Season 1975–76 was the 92nd football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 70th time, the Scottish Cup for the 81st time and the Scottish League Cup for the 29th time.
| 1975–1976 season | |
|---|---|
| Manager | Alex Wright |
| Stadium | Boghead Park, Dumbarton |
| Scottish League Division 1 | 4th |
| Scottish Cup | Semi-final |
| Scottish League Cup | Prelims |
| Top goalscorer | League: John Bourke (18) All: John Bourke (26) |
| Highest home attendance | 4000 |
| Lowest home attendance | 1500 |
| Average home league attendance | 2415 |
Overview edit
Following league reconstruction, Dumbarton started off in the new Division 1 (second tier) of Scottish league football with a real expectation that promotion to the Premier League could be achieved. However, the departure of Willie Wallace to Australia towards the end of the previous season, followed by the transfer of brothers Colin and Tom McAdam before the end of October left a hole in the squad that proved difficult to overcome.
A poor start in the league, which saw only one win taken from the first 6 fixtures (and included an astonishing 5-5 home draw with East Fife), was to handicap Dumbarton's ambitions, and eventually it required an unbeaten run of 6 games at the end of the league campaign to climb up to a respectable 4th place.
It was however in the Scottish Cup where Dumbarton were to shine and after a third round win over Highland League opposition, Dumbarton were on their way to their first national cup semi-final in almost 80 years having disposed of both the clubs who would finish above them in Division 1’s promotion places. Hearts provided the opposition at Hampden and, after a hard fought 0-0 draw in which Dumbarton had the better chances, they were unable to recover from the loss of an early deflected own goal and the Premier League side eventually headed into Europe as defeated Cup Finalists.
In the League Cup, Dumbarton was handed the toughest of qualifying groups, being up against 3 of the top Premier League sides, and it was no real surprise that there would be no further interest in this competition although a home win, over Hearts ironically, was well received.
Due to the reduction in the number of league games, a new competition was instituted for Division 1 and 2 clubs, named the Spring Cup. Dumbarton qualified from their group with 4 wins from 6 games, and saw off Raith Rovers and Falkirk on their way to another cup semi final. It was however to be their local rivals Clydebank who would go on to the final following a 3-1 defeat. Dumbarton had finished a long season by playing no fewer than 15 matches during a hectic 8 weeks across March and April; 1 league, 3 Scottish Cup, and 11 Spring Cup ties. In a strong second half to the season, and despite the fixture congestion, Dumbarton lost only two games in addition to those semi-final defeats in its closing 23 outings.
Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup, Dumbarton beat Clydebank on penalties in the first round before surprisingly losing out to Stenhousemuir in the semi-final.
Finally, Dumbarton undertook a mini-tour of England in the pre-season. Following a home game against Preston NE, the team travelled to play Chester and Tranmere Rovers.
Results & fixtures edit
Win Draw Loss
Scottish First Division edit
| 30 August 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Clyde | 1-2 | Dumbarton | Shawfield Stadium |
Harvey  30' |
McLean 65', 72' |
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: R Keggie |
| 6 September 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 1-4 | Falkirk | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 28' |
Lawson 16', 44' McCaig 33'Shirra 83' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: D Syme |
| 13 September 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Montrose | 3-2 | Dumbarton | Links Park |
| Johnston 70', 84' Barr 74' (pen) |
McLean 7', 65' |
Attendance: 1,100 Referee: W Reid |
| 20 September 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 2-3 | Partick Thistle | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 47' Wallace 62' |
Craig,J 33', 77' Somner 37' |
Attendance: 4,000 Referee: J Gordon |
| 27 September 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 5-5 | East Fife | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 2' McLean 28'Wallace 40', 62'Graham 76' |
Kinnear 18', 30' Miller 34', 46'Hegarty 86' |
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: A Ferguson |
| 4 October 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Airdrie | 3-0 | Dumbarton | Broomfield Park |
| Jonquin 2' (pen), 13' (pen) Wilson 54' (pen) |
Attendance: 2,500 Referee: A Hope |
| 11 October 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 4-0 | Morton | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 21' Wallace 42'McAdam 54', 62' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: A Paterson |
| 18 October 1975 Scottish Division 1 | St Mirren | 3-2 | Dumbarton | Love Street (stadium) |
| McGillivray 43' McDowall 72'Reid,R 83' |
Bourke 54', 81' |
Attendance: 3,500 |
| 25 October 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 2-1 | Queen of the South | Boghead Park |
| McAdam 5', 12' |
Dempster 57' (pen) |
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: T Kellock |
| 1 November 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Arbroath | 1-5 | Dumbarton | Gayfield Park |
| McKenzie 65' |
Wallace 31' Bourke 40'Cook 73'McLean 82', 88' |
Attendance: 1,682 Referee: T Kyle |
| 8 November 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 2-0 | Dunfermline Athletic | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 34' Wallace 81' |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: R Keggie |
| 15 November 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 5-1 | Hamilton | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 2' McLean 19'Muir 21', 61'Brown,A 80' |
Taylor 11' |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: H Alexander |
| 22 November 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Kilmarnock | 1-0 | Dumbarton | Rugby Park |
| Fallis 14' |
Attendance: 5,000 Referee: W Mullan |
| 29 November 1975 Scottish Division 1 | East Fife | 2-1 | Dumbarton | Bayview Park, Methil |
| Rutherford 25' Rankin 87' (pen) |
Brown,A 38' |
Attendance: 1,493 Referee: A McGunnigle |
| 6 December 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 0-0 | Airdrie | Boghead Park |
| Attendance: 1,500 Referee: A McKenzie |
| 13 December 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Morton | 1-1 | Dumbarton | Cappielow Park |
| Reid 86' |
Cook 76' |
Attendance: 2,500 |
| 20 December 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 2-0 | St Mirren | Boghead Park |
| Wallace 44' Bourke 89' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: A Paterson |
| 27 December 1975 Scottish Division 1 | Queen of the South | 4-2 | Dumbarton | Palmerston Park |
| Reid 16', 21' Dickson,P 46'Muir 83' (OG) |
McLean 28' Bourke 34' |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: G Smith |
| 1 January 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Falkirk | 3-2 | Dumbarton | Brockville Park |
| Mitchell Lawson Whiteford (pen) |
Cook Bourke |
Attendance: 3,000 |
| 3 January 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 0-6 | Montrose | Boghead Park |
| Miller 13', 32' Barr 35'Markland 53'Stewart 67'Livingstone 78' |
Attendance: 2,000 |
| 17 January 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 3-0 | Kilmarnock | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 19', 63' Muir 75' |
Attendance: 3,500 Referee: D Ramsay |
| 31 January 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Partick Thistle | 0-0 | Dumbarton | Firhill Park |
| Attendance: 6,000 Referee: R Keggie |
| 7 February 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 1-0 | Clyde | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 36' |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: T Kellock |
| 21 February 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Dumbarton | 3-2 | Arbroath | Boghead Park |
| McLean 1' Muir 22'Wallace 52' |
Yule 77' Fettes 79' |
Attendance: 2,500 Referee: T Kyle |
| 28 February 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Dunfermline Athletic | 0-3 | Dumbarton | East End Park |
| Bourke 3', 54' Wallace 13' |
Attendance: 2,500 Referee: K Hope |
| 15 March 1976 Scottish Division 1 | Hamilton | 2-3 | Dumbarton | Douglas Park |
| Thomas 25', 82' |
Wallace 35' Cook 56'Kane 78' |
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: W Mullen |
Scottish Cup edit
| 24 January 1976 Scottish Cup round 3 | Dumbarton | 2–0 | Keith | Boghead Park |
| Wallace 21' Muir 72' |
MacKintosh 68' |
Attendance: 2,500 Referee: D Downie |
| 14 February 1976 Scottish Cup round 4 | Partick Thistle | 0–0 | Dumbarton | Firhill Park |
| Attendance: 8,300 Referee: J Paterson |
| 25 February 1976 Scottish Cup round 4R | Dumbarton | 1–0 | Partick Thistle | Boghead Park |
| Wallace 55' |
Attendance: 7,539 Referee: J Paterson |
| 6 March 1976 Scottish Cup round 5 | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Kilmarnock | Boghead Park |
| Clarke 53' (OG) Muir 74' |
Fallis 64' |
Attendance: 7,796 Referee: I Foote |
| 3 April 1976 Scottish Cup Semi-final | Hearts | 0–0 | Dumbarton | Hampden Park |
| Attendance: 16,087 Referee: I Foote |
| 14 April 1976 Scottish Cup Semi-final Replay | Hearts | 3–0 | Dumbarton | Hampden Park |
| Smith 8' (OG) Prentice 35'Busby 47' |
Attendance: 11,273 Referee: I Foote |
Scottish League Cup edit
| 9 August 1975 Section 3 | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Hearts | Boghead Park |
| McLean 23' Bourke 89' |
Callachan 38' |
Attendance: 4,000 Referee: R Davidson |
| 13 August 1975 Section 3 | Aberdeen | 2–0 | Dumbarton | Pittodrie Park |
| Graham 7' Jarvie 37' |
Attendance: 6,000 Referee: T Muirhead |
| 16 August 1975 Section 3 | Celtic | 3–1 | Dumbarton | Celtic Park |
| Wilson 32' Lennox 35'Edvaldsson 84' |
McAdam 62' |
Attendance: 23,000 Referee: D Downie |
| 20 August 1975 Section 3 | Dumbarton | 0–1 | Aberdeen | Boghead Park |
| Hair 72' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: T Kellock |
| 23 August 1975 Section 3 | Dumbarton | 0–8 | Celtic | Boghead Park |
| Hood 4', 57' McGrain 19'Dalglish 49', 62'Callaghan 70'Wilson 87', 89' |
Attendance: 14,000 Referee: R Valentine |
| 27 August 1975 Section 3 | Hearts | 6–2 | Dumbarton | Tynecastle Stadium |
| Hancock 6' Callachan 15'Prentice 24'Busby 29', 82'Park 89' |
Cook 28' Brown 69' |
Attendance: 6,000 Referee: A Ferguson |
Spring Cup edit
| 10 March 1976 Section 4 | Dumbarton | 4–1 | Albion Rovers | Boghead Park |
| Cook 11' Bourke 14', 88'Muir 60' (pen) |
McLean 44' |
Referee: D Syme |
| 13 March 1976 Section 4 | Arbroath | 0–1 | Dumbarton | Gayfield Park |
| Wallace 64' |
Attendance: 1,187 Referee: F Pringle |
| 20 March 1976 Section 4 | Stenhousemuir | 2–1 | Dumbarton | Ochilview Park |
| Sinclair 11' Wight 65' |
McKinlay 42' |
Attendance: 489 |
| 27 March 1976 Section 4 | Dumbarton | 1–2 | Arbroath | Boghead Park |
| Wallace 68' |
Bone 61' Fletcher 80' |
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: T Muirhead |
| 7 April 1976 Section 4 | Albion Rovers | 1–2 | Dumbarton | Cliftonhill Stadium |
| Sermanni 41' |
Wallace 20', 45' |
Referee: A McGunnigle |
| 10 April 1976 Section 4 | Dumbarton | 3–1 | Stenhousemuir | Boghead Park |
| McLeod 43' Bourke 79', 84' |
Simpson 57' |
Attendance: 1,500 |
| 17 April 1976 Round 2(1) | Raith Rovers | 2–2 | Dumbarton | Starks Park |
| Graham 14' Wallace 22' |
Brown,A 47' Cooper 83' (OG) |
Attendance: 3,201 Referee: D Syme |
| 19 April 1976 Round 2(2) | Dumbarton | 4–0 (6–2 agg.) | Raith Rovers | Boghead Park |
| Wallace 3', 27' Graham 20'Bourke 23' |
Attendance: 2,500 Referee: D Syme |
| 21 April 1976 Round 3(1) | Dumbarton | 4–2 | Falkirk | Boghead Park |
| Harvey 42', 64' Graham 69'Bourke 77' |
Whiteford 53' (pen) Lawson 90' |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: I Foote |
| 24 April 1976 Round 3(2) | Falkirk | 1–2 (3–6 agg.) | Dumbarton | Brockville Park |
| Fowler 67' |
Bourke 51' Brown,A 61' |
Attendance: 2,000 Referee: I Foote |
| 28 April 1976 Semi-final | Clydebank | 3–1 | Dumbarton | Kilbowie Park |
| McCallan 57', 80' Hall 72' |
Wallace 60' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: E Thomson |
Stirlingshire Cup edit
| 3 November 1975 1st round | Dumbarton | 1–1 (5 – 4 on penalties) | Clydebank | Boghead Park |
| McAdam |
Cooper 89' |
| 11 November 1975 Semi-final | Stenhousemuir | 3–1 | Dumbarton | Ochilview Park |
| McPaul 10', 52' Halliday 79' |
McCormack 74' |
Pre-season and other matches edit
| 16 July 1975 Friendly | Dumbarton | 2–0 | Vale of Leven | Boghead Park |
| Mathie |
| 28 July 1975 Friendly | Queen's Park | 2–0 | Dumbarton | Hampden Park |
| Brown 19' (OG) McGill 71' |
| 30 July 1975 Friendly | Dumbarton | 2–2 |  Preston NE | Boghead Park |
| Wallace 19' McAdam 30' |
Elwess 78', 87' |
| 2 August 1975 Friendly | Chester City | 1–1 | Dumbarton | Sealand Road |
| Lennard 35' |
Bourke 89' |
Attendance: 1,885 |
| 4 August 1975 Friendly | Tranmere Rovers | 2–3 | Dumbarton | Prenton Park |
| Moore 26' Peplow |
Bourke 10' Wallace |
| 1 October 1975 Friendly | Dumbarton | 5–3 | Morton | Boghead Park |
| Rankin OG Mullen McCormack Harvey |
Evans Nelson Brown |
| 16 March 1976 Friendly | Dumbarton | 1–3 | Rangers | Boghead Park |
| Kane 2' |
Sinclair 25' (OG) Fyfe 60'Scott 85' |
Referee: B McGinlay |
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kilmarnock (P) | 26 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 44 | 29 | +15 | 35 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 3 | Montrose | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 53 | 43 | +10 | 30 | |
| 4 | Dumbarton | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 28 | |
| 5 | Arbroath | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 26 | |
| 6 | St Mirren | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 26 |
Player statistics edit
Squad edit
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | First Division | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Spring Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| GK |  SCO
|
Ian McGregor | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| GK | SCO
|
Laurie Williams | 46 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO
|
Jim Brown | 7 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO
|
Terry Mullen | 24 | 0 | 9+2 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO
|
Don Watt | 48 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Alan Bennett | 6 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Brian Brown | 4 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
John Cushley | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Johnny Graham | 48 | 3 | 22+3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Columb McKinley | 40 | 1 | 19+1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Hugh McLean | 42 | 11 | 21+1 | 10 | 4+1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6+3 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Donald McNeil | 23 | 0 | 11+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7+1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Jim Muir | 33 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Denis Ruddy | 8 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Graeme Sinclair | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO
|
Walter Smith | 36 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO
|
John Bourke | 45 | 26 | 25 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 7 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Ally Brown | 38 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8+1 | 2 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Peter Coleman | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Jim Cook | 48 | 6 | 25+1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5+1 | 1 | 9+2 | 1 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Drew Harvey | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+1 | 2 | |
| FW | SCO
|
George Kane | 2 | 1 | 0+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Ross Mathie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Tom McAdam | 12 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Murdo MacLeod | 13 | 1 | 1+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5+1 | 1 | |
| FW | SCO
|
Ian Wallace | 45 | 20 | 25+1 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 8 | |
Transfers edit
Players in edit
|
Players out edit
|
Reserve team edit
Dumbarton competed in the Combined Reserve League and in the Combined Reserve League Cup. Reports of these games are sparse although it is known that Partick Thistle were league champions.
In the Scottish Second XI Cup, Dumbarton lost to Partick Thistle in the third round.
In the Scottish Reserve League Cup, Dumbarton failed to qualifying from their section.
Trivia edit
- The League Cup match against Celtic on 23 August marked Johnny Graham's 300th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 4th Dumbarton player to achieve this accolade.
- The League match against Falkirk on 6 September marked Tom McAdam's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 71st Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
- The League match against Airdrie on 6 December marked Laurie Williams's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 13th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
- The Spring Cup match against Stenhousemuir on 20 March marked Don Watt's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 72nd Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
- The Spring Cup match against Raith Rovers on 17 April marked John Bourke's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 73rd Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
- The transfer fee of £40,000 for Tom McAdam's departure to Dundee United at the end of October matched the record set by Kenny Wilson three seasons earlier.
- Dumbarton broke both the goals for and goals against 'centuries' during the season. By scoring 106 goals in all games, this was the 14th time that the 'century - for' had been broken, and by conceding 103, this was the 20th time that the 'century - against' had been broken.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Scottish Division One 1975-1976 Season Summary". statto.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
- ^ Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.