Wikipedia

1976–77 Dumbarton F.C. season

Season 1976–77 was the 93rd football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 71st time, the Scottish Cup for the 82nd time and the Scottish League Cup for the 30th time.

Dumbarton
1976–1977 season
ManagerAlex Wright
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 17th
Scottish CupThird Round
Scottish League CupPrelims
Top goalscorerLeague: John Bourke (19)
All: John Bourke (22)
Highest home attendance4000
Lowest home attendance500
Average home league attendance1450

Overview edit

Dumbarton played for the second successive season in Division 1, but with the Spring Cup being dispensed with, the league programme was extended by each team playing the other 3 times. Facing the unlucky ballot of two away trips to newly relegated Dundee, as well what proved to be the division's top two teams, St Mirren and Clydebank, provided an immediate disadvantage.

Once again a poor start was to scupper Dumbarton's promotion ambitions. On this occasion the transfer of future £1m player Ian Wallace to Coventry City immediately following a 3–3 home draw with Celtic in the season-opening League Cup sections proved a disruptive loss as only a single win was gained from the first 6 league games. Although this was immediately followed by a seven-game unbeaten run, and there was another unbeaten run of five games from the end of November until the end of January, thereafter results were without any level of consistency - something which almost led to manager Alex Wright resigning in February - although a mid-table 7th place was achieved in the end.

In the Scottish Cup it was once again Hearts who were to end any thoughts of a cup run for Dumbarton, losing in a third round replay by the only goal, after a 1-1 drawn game at Tynecastle Park.

In the League Cup, another tough qualifying group, which included two of the top-four Premier Division clubs, Celtic (again) and Dundee United, was to prove to be too much of a hurdle to progress to the knock-out stages. However, 2 wins and 2 draws from the 6 ties (including the 3–3 home draw with Celtic after leading 3–1 at half-time, and a 1–1 draw away to Dundee United) was a creditable achievement for a second-tier side.

Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup, Dumbarton were defeated by Alloa Athletic in the first round.

Elsewhere during the pre-season a short tour of Spain was undertaken.

Results & fixtures edit

  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish First Division edit

Main article: 1976–77 Scottish Football League
4 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dundee 2-1 Dumbarton Dens Park
Hutchinson   10'
Pirie   53'		 Muir   61' Attendance: 4,619
Referee: M Delaney
8 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 Arbroath 1-0 Dumbarton Gayfield Park
Fletcher   18' Attendance: 753
11 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-1 Montrose Boghead Park
Bourke   72', 76' Lowe   86' Attendance: 1,000
14 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-3 Airdrie Boghead Park
Bourke   5' McCulloch   2'
Clark   59'
Whiteford   80'		 Attendance: 1,200
18 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 St Mirren 2-1 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
McDowall   11'
McKinlay   71' (OG)		 Bourke   8' Attendance: 2,500
Referee: J Gordon
25 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-2 Hamilton Boghead Park
Brown, A   68' McGrogan   40'
Lynch   62'		 Attendance: 1,500
Referee: R Hopkins
29 September 1976 Scottish Division 1 East Fife 2-3 Dumbarton Bayview Park, Methil
O'Connor   27'
Young   67'		 Brown,A   2'
Muir   20'
Steele   62'		 Attendance: 784
2 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 Raith Rovers 1-1 Dumbarton Starks Park
Urquhart   62' (pen) Muir   56' Attendance: 1,553
Referee: K Hope
5 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 5-1 East Fife Boghead Park
Muir   10', 51', 75'
Steele   16'
Bourke   20'		 Law   1' Attendance: 1,000
Referee: H Alexander
9 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-1 Morton Boghead Park
Bourke   50' Brown   44' Attendance: 2,000
Referee: A McFaull
16 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 St Johnstone 1-2 Dumbarton Muirton Park
McKay   Bourke   73', 82' Attendance: 2,000
20 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-2 Falkirk Boghead Park
McLean   16'
Bourke   18'		 Ford   30', 70' (pen) Attendance: 2,000
Referee: A McFaull
23 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 3-3 Queen of the South Boghead Park
McLean   11'
Bourke   76'
Brown,A   86'		 Dickson   69', 73'
McKinlay   84' (OG)		 Attendance: 1,505
Referee: K Stewart
30 October 1976 Scottish Division 1 Clydebank 2-0 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
McCallan   80'
Lumsden   90' (pen)		 Attendance: 7,000
Referee: G Smith
10 November 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-1 Dundee Boghead Park
Harvey   79' Hutchinson   9' Attendance: 500
Referee: D Murdoch
13 November 1976 Scottish Division 1 Montrose 2-1 Dumbarton Links Park
Low   16'
Street   84'		 Harvey   61' Attendance: 1,000
20 November 1976 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 0-1 St Mirren Boghead Park
Torrance   76' Attendance: 4,000
Referee: E Pringle
27 November 1976 Scottish Division 1 Hamilton 0-1 Dumbarton Douglas Park
Whiteford   84' Attendance: 1,200
Referee: E Thomson
27 December 1976 Scottish Division 1 Queen of the South 1-2 Dumbarton Palmerston Park
Dempster   McLean  
MacLeod  		 Attendance: 2,500
1 January 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-1 Clydebank Boghead Park
Brown,A   74' Larnach   36' Attendance: 4,000
8 January 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-2 Montrose Boghead Park
Whiteford   44' (pen), 88' Brown   61'
Stewart   76'		 Attendance: 2,000
Referee: M Delaney
22 January 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-1 Hamilton Boghead Park
Whiteford   87' Lawson   44' Attendance: 1,500
Referee: H Alexander
5 February 1977 Scottish Division 1 Raith Rovers 3-1 Dumbarton Starks Park
Harrow   15'
Brown,J   51'
Cooper   55'		 Brown,A   29' Attendance: 1,613
Referee: J Gordon
7 February 1977 Scottish Division 1 St Mirren 3-2 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
Reid   19'
Hyslop   24'
Torrance   49' (pen)		 Graham   21'
Bourke   46'		 Attendance: 7,800
Referee: I Foote
12 February 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 0-4 Morton Boghead Park
Anderson   19'
McGhee   46'
Morrison   47'
Goldthorpe   89'		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: I Foote
19 February 1977 Scottish Division 1 St Johnstone 0-2 Dumbarton Muirton Park
Bourke   80', 89' Attendance: 1,497
Referee: A Ferguson
23 February 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-0 Raith Rovers Boghead Park
Whiteford   22'
Bourke   58'		 Attendance: 800
26 February 1977 Scottish Division 1 Morton 3-0 Dumbarton Cappielow Park
McGhee   49', 69'
Goldthorp   90'		 Attendance: 2,000
Referee: W Anderson
5 March 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-0 Queen of the South Boghead Park
Whiteford   41'
Muir   46'		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: E Pringle
12 March 1977 Scottish Division 1 Clydebank 4-2 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
McCallan   6'
Houston   27', 65'
Larnach   77'		 Bourke   41'
Whiteford   74'		 Attendance: 4,000
Referee: D Murdoch
19 March 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-1 Airdrie Boghead Park
Bourke   71'
Whiteford   73'		 McVeigh   67' Attendance: 1,000
Referee: R Valentine
23 March 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dundee 4-0 Dumbarton Dens Park
Pirie   19', 33', 35', 62' Attendance: 2,401
Referee: A Ferguson
26 March 1977 Scottish Division 1 Airdrie 1-2 Dumbarton Broomfield Park
McVeigh   30' Whiteford   48'
Bourke   80'		 Attendance: 2,000
Referee: J Gordon
2 April 1977 Scottish Division 1 Falkirk 1-3 Dumbarton Brockville Park
Wilson   56' (pen) Whiteford   12' (pen), 41'
MacLeod   69'		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: T Kellock
6 April 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-4 St Johnstone Boghead Park
Whiteford   24' (pen), 35' O'Connor   2'
Anderson   55'
Brogan   77', 81'		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: A Downie
9 April 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 4-0 Falkirk Boghead Park
MacLeod   23', 39'
Whiteford  
Muir  		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: W Anderson
16 April 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-3 Arbroath Boghead Park
MacLeod   4'
Bourke   66'		 Yule   56'
Rylance   71'
Bone   84'		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: K Hope
23 April 1977 Scottish Division 1 Arbroath 1-2 Dumbarton Gayfield Park
Yule   Wells   OG'
MacLeod  		 Attendance: 957
Referee: M Delaney
30 April 1977 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 3-3 East Fife Boghead Park
McLean   27'
MacLeod   39'
Bourke   85'		 Clarke   15' (pen)
Gillies   69'
Huskie   80'		 Attendance: 2,000

Scottish Cup edit

Main article: 1976–77 Scottish Cup
29 January 1977 Scottish Cup round 3 Hearts 1–1 Dumbarton Tynecastle Stadium
Callachen   7' Bourke   87' Attendance: 7,969
Referee: R Valentine
2 February 1977 Scottish Cup round 3R Dumbarton 0–1 Hearts Boghead Park
Gibson   112' Attendance: 4,000
Referee: R Valentine

Scottish League Cup edit

Main article: 1976–77 Scottish League Cup
14 August 1975 Section 3 Dumbarton 2–0 Arbroath Boghead Park
Wallace   52'
Sinclair   69'		 Attendance: 1,500
Referee: I Foote
18 August 1975 Section 3 Celtic 3–0 Dumbarton Celtic Park
Doyle   25'
Dalglish   80' (pen), 88' (pen)		 Attendance: 15,000
Referee: J Downie
21 August 1975 Section 3 Dumbarton 1–2 Dundee United Boghead Park
Wallace   9' Reid   69'
Hegarty   84'		 Attendance: 2,500
Referee: A McGunnigle
25 August 1975 Section 3 Dumbarton 3–3 Celtic Boghead Park
Bourke   8', 24'
Wallace   34'		 Wilson   14'
McDonald   61'
Doyle   84'		 Attendance: 12,000
Referee: E Thomson
28 August 1975 Section 3 Dundee United 1–1 Dumbarton Tannadice Park
McAdam   42' Muir   56' Attendance: 4,000
Referee: I Foote
1 September 1975 Section 3 Arbroath 0–3 Dumbarton Gayfield Park
Muir   19'
Mullen   52'
MacLeod   58'		 Attendance: 810
Referee: R Cuthill

Stirlingshire Cup edit

15 November 1976 1st Round Dumbarton 2–4 Alloa Athletic Boghead Park
Steele   30'
Brown,A   49'		 Muir   19'
Wilson   33'
Forrest   54'
McCabe   78'		 Attendance: 500
Referee: A McGunnigle

Pre-season Matches edit

27 July 1976 Friendly Vale of Leven 2–5 Dumbarton Millburn Park
   Wallace   
Mulraine  
MacLeod  
  OG'
3 August 1976 Friendly  Lloret 1–6 Dumbarton Lloret de Mar
  Wallace   3' 
Mulr   
Sinclair  
Harvey  
4 August 1976 Friendly  Malgrat 2–3 Dumbarton Malgrat de Mar
   Wallace  
Smith  
Harvey  
6 August 1976 Friendly  Gerona v Dumbarton Gerona, Spain
11 August 1976 Friendly Dumbarton 3-2 Rangers Boghead Park
Wallace   13', 69'
Muir   25'		 McDougall   39'
Henderson   58'

League table edit

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
5 Montrose 39 16 9 14 61 62 −1 41
6 Airdrieonians 39 13 12 14 63 58 +5 38
7 Dumbarton 39 14 9 16 63 68 −5 37
8 Arbroath 39 17 3 19 46 62 −16 37
9 Queen of the South 39 11 13 15 58 65 −7 35
Source: RSSSF and statto[1]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Player statistics edit

Squad edit

[2]

No. Pos Nat Player Total First Division Scottish Cup League Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   SCO Ian McGregor 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
GK   SCO Laurie Williams 46 0 38 0 2 0 6 0
DF   SCO Terry Mullen 4 1 0+1 0 0 0 0+3 1
DF   SCO Willie Russell 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Don Watt 36 0 28 0 2 0 6 0
MF   SCO Brian Brown 4 0 3+1 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Johnny Graham 42 1 33+1 1 1+1 0 6 0
MF   SCO Columb McKinley 33 0 27+1 0 2 0 2+1 0
MF   SCO Hugh McLean 37 4 22+8 4 2 0 3+2 0
MF   SCO Donald McNeil 27 0 14+8 0 0+2 0 3 0
MF   SCO Martin Mowat 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Jim Muir 35 10 26+1 8 2 0 6 2
MF   SCO Graeme Sinclair 46 1 38 0 2 0 6 1
MF   SCO Walter Smith 35 0 26+1 0 2 0 6 0
FW   SCO Raymond Blair 13 0 11+2 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO John Bourke 42 22 36 19 2 1 4 2
FW   SCO Ally Brown 42 5 29+6 5 2 0 5 0
FW   SCO Jim Cook 16 0 12+1 0 0 0 3 0
FW   SCO Jim Donaldson 2 0 0+2 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO Drew Harvey 12 2 4+5 2 1+1 0 1 0
FW   SCO Bobby McCallum 16 0 10+4 0 0 0 1+1 0
FW   SCO Murdo MacLeod 33 8 25+5 7 0 0 3 1
FW   SCO Tommy Mulraine 5 0 2+2 0 0 0 1 0
FW   SCO Billy Steele 20 2 16+4 2 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO Ian Wallace 4 3 0 0 0 0 4 3
FW   SCO Jocky Whiteford 21 15 19 15 2 0 0 0

International Caps edit

Graeme Sinclair was selected to play for Scotland Under23s in a match against England Under23s on April 27, 1977. The tie - which was part of the unofficial under23 British Home International Championship - was won by England 1–0. This was the first Dumbarton internationalist, of any sort, for over 15 years.

Transfers edit

[3]

Reserve team edit

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League and finished 9th of 18 with 14 wins and 6 draws from 34 matches.

In the Scottish Second XI Cup, Dumbarton lost to Queen of the South in the second round, on penalties, after a 2–2 draw.

In the Scottish Reserve League Cup, Dumbarton failed to qualifying from their section.

Trivia edit

  • Johnny Graham set two records during the season. His appearance in the League match against Montrose on 13 November was his 365th competitive match for the club - overtaking Andy Jardine's record set a decade earlier - and in what was to be his final match for Dumbarton, his appearance in the League match against East Fife on 30 April was his 385th competitive match for the club - setting a new club record - which still stands.
  • The fee of £80,000 for Ian Wallace's transfer to Coventry City at the end of August set a new record.
  • Despite only a 7th place in the league, John Bourke finished as the First Division's top scorer.
  • At the end of the season Alex Wright gave up his managerial duties to accept a directorship and was replaced by his assistant manager Davie Wilson.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Scottish Division One 1976-1977 Season Summary". statto.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  2. ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  3. ^ Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.

External links edit

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