1996–97 Dumbarton F.C. season

Dumbarton
1996–1997 season
ManagerJim Fallon/Ian Wallace
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 29th
Scottish CupSecond Round
Scottish League CupSecond Round
Scottish Challenge CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Hugh Ward (7)
All: Hugh Ward (7)
Highest home attendance762
Lowest home attendance411
Average home league attendance627

Season 1996–97 was the 113th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 91st time, the Scottish Cup for the 102nd time, the Scottish League Cup for the 50th time and the Scottish Challenge Cup for the seventh time.

Overview

Despite the failures of the previous season, manager Jim Fallon retained his position and unfortunately that decision was to prove disastrous as the league campaign started off in the same poor manner as the previous one. By the end of October, Dumbarton had one win to show for 13 league matches, and had sunk to second bottom place, resulting in Fallon's resignation. Within a week Ian Wallace, one of the club's brightest stars of the 1970s, had been installed and things began to take a turn for the better. Three wins on the trot in November saw Wallace named as Second Division manager of the month, but it wasn't to last. Results began again to go downhill, but even with three games left it was within Dumbarton's own hands whether a second successive relegation would occur. A last minute defeat to Stranraer and an uninspiring loss to Queen of the South meant that they had to better any result that Stranraer could achieve on the last day. As it was, a win over Brechin City was not enough, and it would be Third Division football next season and the fourth tier of Scottish football for the first time in the club's history.

In the national cup competitions, the drought on wins extended for a fifth season. In the Scottish Cup Cowdenbeath defeated Dumbarton in the second round.

In the League Cup, Premier Division Dundee beat Dumbarton, also in the second round.

Finally, in the Challenge Cup, it was a seventh first round defeat in seven attempts – this time to Montrose.

Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup the misery was compounded with a defeat to Falkirk.

Results & fixtures

[1]  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish Second Division

Main article: 1996–97 Scottish Second Division
17 August 1996 Scottish Second Division Dumbarton 1–1 Stranraer Boghead Park
Dallas 43' McIntyre 50' Attendance: 560
24 August 1996 Second Division Queen of the South 2–1 Dumbarton Palmerston Park
Mallan 60'
Flannigan 83'		 Meechan 66' Attendance: 1,127
31 August 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 1–1 Brechin City Boghead Park
McGivern 57' Kerrigan 13' Attendance: 560
7 September 1996 Second Division Clyde 0–1 Dumbarton Broadwood Stadium
Ward 87' Attendance: 721
14 September 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 2–4 Livingston Boghead Park
McKinnon 41'
Ward 65'		 Harvie 9' (pen), 44'
Young 30'
McLeod 70'		 Attendance: 762
21 September 1996 Second Division Berwick Rangers 3–1 Dumbarton Shielfield Park
Grant 33'
Craig 56'
Robinson 81'		 Ward 76' Attendance: 326
28 September 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 1–1 Stenhousemuir Boghead Park
Meechan 67' Henderson 85' Attendance: 524
5 October 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 1–3 Ayr United Boghead Park
Dallas 13' Kinnaird 28'
Henderson 37'
English 55'		 Attendance: 939
12 October 1996 Second Division Hamilton 2–0 Dumbarton Cliftonhill Stadium
Thomson 65'
Ritchie 75'		 Attendance: 533
19 October 1996 Second Division Stranraer 2–0 Dumbarton Stair Park
Docherty 5'
Young 76'		 Attendance: 460
26 October 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 1–2 Queen of the South Boghead Park
Rowe 31' (OG) McFarlane 68'
Mallan 77'		 Attendance: 562
2 November 1996 Second Division Livingston 5–0 Dumbarton Almondvale Stadium
Young 16'
Harvey 20', 34'
Duthie 53'
Alleyne 80'		 Attendance: 1,941
9 November 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 2–2 Clyde Boghead Park
Wilson 5'
McKinnon 90'		 Mathieson 24'
Brownlie 68'		 Attendance: 724
16 November 1996 Second Division Stenhousemuir 0–1 Dumbarton Ochilview
Meechan 23' Attendance: 564
23 November 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 1–0 Berwick Rangers Boghead Park
Ward 51' Attendance: 601
30 November 1996 Second Division Ayr United 1–4 Dumbarton Somerset Park
English 24' McKinnon 49'
Glancy 56', 65'
Ward 63'		 Attendance: 1,773
14 December 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 1–3 Hamilton Boghead Park
Wilson 55' Fotheringham 40'
Ritchie 55', 65'		 Attendance: 733
26 December 1996 Second Division Dumbarton 2–2 Stranraer Boghead Park
Sharp 63'
Meechan 90'		 Young 15'
McIntyre 86'		 Attendance: 686
28 December 1996 Second Division Brechin City 2–1 Dumbarton Glebe Park, Brechin
Conway 50'
Brand 54'		 Granger 89' (pen) Attendance: 356
11 January 1997 Second Division Berwick Rangers 0–3 Dumbarton Shielfield Park
Glancy 33'
King 54'
Ward 82'		 Attendance: 346
18 January 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 1–1 Ayr United Boghead Park
Sharp 80' Sharp 39' (OG) Attendance: 801
21 January 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 0–2 Stenhousemuir Boghead Park
Little 20'
Fisher 70'		 Attendance: 470
1 February 1997 Second Division Hamilton 4–0 Dumbarton Cliftonhill Stadium
Ritchie 4', 33', 43', 53' Attendance: 505
8 February 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 2–3 Livingston Boghead Park
Mooney 35'
McKinnon 62'		 Duthie 15'
Harvey 74'
McLeod 77'		 Attendance: 503
22 February 1997 Second Division Queen of the South 4–0 Dumbarton Palmerston Park
Bryce 54', 74', 76', 77' Attendance: 908
1 March 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 1–2 Brechin City Boghead Park
Hringsson 16' McKellar 11'
Sorbie 65'		 Attendance: 411
4 March 1997 Second Division Clyde 2–1 Dumbarton Broadwood Stadium
Mathieson 33'
Annand 68'		 Hringsson 51' Attendance: 480
8 March 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 2–2 Berwick Rangers Boghead Park
Hringsson 18'
Sharp 21'		 Manson 24'
Reid 81'		 Attendance: 446
15 March 1997 Second Division Stenhousemuir 1–4 Dumbarton Ochilview
Harrow 70' Wilson 21'
King 48'
Glancy 60'
Sharp 80'		 Attendance: 376
22 March 1997 Second Division Ayr United 1–1 Dumbarton Somerset Park
Horace 44' Meechan 27' Attendance: 1,575
5 April 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 0–3 Hamilton Boghead Park
McCormick 30', 51'
Ritchie 90'		 Attendance: 718
12 April 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 2–0 Clyde Boghead Park
Wilson 54'
Ward 61'		 Attendance: 554
19 April 1997 Second Division Livingston 1–2 Dumbarton Almondvale Stadium
McLeod 18' Meechan 81'
Sharp 83'		 Attendance: 1,579
26 April 1997 Second Division Stranraer 1–0 Dumbarton Stair Park
Higgins 86' Attendance: 739
3 May 1997 Second Division Dumbarton 0–3 Queen of the South Boghead Park
Mallan 23', 73', 90' Attendance: 643
10 May 1997 Second Division Brechin City 0–3 Dumbarton Glebe Park, Brechin
Glancy 11', 73'
Reilly 39'		 Attendance: 620

Scottish League Challenge Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Scottish Challenge Cup
10 August 1996 Challenge Cup R1 Montrose 2–0 Dumbarton Links Park
Smith 17'
Glass 48'		 Attendance: 309

Coca-Cola League Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Scottish League Cup
13 August 1996 League Cup R2 Dundee 2–1 Dumbarton Dens Park
Reaeside 75'
Hamilton 85'		 Dallas 28' Attendance: 1,872

Tennant's Scottish Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Scottish Cup
13 January 1997 Cup R2 Cowdenbeath 1–0 Dumbarton Central Park, Cowdenbeath
Scott 49' Attendance: 294

Stirlingshire Cup

28 July 1996 First Round Falkirk 2–1 Dumbarton Brockville Park

Pre-season/Other Matches

29 July 1996 Friendly Vale of Leven 4-1 Dumbarton Millburn Park
Mellis
Grace 		Grainger

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
6 Stenhousemuir 36 11 11 14 49 43 +6 44
7 Brechin City 36 10 11 15 36 49 −13 41
8 Stranraer 36 9 9 18 29 51 −22 36
9 Dumbarton (R) 36 9 8 19 44 66 −22 35 Relegation to the Third Division
10 Berwick Rangers (R) 36 4 11 21 32 75 −43 23
Source: "1996-1997 Second Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(R) Relegated

Player statistics

Squad

No. Pos Nat Player Total Second Division League Cup Challenge Cup Scottish Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Scotland SCO Derek Barnes 12 0 11+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
GK Scotland SCO Peter Dennison 2 0 2+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
GK Scotland SCO Ian MacFarlane 11 0 9+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 0+0 0
GK Scotland SCO Kenny Meechan 14 0 14+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Jamie Bruce 9 0 9+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Billy Davidson 17 0 12+4 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Stevie Gow 26 0 21+3 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Graeme McKenzie 5 0 4+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO Martin Melvin 25 0 23+0 0 1+0 0 0+1 0 0+0 0
DF Scotland SCO David Reid 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Joe Goldie 4 0 1+3 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Toby King 30 2 27+0 2 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Jim Marsland 34 0 30+1 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Gerry McCabe 4 0 4+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Martin McGarvey 15 0 7+5 0 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Sam McGivern 2 1 1+1 1 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Jim Meechan 39 6 36+0 6 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
MF Scotland SCO Adrian Mellis 1 0 1+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
MF Scotland SCO John Scott 2 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+1 0
MF Scotland SCO Willie Wilson 21 4 21+0 4 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Stephen Dallas 17 3 15+1 2 1+0 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Martin Glancy 34 6 24+8 6 0+0 0 0+1 0 1+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Alan Granger 8 1 2+4 1 0+0 0 1+0 0 0+1 0
FW Iceland ISL Hrienn Hringsson 3 3 3+0 3 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Ross McCuaig 1 0 0+1 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Jim McGall 6 0 0+6 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Colin McKinnon 37 4 34+0 4 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Martin Mooney 25 1 18+4 1 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Gordon Parks 4 0 4+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Robert Reilly 8 1 2+6 1 0+0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Lee Sharp 38 5 35+0 5 1+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
FW Scotland SCO Hugh Ward 37 7 26+9 7 0+0 0 1+0 0 1+0 0

[2][3]

Transfers

[4]

Trivia

  • The League match against Brechin City on 31 August marked Jim Marsland's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 25th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The League match against Ayr United on 5 October marked Ian MacFarlane's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 26th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The League match against Livingston on 19 April marked Colin McKinnon's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 110th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • Dumbarton became only the second team in Scottish League history to be relegated in successive seasons.
  • For the second successive season Dumbarton matched the record fewest league home wins during a season - just two!

See also

References

  1. ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1997/98. London: Headline Book Publishing. 1998. ISBN 0-7472-7738-9.
  2. ^ Scottish Football League Review 1997-98. The Scottish Football League. 1998.
  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.