Farrell's relief after Sons admin is lifted

AS manager of one of Scotland's oldest professional clubs, Stevie Farrell never thought he'd see the day when winning games wasn't his priority.

- BY FRASER WILSON

A day when he'd look at the players available and decide picking the strongest XI wasn't the right thing to do.

Or a day when he feared the game he was preparing for might actually be the last in the 153-year-old club's history.

But for 217 days between November 19 and last Tuesday, every one of those unimaginable circumstances became the reality for Dumbarton FC and Farrell.

That's what administration does to a football club.

When part-time players realise there's a real danger they may not get paid.

When fathers with families to support are left fearing tens of thousands of pounds raised by big-hearted supporters might not be used to pay players - but to service mounting debts elsewhere.

Suddenly, the pressure of delivering three points at the weekend seemed nothing compared to the burden of fighting to deliver wages for the guys in his dressing-room.

That might just be Farrell's biggest success in football - even bigger than guiding the club to promotion via the play-offs just 12 months ago.

Sons left administration as a new company last week and, after years of toil, have reason to believe again thanks to Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe riding to the rescue.

Farrell, who is preparing for his fifth season in charge at The Rock, admits he can't wait to return to a point where the football is actually the priority again.

In his own words, the last seven months have been hell. He said: "For four years there's been a cloud hanging over the club in terms of everything but football.