1985–86 Dumbarton F.C. season

Season 1985–86 was the 102nd football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 80th time, the Scottish Cup for the 91st time and the Scottish League Cup for the 39th time.

Dumbarton
1985–1986 season
ManagerDavie Wilson/ Alex Wright (caretaker)
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 16th
Scottish CupThird Round
Scottish League CupSecond Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Gerry McCoy (13)
All: Gerry McCoy (14)
Highest home attendance1,960
Lowest home attendance400
Average home league attendance1,170

Overview

Dumbarton returned to the First Division as favourites for the title, and in mid October the team was sitting atop the league. However results took an inexplicable nosedive with 2 wins in 11 games, accounting for Davie Wilson's resignation at the beginning of February. Alex Wright took over as caretaker manager until the end of the season, and an initial run of only 2 defeats in 11 matches placed the club well clear in 2nd place with only 6 games remaining. However, 4 nervy defeats in those closing fixtures dropped Dumbarton to 6th place, 13 points behind champions Hamilton but only 2 points shy of 2nd placed Falkirk, and one of four clubs just missing out on a promotion spot.

In the Scottish Cup, Dumbarton lost embarrassingly to Second Division Queen's Park in the third round.

The League Cup was no better with another disappointing exit in the second round to Second Division Stirling Albion.

Locally, however, in the Stirlingshire Cup, there was something to smile about with the trophy returning to Boghead after a final win over Clydebank.

Finally, despite losing Premier Division status, Dumbarton were invited to participate in the annual televised indoor Tennent's Sixes tournament, as both Rangers and Celtic had declined to enter. After winning all three qualifying matches, 1-0 vs St Mirren, 0-0 (4-3 on penalties) vs Dundee and 4-0 vs Manchester City, Dumbarton suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in the semi final to the eventual tournament winners Aberdeen.

Results & fixtures

[1]  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish First Division

10 August 1985 First Division Airdrie 0–2 Dumbarton Broomfield Park
McCoy  8'
Ashwood
Attendance: 1,805
Referee: A Ferguson
17 August 1985 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Partick Thistle Boghead Park
McCoy  64' Logan  12'
Law
Attendance: 1,906
Referee: J McCluskey
24 August 1985 First Division Dumbarton 4–0 Alloa Athletic Boghead Park
Bourke
McCoy
Attendance: 900
Referee: R O'Donnell
31 August 1985 First Division Morton 1–2 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
Doak McCoy
MacIver
Attendance: 1,106
7 September 1985 First Division Dumbarton 2–2 Hamilton Boghead Park
Moore  4'
McCoy
Clarke  17'
Brogan  65'
Attendance: 1,490
Referee: H Alexander
14 September 1985 First Division Montrose 0–3 Dumbarton Links Park
MacIver  26'
McGowan
Moore
Attendance: 700
Referee: W Crombie
21 September 1985 First Division Dumbarton 2–0 Falkirk Boghead Park
Craig
Bourke
Attendance: 1,400
Referee: D Syme
28 September 1985 First Division Ayr United 0–1 Dumbarton Somerset Park
Moore  1' Attendance: 1,502
Referee: G Evans
5 October 1985 First Division Dumbarton 2–1 East Fife Boghead Park
McNeil
MacIver
Porter  34' Attendance: 1,800
Referee: G Cumming
12 October 1985 First Division Clyde 0–0 Dumbarton Shawfield Stadium
Attendance: 1,334
Referee: D Hope
19 October 1985 First Division Dumbarton 1–0 Kilmarnock Boghead Park
McCoy Attendance: 1,500
Referee: J Duncan
26 October 1985 First Division Brechin City 3–1 Dumbarton Glebe Park, Brechin
Perry  35' (pen)
Powell
McCoy Attendance: 800
Referee: J Renton
2 November 1985 First Division Dumbarton 1–1 Forfar Athletic Boghead Park
Bourke Scott Attendance: 1,200
Referee: R McLeish
9 November 1985 First Division Hamilton 6–1 Dumbarton Douglas Park
Clarke  3'
Mitchell  28'
Watters  38'
McCoy  26' Attendance: 1,544
Referee: A Waddell
16 November 1985 First Division Dumbarton 2–2 Montrose Boghead Park
McCoy
MacIver
Wright  23'
Allan  35'
Attendance: 1,150
Referee: J McGillvray
23 November 1985 First Division Falkirk 0–0 Dumbarton Brockville Park
Attendance: 2,300
Referee: C Sinclair
7 December 1985 First Division East Fife 1–0 Dumbarton Bayview Park, Methil
Murray  16' Attendance: 724
Referee: T Muirhead
14 December 1985 First Division Dumbarton 1–1 Clyde Boghead Park
MacIver  43' Ahern Attendance: 1,000
Referee: D McVicar
21 December 1985 First Division Kilmarnock 1–4 Dumbarton Rugby Park
Bryson  15' Bourke  6'
Coyle,T  9'
Craig  83'
Attendance: 2,042
Referee: M Delaney
1 January 1986 First Division Dumbarton 1–2 Morton Boghead Park
Docherty  (pen) Turner
O'Hara
Attendance: 1,800
18 January 1986 First Division Dumbarton 4–1 Brechin City Boghead Park
MacIver  23', 47'
Docherty  61' (pen)
McCahill
Eadie  60' Attendance: 600
Referee: D Yeats
1 February 1986 First Division Forfar Athletic 4–0 Dumbarton Station Park, Forfar
Clarke  24'
Brewster
Scott
Attendance: 666
Referee: K Hope
4 February 1986 First Division Alloa Athletic 2–4 Dumbarton Recreation Park, Alloa
Murray  25'
Thomson  73'
MacIver  9', 64'
Bourke  19', 24'
Attendance: 520
19 February 1986 First Division Dumbarton 1–1 Ayr United Boghead Park
Coyle,O  82' (pen) Sludden  35' Attendance: 500
Referee: D Syme
1 March 1986 First Division Dumbarton 2–3 East Fife Boghead Park
Moore  17'
Craig  89'
McCafferty  1'
Kirk  9'
Murray  85'
Attendance: 800
Referee: A Ferguson
5 March 1986 First Division Dumbarton 2–0 Ayr United Boghead Park
McCoy
Coyle,T  89'
Attendance: 720
8 March 1986 First Division Partick Thistle 1–2 Dumbarton Firhill Park
Smith  6' Craig  27'
Coyle,O  64'
Attendance: 1,848
12 March 1986 First Division Dumbarton 3–0 Airdrie Boghead Park
Coyle,T  12'
Coyle,O  (pen)
Attendance: 1,016
15 March 1986 First Division Dumbarton 0–0 Clyde Boghead Park
Attendance: 800
Referee: G Sinclair
19 March 1986 First Division Partick Thistle 2–2 Dumbarton Firhill Park
Watson  65', 74' Colye,O  18'
McGowan,P  26'
Attendance: 1,713
25 March 1986 First Division Morton 1–0 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
Robertson  22' Attendance: 800
29 March 1986 First Division Dumbarton 2–1 Falkirk Boghead Park
McCoy  38'
Coyle,T  65'
Martin  12' Attendance: 1,410
Referee: D McVicar
5 April 1986 First Division Brechin City 1–1 Dumbarton Glebe Park, Brechin
Perry McCoy  28' Attendance: 523
Referee: J Duncan
9 April 1986 First Division Dumbarton 0–2 Forfar Athletic Boghead Park
McKillop  17'
Farningham  62'
Attendance: 690
12 April 1986 First Division Airdrie 2–1 Dumbarton Broomfield Park
Flood  44'
Fairlie  85'
Craig  43' Attendance: 1,000
Referee: I Cathcart
15 April 1986 First Division Alloa Athletic 1–3 Dumbarton Recreation Park, Alloa
Smith Coyle,T
Craig
Attendance: 400
19 April 1986 First Division Kilmarnock 3–0 Dumbarton Rugby Park
Bryson  20'
Clarke
McGuire
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: D Hope
26 April 1986 First Division Dumbarton 1–4 Hamilton Boghead Park
MacIver  23' Phillips  13'
Brogan  33', 40'
Clarke  89'
Attendance: 1,500
3 May 1986 First Division Montrose 0–0 Dumbarton Links Park
Attendance: 500
Referee: R Valentine

Skol Cup

21 August 1985 League Cup Round 2 Stirling Albion 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4-2 p)
Dumbarton Annfield Stadium
Hoggan McCoy Attendance: 980

Scottish Cup

25 January 1986 Cup Round 3 Queen's Park 1–0 Dumbarton Hampden Park
Caven  65' Attendance: 1,733
Referee: I Cathcart

Stirlingshire Cup

4 December 1985 Semi Final Dumbarton 0–0
(5-4 p)
Falkirk Boghead Park
9 March 1986 Final Dumbarton 2–1 Stirling Albion Boghead Park
Kay
Coyle,O
Moore

Pre-season matches

1 August 1985 Friendly Clydebank 3–0 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
Larnach
Moore
McGhie
6 August 1985 Friendly Dumbarton 1–1 St Mirren Boghead Park
Ashwood Clark

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Forfar Athletic 39 17 10 12 51 43 +8 44
5 East Fife 39 14 15 10 54 46 +8 43
6 Dumbarton 39 16 11 12 59 52 +7 43
7 Morton 39 14 11 14 57 63 6 39
8 Partick Thistle 39 10 16 13 53 64 11 36
Source: RSSSF and statto[2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Player statistics

Squad

[3]
No. Pos Nat Player TotalFirst DivisionLeague CupScottish Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Gordon Arthur 40038+001+001+00
GK Hugh Stevenson 101+000+000+00
DF Martin McGowan 20019+000+001+00
DF Ray Montgomerie 26022+201+001+00
DF Eric Schaedler 15014+001+000+00
DF Mark Shanks 503+200+000+00
MF Mark Clougherty 38037+000+001+00
MF Owen Coyle 16511+550+000+00
MF Tommy Coyle 31624+561+001+00
MF Albert Craig 34629+361+001+00
MF Harry Curran 605+100+000+00
MF Danny Docherty 19215+320+001+00
MF Alan Kay 22019+201+000+00
MF Steve McCahill 21119+011+001+00
MF Donald McNeil 17116+011+000+00
MF Jackie Rafferty 606+000+000+00
MF Jim Simpson 703+400+000+00
MF Ken Thomson 504+100+000+00
FW Kenny Ashwood 212+010+000+00
FW John Bourke 28825+280+001+00
FW Joe Coyle 202+000+000+00
FW Gerry Crawley 21020+000+100+00
FW Stuart MacIver 311013+16100+101+00
FW Gerry McCoy 341429+3131+010+10
FW Pat McGowan 31225+421+001+00
FW Allan Moore 34426+741+000+00
FW Paul Taylor 201+100+000+00
FW Mark Williams 201+100+000+00

Transfers

[4]

Reserve team

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League (West), winning 10 and drawing 5 of 18 matches finishing runners up to Airdrie.

In the Reserve League Cup Dumbarton lost in the second round to Celtic.

Trivia

  • The League match against Partick Thistle on 17 August marked Ray Montgomerie's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 91st Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The League match against Clyde on 15 March marked Mark Clougherty's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 19th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • Early in the season there was a tragic death in the playing staff - that of popular defender Eric Schaedler. Eric had been signed up in the close season and had become a firm favourite with the Dumbarton fans.

See also

References

  1. Scottish Football League Review 1986-87. The Scottish Football League. 1987.
  2. "Scottish Division One 1985-1986 Season Summary". statto.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  3. Scottish Football League Review 1986-87. The Scottish Football League. 1987.
  4. Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
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