 Dumbarton have made experienced defender Andy Dowie their first summer signing following his departure from Queen of the South. The decision was easy for Dowie; go part-time and play at the same level you've been playing at for most of your career. Or stay full-time and move down a rung on the ladder. In the end, the defender only needed 24 hours to make his mind up. He'd known for some time he was going to play for Dumbarton next season after leaving Queen of the South, but a family holiday delayed the official signing. Having played for Brechin City and Dunfermline as well as Queens, Dowie will be playing against a former club in a third of Dumbarton's league games this season. However, the real selling point was the chance to keep playing in Scotland's second tier.Dowie said: "I spoke to the manager a couple of weeks ago - the move was all agreed there, but today was the first opportunity to go and make it official. The manager asked me about my situation after I was released by Queen of the South. He was keen to know if I wanted to go part-time with Dumbarton or stay full-time. He let me know what his plans were for the club, and I was very impressed. After he came off the phone I spoke to my wife and was back in touch within 24 hours. I decided it was the best move for myself and my family. I had an opportunity to stay full-time, but decided I wanted to continue playing in the Championship. I didn't want to drop down a division and that was the key aspect. I only played a handful of games on loan at Brechin, and had a good few years at Dunfermline, but it's all about playing at a higher level. Playing against former clubs isn't really something I think about. It was sad to leave Queen of the South in the respect that I had four years there. I had a good relationship with many people at the club. But in the last few weeks of the season, I wasn't really in the manager's plans, so I'm pleased with the move. Dumbarton have been punching above their weight for a good few seasons now, and hopefully that continues. Everybody knows how strong the Championship has been over the last few years. It's not as strong as it was, but it is still a competitive division. With two part-time teams involved, it's going to be interesting. I know it will be tough but I'm really looking forward to it." |
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