Dumbarton FC: Stevie Murray set for second season

May 22 2009 by Andy Galloway, Lennox Herald (main ed)

STEVIE Murray heads out for Sons, sea and sand this weekend knowing that he’ll be a Dumbarton player next season.

The midfielder is going to Palma in Spain with the squad for a holiday as a reward for winning the third division title, and he is looking forward to being at the Rock again next season.

He said: “It was a two-year deal that I signed. As far as I am concerned I will be a Dumbarton player again next season, and I am definitely happy to stay here.

“I don’t think last Saturday’s title celebrations have sunk in yet. You don’t win many leagues as a player, so all the boys are still buzzing.

“It ranks alongside making my debut in the SPL for Kilmarnock and scoring my first goal for them. It’s also the first medal I’ve ever won.

“When I was at Killie, I went out on loan a month before the League Cup final in 2007 and so missed out on a runner’s-up medal.

“Fourteen of us fly out on Sunday for a short break, and when we get back, we will need to focus on next season’s league.”

Stevie is setting his sights on another possible promotion challenge next season - but is keeping his ambitions realistic.

The 26-year-old admits it will be a case of consolidating in the second division for Sons before thinking of moving even higher.

He added: “Hopefully we can challenge for the play-offs if we can keep the nucleus of the team together.

“The way we were playing towards the end of the season wouldn’t go un-noticed in the second division, so hopefully we can repeat it.

“But firstly we have to make sure we stay in the league. That is a bit of a pre-requisite for us and once we achieve that, we can look to build on it.

“I just wish the season would start next week. We want to play football, and we were getting stronger in the final games.”