READY TO ROCK THIS WORLD

RIGHT now Mario Lapointe is a happy chappy.

- BY GRAEME YOUNG

The new Dumbarton owner is more than comfortable over the events that have transpired since he took the reins at The Rock in June after the Sons' liquidation and then 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 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 setup 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 that 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, recruited by Lapointe himself, and manager Stevie Farrell receive an instant debrief from the boss who is back in Scotland for today's 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, I take notes and after the game I'll write to our adviser Neil and Stevie, our coach, and I'll share my notes.