1984–85 Dumbarton F.C. season

Dumbarton
1984–1985 season
ManagerDavie Wilson
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish Premier League9th
Scottish CupThird Round
Scottish League CupSecond Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Joe Coyle (7)
All: Joe Coyle (9)

Season 1984–85 was the 101st football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 79th time, the Scottish Cup for the 90th time and the Scottish League Cup for the 38th time.

Overview

Dumbarton's return to the top tier of Scottish league football for the first time in a decade was to be short-lived. At the end of the year, it was looking likely that survival might be achieved, being 6 points clear of the relegation zone, however with only a win and a draw being taken from the last 15 matches, Dumbarton finished in 9th place and relegated to the First Division for next season.

In the Scottish Cup, Dumbarton lost to First Division Motherwell in the third round - the team who would replace them in the Premier Division at the end of the season.

The League Cup format reverted to straight knock-out, and after a first round win over Queen of the South, Dumbarton lost to fellow Premier Division opponents Dundee United.

Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup, after a win on penalties over Falkirk in the first round, a reversal of rolls was the case in the semi-final in a disappointing 'penalties' semi final defeat to East Stirling.

Finally, Premier Division status brought with it an added bonus - being a participant in the annual televised indoor Tennent's Sixes tournament. Unfortunately Dumbarton did not progress beyond the group stages.

Results & fixtures

  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish Premier Division

Main article: 1984–85 Scottish Football League
11 August 1984 Scottish Premier Morton 2-1 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
McNeill pen' Robertson Attendance: 2,500
Referee: A Ferguson
18 August 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 1-2 Rangers Boghead Park
Craig 16' McCoist 81'
Redford 83'		 Attendance: 10,000
Referee: R Cuthill
25 August 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 2-1 Dundee Boghead Park
Coyle,J 2', 35' Stephen 42' Referee: C Sinclair
1 September 1984 Scottish Premier Hearts 1-0 Dumbarton Tynecastle Stadium
Park 39' Attendance: 6,914
Referee: A Roy
8 September 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 1-1 Celtic Boghead Park
Coyle,J 77' (pen.) McGarvey 33' Attendance: 8,416
Referee: I Cathcart
15 September 1984 Scottish Premier Hibernian 2-3 Dumbarton Easter Road
Thomson 15'
Kane 88'		 Coyle,J 28' (pen.), 32'
Coyle,T 39'		 Attendance: 3,642
Referee: D McVicar
22 September 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-2 Aberdeen Boghead Park
Miller 77'
Falconer 85'		 Attendance: 4,000
Referee: T Muirhead
29 September 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-1 St Mirren Boghead Park
McAvennie 21' Attendance: 2,520
Referee: D Galloway
6 October 1984 Scottish Premier Dundee United 1-0 Dumbarton Tannadice Park
Coyne Attendance: 5,852
Referee: W Crombie
13 October 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 3-1 Morton Boghead Park
Dunlop 25' (OG)
Coyle,J 26' (pen.)
Kay 		Dunlop Attendance: 2,000
Referee: B Robertson
20 October 1984 Scottish Premier Rangers 0-0 Dumbarton Ibrox Park
Attendance: 16,521
Referee: J Renton
27 October 1984 Scottish Premier Dundee 1-1 Dumbarton Dens Park
Smith 93' Ashwood 9' Referee: L Thow
3 November 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-1 Hearts Boghead Park
Bone 85' Attendance: 2,706
Referee: E Brolis
10 November 1984 Scottish Premier Celtic 2-0 Dumbarton Celtic Park
McGarvey 36'
Johnston 55'		 Attendance: 13,701
Referee: A Hewitt
17 November 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 2-2 Hibernian Boghead Park
Craig 2'
McGowan 14'		 Durie 46', 47' Attendance: 2,003
Referee: C Sinclair
24 November 1984 Scottish Premier Aberdeen 1-0 Dumbarton Pittodrie Park
McDougall 1' Attendance: 13,200
Referee: D Galloway
1 December 1984 Scottish Premier St Mirren 0-0 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
Attendance: 2,450
Referee: H Young
8 December 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 2-2 Dundee United Boghead Park
Bourke 41'
Crawley 44'		 Dodds 14'
Bannon (pen.)		 Attendance: 1,524
Referee: W Crombie
15 December 1984 Scottish Premier Morton 2-4 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
Sullivan 4', 46' Bourke 5'
Coyle,T 51'
Simpson 		Attendance: 2,000
Referee: W Crombie
29 December 1984 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 2-4 Rangers Boghead Park
Simpson
Coyle,J (pen.)		 Ferguson,I
McMinn
Mitchell
Cooper 		Attendance: 7.800
Referee: G Smith
1 January 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 1-0 Dundee Boghead Park
Craig
5 January 1985 Scottish Premier Hearts 5-1 Dumbarton Tynecastle Stadium
Black
Bone
Clark 		McNeill Attendance: 7,571
19 January 1985 Scottish Premier Hibernian 3-1 Dumbarton Easter Road
Sneddon
Rice
Durie 		Kay Attendance: 7,421
2 February 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-2 Aberdeen Boghead Park
Stark
Black 		Attendance: 3,500
Referee: A Huett
9 February 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 1-1 St Mirren Boghead Park
Kay McAvennie Attendance: 1,684
Referee: D Syme
23 February 1985 Scottish Premier Dundee United 4-0 Dumbarton Tannadice Park
Milne 17'
Reilly 25'
Gough
Sturrock 		Attendance: 5,693
Referee: W Knowles
2 March 1985 Scottish Premier Rangers 3-1 Dumbarton Ibrox Park
Ferguson 16'
McCoist 27', 46'		 Coyle,T 67' Attendance: 8,424
Referee: D Downie
16 March 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 1-0 Morton Boghead Park
Simpson Attendance: 900
Referee: J Duncan
23 March 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 1-3 Hearts Boghead Park
Bourke 78' Kidd 24'
Clark 39', 82'		 Attendance: 2,207
Referee: T Muirhead
3 April 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-2 Celtic Boghead Park
Johnston 34'
McClair 44'		 Attendance: 7,000
Referee: D Hope
6 April 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-2 Hibernian Boghead Park
Irvine 25'
Rice 32'		 Attendance: 5,064
Referee: B Robertson
13 April 1985 Scottish Premier Dundee 1-0 Dumbarton Dens Park
Rafferty 62' Attendance: 3,386
Referee: B Crombie
20 April 1985 Scottish Premier Aberdeen 4-0 Dumbarton Pittodrie Park
McLeish 24'
Angus 35'
Kay 49' (OG)
Stark 65'		 Attendance: 12,500
Referee: J Renton
27 April 1985 Scottish Premier Dumbarton 0-2 Dundee United Boghead Park
Coyne 3'
Sturrock 		Attendance: 818
Referee: K Hope
4 May 1985 Scottish Premier St Mirren 1-0 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
Godfrey 8' Attendance: 2,646
Referee: W McLeish
11 May 1985 Scottish Premier Celtic 2-0 Dumbarton Celtic Park
McClair 74'
McStay 84'		 Attendance: 6,514
Referee: L Thow

Scottish Cup

Main article: 1984–85 Scottish Cup
30 January 1985 Scottish Cup round 3 Motherwell 4–0 Dumbarton Fir Park
Attendance: 2,852

Scottish League Cup

Main article: 1984–85 Scottish League Cup
29 August 1984 Scottish League Cup round 2 Dumbarton 0–4 Dundee United Boghead Park
Dodds 28', 64'
Milne 75', 79'		 Attendance: 2,500
Referee: H Young

Stirlingshire Cup

23 October 1984 First Round Falkirk 1–1
(4-5 on penalties)		 Dumbarton Brockville Park
Craig Houston
8 May 1985 Semi-final East Stirling 0–0
(3-2 on penalties)		 Dumbarton Firs Park

Pre-season and other matches

4 August 1984 Friendly Dumbarton 2–1 EnglandWatford Boghead Park
Craig 16'
Bourke 55'		 Johnston 30' Attendance: 4,000
Referee: D Hope
16 February 1985 Friendly Kilmarnock 3–5 Dumbarton Rugby Park

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
6 Dundee 36 15 7 14 48 50 −2 37
7 Heart of Midlothian 36 13 5 18 47 64 −17 31
8 Hibernian 36 10 7 19 38 61 −23 27
9 Dumbarton (R) 36 6 7 23 29 64 −35 19 Relegation to the 1985–86 Scottish First Division
10 Morton (R) 36 5 2 29 29 100 −71 12
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Player statistics

Squad

[1]
No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier Division League Cup Scottish Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Scotland SCO Gordon Arthur 38 0 35+0 0 2+0 0 1+0 0
GK Scotland SCO Dougie McNab 1 0 1+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Rob Campbell 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Martin McGowan 30 0 28+0 0 2+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Ray Montgomerie 6 0 6+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Mark Clougherty 31 0 28+0 0 2+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Tommy Coyle 39 3 34+2 3 2+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Albert Craig 38 4 35+0 4 2+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Harry Curran 2 0 0+2 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Alan Kay 39 3 36+0 3 2+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Steve McCahill 28 0 26+0 0 0+1 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Dave McCaig 3 0 0+3 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Donald McNeil 30 1 24+3 1 2+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Stuart Robertson 25 1 21+2 1 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Jim Simpson 28 3 15+10 3 0+2 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Graeme Sinclair 5 0 5+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Kenny Ashwood 28 1 19+6 1 2+0 0 0+1 0
FW Scotland SCO John Bourke 29 4 24+2 4 2+0 0 1+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Joe Coyle 38 9 28+7 7 2+0 0 1+0 2
FW Scotland SCO Gerry Crawley 22 1 16+5 1 1+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Stuart MacIver 3 0 1+2 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Pat McGowan 15 1 13+1 1 0+0 0 0+1 0
FW Scotland SCO Allan Moore 4 0 1+3 0 0+0 0 0+0 0

Transfers

[2]

Reserve team

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Premier Reserve League, winning 4 and drawing 5 of 36 matches finishing 10th of 10.

In the Reserve League Cup Dumbarton lost in the second round to Aberdeen and in the Second XI Cup lost out to Motherwell in the first round.

Trivia

  • The League Cup match against Queen of the South on 22 August marked Martin McGowan's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 89th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The League Cup match against Queen of the South on 22 August also marked John Bourke's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 18th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The League match against Aberdeen on 22 September marked Joe Coyle's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 19th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The League match against Rangers on 20 October marked Albert Craig's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 90th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.

See also

References

  1. ^ Scottish Football League Review 1985-86. The Scottish Football League. 1986.
  2. ^ Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.