Dumbarton vs Rangers: Who will succeed in this historic match-up?

By Ethan Barlow

Could the Rock play host to a seismic Scottish Cup shock? (Image: Getty Images)

Scottish League Two side Dumbarton will host Rangers in a dream Scottish Cup fourth-round draw for the Sons after a thrilling win against Annan Athletic in the previous round.

 

This is a historic Scottish football match-up; these two sides were joint winners of the inaugural Scottish Football League season back in the 1890s before Dumbarton were crowned outright winners the following season. Rangers didn’t win their first title until 1899, but since then they have gone on to win 54 more while Dumbarton have only added lower league success to their trophy cabinet along with their only Scottish Cup triumph prior to league football being created. 

 

This match-up is the case of a fallen giant hosting a giant, and of course, Rangers will be massive favourites, but that won’t stop every Son on the park and the 2,000 in the stands giving their all to try and create the Scottish Cup’s biggest ever upset.

 

Dumbarton and Rangers have been frequent opponents in recent years, due to Rangers' stint in the lower leagues. Eight meetings between the sides came in the Championship, which at the time, between 2014 and 2016, was the league Dumbarton were in. The only other match came in the third round of this competition. Since these times, Dumbarton have gone through two relegation campaigns, where they now sit in a league where they probably financially belong. On the other hand, Rangers have added a Scottish Premiership title, a Scottish Cup and a Scottish League Cup amid a Europa League final to their busy trophy cabinet. The clubs’ contrasts across the last eight years sum up the last 130-plus. Of the nine fixtures, Rangers won every single one of them which won’t bring any confidence to the home team. Despite no recent success, Dumbarton have people with experience of getting the job done against the Gers.

 

Dumbarton boss Stevie Farrell has previous experience of catching Rangers off-guard (Image: Getty Images)

Dumbarton manager Stevie Farrell has experience of getting results against Rangers as a lower-league coach. Farrell managed to get a point at Ibrox as Stranraer boss back in 2013 to end Rangers’ winning streak. Farrell spoke about his memories of the fixture, he said: “It’s not every time a lower-league club like Stranraer goes to Ibrox and gets a point against a famous football club like Rangers.”



Farrell gave his thoughts on the fixture and the positive implications it will have for the club. He said: “Financially, first and foremost it’s going to have an impact on the club and a positive impact, it’s going to be a real positive for the club. Hopefully, the club can make as much as they can from the tie and it's going to benefit in the months and years ahead.”

 

A tie like this can come at no better time for Dumbarton, with Farrell sharing how January recruitment hasn’t been as easy this month: “We’re not in a position where we can go into the January window, the club have told me that there wasn’t a pot of money and I fully appreciate and respect that, so we’ve had to be imaginative and eventful in the transfer window. We’ve put a couple of players out and we’ve brought two or three players in, and we’ve been cost-neutral in that.”

 

Despite Dumbarton not having a pot of money to spend, they have made a few smart signings, with some of them already having made an impact. A couple of the Sons’ defensive reinforcements have hit the ground running at their new club, with highly rated Hamilton Accies loanee, Cian Newbury making the SPFL team of the week in his first week at his new club.

 

Another new signing Rangers’ loanee Jay Hogarth has also hit the ground running since joining from Dumbarton’s Scottish Cup opponents. Hogarth is ineligible to play against his parent club though.

 

Farrell gave his early thoughts on his mid-season signings, he said: “They’ve both showed up very well [Hogarth] and [Newbury] in both games, I thought they were both excellent on Saturday.

 

 

Dumbarton played out a crazy third-round tie at Annan Athletic as they came from 4-3 down in extra time, to win 5-4.

The man who got the 118th-minute winner, James Hilton, thinks the Sons deserved a massive draw, Hilton said: “I think the gaffer’s mentioned before that we deserve to be in the position we are on Saturday. The game showed how quickly football can change.”

The Sons’ Scottish Cup hero, James Hilton (Image: Getty Images)

Hilton believes it will take a lot to come out on top on Saturday, he said: “We’ll need them to have a really bad day and us to have a really good day, but that’s football, 11v11 and hopefully we can cause an upset.”

 

Hilton signed for Dumbarton in June after working with Farrell previously at Stranraer. Since the reunion, Dumbarton have taken part in two crazy Scottish Cup games and if this turns out to be even a fraction as entertaining, Dumbarton fans and neutral viewers will come away happy.

 

On the flip side, there’s to be no fairytale. Rangers fans will expect nothing less than a win from Philippe Clement and his players as the blue side of Glasgow are on the charge for an ambitious treble. After lifting the League Cup last month, Clement’s main focus will turn to the league after their loss at Celtic Park at the turn of the year, which may see a slightly experimental Rangers lineup see the shadow of the Rock.

 

Farrell believes Dumbarton can pull off a shock, saying: “I’m a great believer that there are shocks, I do think that has been proven in history. I think they’ll possibly be a shock on Saturday. Can it be Dumbarton? Well, you just never know.”

 

The uphill battle isn’t made any easier for Dumbarton with Newbury and Marc Kelly also being cup-tied but can Gallagher Lennon, son of Celtic legend Neil, be a hero on his debut after signing on loan from St. Mirren?

 

Surely Dumbarton couldn’t do it, could they?

SportEthan Barlow