away now and hopefully beginner contact sport received’t be too far behind that both, with the First Minister acknowledging the essential function that sport performs in society together with the restricted dangers of outside exercise.

The clocks are set to alter this weekend, and with the vaccine rollout going properly and the virus numbers encouraging, I’m hopeful that brighter days – not simply lighter nights – lastly lie forward.