1995–96 Dumbarton F.C. season

Season 1995–96 was the 112th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 90th time, the Scottish Cup for the 101st time, the Scottish League Cup for the 49th time and the Scottish Challenge Cup for the sixth time.

Dumbarton
1995–1996 season
ManagerMurdo MacLeod/Jim Fallon
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 110th
Scottish CupSecond Round
Scottish League CupSecond Round
Scottish Challenge CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Martin Mooney (5)
All: Martin Mooney (6)
Highest home attendance2,733
Lowest home attendance654
Average home league attendance1,352

Overview edit

After the success of the previous season, no one could foresee the disaster that was to befall Dumbarton. The league season had begun brightly, with the club sitting atop Division 1 with 2 wins from 2. However manager Murdo MacLeod then departed for Premier Division Partick Thistle, and it all began to fall apart. A reluctant Jim Fallon stepped up from his assistant managerial post to take on the reins but it was clear from the start that he was ill-prepared for what was to be faced. Indeed, the only other win to be registered throughout the remainder of the league campaign was an impressive victory over champions elect Dundee United. From December, a string of 19 consecutive defeats in the league were suffered, Dumbarton's worst losing streak in their long history. Relegation back to Division 2 was a certainty long before the season had ended.

In the national cup competitions, it was now four seasons without a single win. In the Scottish Cup Airdrie defeated Dumbarton in the second round.

In the League Cup, Premier Division Kilmarnock were victors over Dumbarton, but only after extra time.

Finally, the long wait for a win in the Challenge Cup continued - a first round defeat to Brechin City was the sixth in a row.

Locally, there was something to cheer as the Stirlingshire Cup returned to Boghead, with a final win over East Stirlingshire.

Results & fixtures edit

[1]  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish First Division edit

12 August 1995 First Division Dumbarton 1–0 Hamilton Boghead Park
Burns   65' Attendance: 1,191
Referee: J Smith
26 August 1995 First Division Morton 1–2 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
Lilley   56' Mooney   7' (pen)
Charnley   34'
Attendance: 2,612
Referee: G Allison
2 September 1995 First Division Dumbarton 0–4 Dunfermline Athletic Boghead Park
McNamara   29'
Shaw  
Gow   77' (OG)
Petrie  
Attendance: 1,952
Referee: A Waddell
9 September 1995 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Airdrie Boghead Park
Martin   70' Boyle  
McIntyre,T  
Attendance: 1,320
Referee: J McGillvray
16 September 1995 First Division St Johnstone 4–1 Dumbarton McDiarmid Park
O'Boyle   7'
Twaddle   20'
Farquhar  
Martin   73' (OG)
McKinnon   89' Attendance: 2,273
Referee: J Herald
23 September 1995 First Division Dumbarton 1–5 Dundee Boghead Park
McGarvey   Shaw   1', 54'
Martin   (OG)
Bain   51'
Hamilton   86'
Attendance: 1,207
Referee: R Tait
30 September 1995 First Division Clydebank 2–1 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
Grady   22'
Sutherland   83'
Gibson   56' Attendance: 913
7 October 1995 First Division Dumbarton 1–0 Dundee United Boghead Park
Mooney   81' Attendance: 2,013
Referee: W Young
14 October 1995 First Division St Mirren 3–2 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
Dick   14'
Archdeacon   23'
Yardley  
Mooney   12' (pen)
McGarvey  
Attendance: 2,377
Referee: T Brown
21 October 1995 First Division Dunfermline Athletic 3–1 Dumbarton East End Park
Petrie   12'
Shaw   
Gibson   13' Attendance: 3,842
Referee: S Dougal
28 October 1995 First Division Dumbarton 0–2 Morton Boghead Park
Hawke   6', 36' Attendance: 2,378
Referee: J Fleming
4 November 1995 First Division Dumbarton 1–3 St Johnstone Boghead Park
Mooney   26' Twaddle   47', 58'
O'Boyle  
Attendance: 1,050
11 November 1995 First Division Airdrie 2–1 Dumbarton Broadwood Stadium
Davies   14'
Black   81'
Boyle   85' (OG) Attendance: 1,205
Referee: G Clyde
18 November 1995 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Clydebank Boghead Park
Mooney   61' (pen) Grady   7'
Eadie   52'
Attendance: 1,043
2 December 1995 First Division Dundee United 8–0 Dumbarton Tannadice Park
Brewster     
Johnston  
McSwegan  
Coyle  
  (OG)
Attendance: 5,285
5 December 1995 First Division Dundee 1–1 Dumbarton Dens Park
Tosh   65' Dallas   Attendance: 2,804
9 December 1995 First Division Dumbarton 0–0 St Mirren Boghead Park
Attendance: 1,461
16 December 1995 First Division Hamilton 3–0 Dumbarton Douglas Park
Hartley  
Clark  
McStay  
Attendance: 762
Referee: M Pocock
6 January 1996 First Division St Johnstone 3–0 Dumbarton McDiarmid Park
O'Boyle   64', 77'
Burns   81' (OG)
Attendance: 2,448
Referee: I Taylor
13 January 1996 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Airdrie Boghead Park
Granger   89' Duffield   40'
McIntyre,J   43'
Attendance: 1,045
Referee: J McGillvray
20 January 1996 First Division Dumbarton 1–3 Dundee United Boghead Park
Ward   33' Brewster   12'
Shannon   30'
McSwegan   74'
Attendance: 1,354
Referee: J Underhill
23 January 1996 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Dundee Boghead Park
Ward   25' Hamilton   56', 73' Attendance: 761
Referee: L Thow
5 February 1996 First Division St Mirren 5–0 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
Lavety   21', 57'
Fenwick   60'
Watson   69'
Iwelumo   88'
Attendance: 1,838
Referee: L Mottram
13 February 1996 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Hamilton Boghead Park
Granger   Hartley    Attendance: 654
17 February 1996 First Division Clydebank 1–0 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
Eadie   71' Attendance: 612
Referee: G Clyde
24 February 1965 First Division Morton 2–0 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
Lilley  
Mahood  
Attendance: 2,833
Referee: R Tait
6 March 1996 First Division Dundee 3–0 Dumbarton Dens Park
Hamilton   13', 51'
Tosh   82'
Attendance: 1,712
9 March 1996 First Division Dumbarton 0–3 Dunfermline Athletic Boghead Park
Shaw   
Smith  
Attendance: 1,477
Referee: J Herald
16 March 1996 First Division Dumbarton 0–1 Clydebank Boghead Park
Flannigan   84' Attendance: 654
Referee: S Dougal
23 March 1996 First Division Dumbarton 0–3 St Johnstone Boghead Park
Jenkinson   8'
O'Boyle   20'
Grant   70'
Attendance: 903
30 March 1996 First Division Airdrie 5–1 Dumbarton Broadwood Stadium
Smith  
McIntyre,T   49'
Connolly   56', 66'
Hetherston  
Foster   33' Attendance: 1,062
6 April 1996 First Division Dundee United 6–1 Dumbarton Tannadice Park
McSwegan   4', 8' (41), 42'
Perry   59'
Brewster   84'
Sharp   2' Attendance: 7,142
Referee: W Crombie
13 April 1996 First Division Dumbarton 0–1 St Mirren Boghead Park
Archdeacon   43' (pen) Attendance: 1,139
Referee: A Roy
20 April 1996 First Division Dunfermline Athletic 4–1 Dumbarton East End Park
French   46'
Moore  
Smith  
Shaw  
Dallas   21' Attendance: 5,971
27 April 1996 First Division Dumbarton 0–1 Morton Boghead Park
Anderson   41' Attendance: 2,733
Referee: L Thow
4 May 1996 First Division Hamilton 2–1 Dumbarton Douglas Park
Hartley  
Geraghty  
Granger   (pen) Attendance: 657

Coca-Cola League Cup edit

19 August 1995 League Cup round 2 Kilmarnock 1–0 (a.e.t.) Dumbarton Rugby Park
Roberts   118' Attendance: 5,011
Referee: W Crombie

Scottish League Challenge Cup edit

22 August 1995 Challenge Cup round 1 Dumbarton 0–1 Brechin City Boghead Park
Mearns   17' Attendance: 524

Tennant's Scottish Cup edit

30 January 1996 Cup round 3 Dumbarton 1–3 Airdrie Boghead Park
Mooney   Duffield   
Smith  
Attendance: 1,076

Stirlingshire Cup edit

29 July 1995 First Round Alloa Athletic 0–2 Dumbarton Recreation Park, Alloa
Meechan   61'
McGarvey   82'
15 April 1996 Semi Final Dumbarton 3–3
(5-4 p)
Stirling Albion Boghead Park
       
6 May 1996 Final Dumbarton 2–1 East Stirling Boghead Park
Ward   21'
Meechan   61'
Neill   40'

Pre-season/Other Matches edit

26 July 1995 Friendly Rangers XI 3–2 Dumbarton University Grounds, Anniesland
      
2 August 1995 Friendly Dumbarton 1–2 Bradford City Boghead Park
Ward   2' Wright   41' (pen)
Tolson   89'
5 August 1995 Friendly Dumbarton 1–2 Wigan Athletic Boghead Park
Gow      
6 August 1995 Friendly Dumbarton 4–2 Vale of Leven Boghead Park
Gow   15'
Grainger   45', 70'
McCuiag   89'
McGinlay   21', 30'

League table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
6 St Mirren 36 13 8 15 46 51 −5 47
7 Clydebank 36 10 10 16 39 58 −19 40
8 Airdrieonians 36 9 11 16 43 54 −11 38
9 Hamilton Academical (R) 36 10 6 20 40 57 −17 36 Relegation to the Second Division
10 Dumbarton (R) 36 3 2 31 23 94 −71 11
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Player statistics edit

Squad edit

No. Pos Nat Player Total First Division League Cup Challenge Cup Scottish Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   SCO Peter Dennison 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
GK   SCO Ian MacFarlane 25 0 22+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
GK   SCO Kenny Meechan 13 0 12+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF   SCO Roland Fabiani 23 0 19+1 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
DF   SCO Alan Foster 12 1 10+2 1 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF   SCO Stevie Gow 23 0 20+1 0 0+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
DF   SCO Jim Hamilton 3 0 3+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF   SCO Martin Melvin 34 0 32+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
MF   SCO Hugh Burns 14 1 10+1 1 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF   SCO Chic Charnley 20 1 16+2 1 1+0 0 1+0 0 0+0 0
MF   SCO Joe Goldie 2 0 1+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF   SCO Toby King 31 0 27+1 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF   SCO Jim Marsland 20 0 18+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 0+0 0
MF   SCO Paul Martin 14 1 12+0 1 1+0 0 1+0 0 0+0 0
MF   SCO Martin McGarvey 27 2 14+10 2 1+0 0 0+1 0 0+1 0
MF   SCO Sam McGivern 13 0 9+2 0 1+0 0 0+1 0 0+0 0
MF   SCO Jim Meechan 34 0 31+1 0 1+0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
FW   SCO Stephen Dallas 23 2 8+14 2 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+1 0
FW   SCO Charlie Gibson 32 2 23+6 2 0+1 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
FW   SCO Martin Glancy 1 0 1+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW   SCO Alan Granger 34 3 20+11 3 0+1 0 1+0 0 0+1 0
FW   SCO Colin McKinnon 35 1 31+2 1 0+0 0 0+1 0 1+0 0
FW   SCO Martin Mooney 39 6 31+5 5 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 1
FW   SCO Lee Sharp 15 1 14+1 1 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW   SCO Hugh Ward 15 2 10+4 2 0+0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0

[2][3]

Transfers edit

[4]

Reserve Team edit

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League (West), and with 4 wins and 3 draws from 22 games, finished 12th and last.

Trivia edit

  • The League match against Clydebank on 30 September marked Martin Melvin's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 23rd Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The League match against Hamilton on 16 December marked Jim Meechan's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 24rd Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The League match against St Mirren on 9 December marked Martin McGarvey's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 109th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The season ended with a two unwanted records being broken. In addition to the longest losing streak in the league - which extended to a 20-game drought once the Scottish Cup defeat is taken into account - the number of games without a win was also broken. From 14 October, there were 28 consecutive winless games in the league - and 29 consecutive competitive games during the season.
  • The two home wins recorded in the league during the season matched the record fewest league home wins last seen during the 1896-97 season. In addition, the 15 home defeats in the league was a new record, easily beating the previous worst of 11 during the 1920-21 season.
  • The 10 goals scored at Boghead in league matches beat the previous fewest home league goals (16) set in the 1918-19 season.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Scottish Football League Review 1996-97. The Scottish Football League. 1997.
  2. ^ Scottish Football League Review 1996-97. The Scottish Football League. 1997.
  3. ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  4. ^ Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.

External links edit