Wikipedia

1980–81 Dumbarton F.C. season

Season 1980–81 was the 97th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 75th time, the Scottish Cup for the 86th time and the Scottish League Cup for the 34th time.

Dumbarton
1980–1981 season
ManagerSean Fallon
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 18th
Scottish CupFourth Round
Scottish League CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Brian Gallacher (13)
All: Brian Gallacher (14)

Overview edit

For the sixth year running, Dumbarton played league football in Division 1, and with Sean Fallon taking over the manager's post, there was some confidence that this season could see a top two finish. However, despite a promising start, results were mixed, and it was clear by the beginning of the year that any hopes of promotion had gone. Indeed, things might have been worse had there not been an unbeaten run in the final 6 games, and in the end Dumbarton finished in 8th place with 37 points, 20 behind champions Hibernian.

In the Scottish Cup, Dumbarton beat Premier Division opponents St Mirren in the third round before losing a close encounter in the next round to fellow Division 1 team Motherwell.

It was the same old story however in the League Cup, where Dumbarton lost in the first round, this time to Raith Rovers.

Locally, however, in the Stirlingshire Cup, there was something to cheer, with the silverware returning to Boghead after a final win over Stirling Albion.

Results & fixtures edit

  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish First Division edit

Main article: 1980–81 Scottish Football League
9 August 1980 Scottish Division 1 Falkirk 0-5 Dumbarton Brockville Park
Brown  
MacLeod  
Rankin  
Blair   		 Referee: D Galloway
16 August 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 0-3 St Johnstone Boghead Park
Morton  
Brannigan  
McCoist  		 Attendance: 1,000
23 August 1980 Scottish Division 1 Clydebank 1-4 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
McGorm   Blair   
Gallacher,B  
Coyle,J  		 Attendance: 2,000
6 September 1980 Scottish Division 1 Hamilton 1-1 Dumbarton Douglas Park
Fairley   (pen) Rankin   Attendance: 2,000
Referee: C White
9 September 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dunfermline Athletic 1-1 Dumbarton East End Park
O'Brien   Brown   Attendance: 2,400
13 August 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-2 East Stirling Boghead Park
Gallacher,B  
MacLeod  		    Referee: P McKenzie
17 August 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-0 Berwick Rangers Boghead Park
Coyle,J  
MacLeod  
20 September 1980 Scottish Division 1 Raith Rovers 4-1 Dumbarton Starks Park
Harrow   8'
Urquhart   34'
Lawson   		 Coyle,J   Attendance: 1,600
Referee: A McFaull
27 September 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-2 Motherwell Boghead Park
Gallacher,B   40' Kidd   (pen)
McKeever  		 Attendance: 1,000
Referee: E Pringle
1 October 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-0 Hibernian Boghead Park
Gallacher,B   68'
Rankin   86'		 Attendance: 2,500
4 October 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dundee 3-1 Dumbarton Dens Park
Fleming   2'
Shirra   32'
Sinclair  		 Schaedler   (OG) Attendance: 3,553
11 October 1980 Scottish Division 1 Stirling Albion 0-1 Dumbarton Annfield Stadium
Donnelly   41' Attendance: 700
Referee: W Anderson
18 October 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 0-1 Ayr United Boghead Park
Morris   Attendance: 1,000
Referee: W Waddell
25 October 1980 Scottish Division 1 East Stirling 2-1 Dumbarton Firs Park
Lamont   22'
Rennie  		 Gallacher,B   Attendance: 550
Referee: L Thow
1 November 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-1 Hamilton Boghead Park
Gallacher,B      Attendance: 550
8 November 1980 Scottish Division 1 Berwick Rangers 2-2 Dumbarton Shielfield Park
    Donnelly  
Brown  		 Attendance: 759
Referee: P McKenzie
15 November 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-2 Raith Rovers Boghead Park
Donnelly   6'
McGowan,P  		 Harris   27'
 		 Attendance: 750
Referee: A Waddell
22 November 1980 Scottish Division 1 Motherwell 4-2 Dumbarton Fir Park
Forbes  
Clelland   39'
  		 Jackson   26'
Smith   (OG)		 Attendance: 2,223
Referee: J Renton
29 November 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-2 Dundee Boghead Park
Gallacher,B   19' Stephen    Attendance: 800
6 December 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-0 Stirling Albion Boghead Park
Clougherty   25'
Gallacher,B  		 Attendance: 250
Referee: B Robertson
13 December 1980 Scottish Division 1 Ayr United 0-0 Dumbarton Somerset Park
Attendance: 1,875
Referee: A Ferguson
20 December 1980 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-0 Dunfermline Athletic Boghead Park
Gallacher,B   40' Attendance: 400
Referee: K Hope
27 December 1980 Scottish Division 1 St Johnstone 2-0 Dumbarton Muirton Park
Docherty   14'
 		 Referee: W Knowles
1 January 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-1 Clydebank Boghead Park
Brown    
3 January 1981 Scottish Division 1 Hibernian 1-0 Dumbarton Easter Road
Murray   Attendance: 5,546
10 January 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 0-1 Falkirk Boghead Park
Brown   Attendance: 400
31 January 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-0 East Stirling Boghead Park
MacLeod  
7 February 1981 Scottish Division 1 Raith Rovers 1-0 Dumbarton Starks Park
Jackson   (OG)
21 February 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-1 Berwick Rangers Boghead Park
Donnelly   Hamilton   36' Attendance: 400
Referee: D Galloway
11 March 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dundee 2-1 Dumbarton Dens Park
Scrimgeour  
Carson   (OG)		 Gallacher,J   Attendance: 2,812
14 March 1981 Scottish Division 1 Stirling Albion 0-0 Dumbarton Annfield Stadium
Attendance: 500
Referee: R Ballantyne
21 March 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-4 Hibernian Boghead Park
Rankin   Rae   
Murray   		 Attendance: 913
28 March 1981 Scottish Division 1 St Johnstone 2-1 Dumbarton Muirton Park
Brogan  
Kilgour  		 Gallacher,B   Attendance: 2,476
4 April 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 2-1 Hamilton Boghead Park
Gallacher,B  
Brown  		 McDowall   Attendance: 400
8 April 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 0-0 Motherwell Boghead Park
Attendance: 1,000
11 April 1981 Scottish Division 1 Falkirk 1-3 Dumbarton Brockville Park
Smith   Blair   
Brown  
18 April 1981 Scottish Division 1 Dumbarton 1-2 Dunfermline Athletic Boghead Park
Brown  
Gallacher,B  		 Jenkins   Attendance: 450
25 April 1981 Scottish Division 1 Ayr United 1-2 Dumbarton Somerset Park
Morris   Blair   12', 18' Attendance: 998
Referee: M Delaney
2 May 1981 Scottish Division 1 Clydebank 0-0 Dumbarton Kilbowie Park
Attendance: 300
Referee: J Thomson

Scottish Cup edit

Main article: 1980–81 Scottish Cup
24 January 1981 Scottish Cup round 3 St Mirren 0–2 Dumbarton Love Street (stadium)
Donnelly   23'
Coyle,J   86'		 Attendance: 6,209
Referee: D Syme
14 February 1981 Scottish Cup round 3 Motherwell 2–1 Dumbarton Fir Park
Gahagan  
McLaughlin  		 Coyle,J  

Scottish League Cup edit

Main article: 1980–81 Scottish League Cup
27 August 1980 Scottish League Cup round 1(1) Dumbarton 0–1 Raith Rovers Boghead Park
Harrow   Attendance: 600
30 August 1980 Scottish League Cup round 1(1) Raith Rovers 0–0
(1–0 agg.)		 Dumbarton Starks Park
Attendance: 1,750

Stirlingshire Cup edit

13 October 1980 First Round Falkirk 1–2 Dumbarton Brockville Park
McRoberts   Kennedy  
McGowan,P  
14 April 1981 Semi Final Dumbarton 3–0 Stenhousemuir Boghead Park
Brown  
  
29 April 1981 Final Dumbarton 3–0 Stirling Albion Boghead Park
   

Pre-season/Other matches edit

5 August 1980 Friendly Dumbarton 0–6  Coventry City Boghead Park
Gooding   10'
Hunt   54' (pen)
Thomson  
Dyson  
Van Gool  
English  		 Referee: A McFaull
6 March 1981 Friendly Dumbarton 0–2 Celtic XI Boghead Park
   

League table edit

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
6 Ayr United 39 17 11 11 59 42 +17 45
7 Hamilton Academical 39 15 7 17 61 57 +4 37
8 Dumbarton 39 13 11 15 49 50 −1 37
9 Falkirk 39 13 8 18 39 52 −13 34
10 Clydebank 39 10 13 16 48 59 −11 33
Source: RSSSF[dead link]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Player statistics edit

Squad edit

No. Pos Nat Player Total First Division Scottish Cup League Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   SCO Tom Carson 37 0 33 0 2 0 2 0
GK   SCO Donald Hunter 6 0 6 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Rob Campbell 16 0 11+5 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Martin McGowan 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0
DF   SCO Joe O'Donnell 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO George Brannigan 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Mark Clougherty 34 1 32 1 0 0 2 0
MF   SCO Tommy Coyle 33 0 29+1 0 2 0 1 0
MF   SCO John Gallacher 27 1 23 1 2 0 2 0
MF   SCO Billy Hutchinson 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Dave Jackson 8 1 7+1 1 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Jim Martin 15 0 5+9 0 0 0 1 0
MF   SCO Ally MacLeod 43 4 39 4 2 0 2 0
MF   SCO Donald McNeil 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
MF   SCO Graeme Sinclair 40 0 36 0 2 0 2 0
FW   SCO Steve Armstrong 2 0 0+2 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO Raymond Blair 34 8 22+8 8 0+2 0 2 0
FW   SCO Ally Brown 25 7 23 7 0 0 2 0
FW   SCO Joe Coyle 29 5 25 3 2 2 2 0
FW   SCO John Donnelly 18 5 14+2 4 2 1 0 0
FW   SCO Brian Gallacher 37 14 33 13 2 0 2 1
FW   SCO Ian Gibson 3 0 0+3 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO Joe Kennedy 7 0 4+3 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO John Mailer 11 0 11 0 0 0 0 0
FW   SCO Gerry Marshall 3 0 1+1 0 0 0 0+1 0
FW   SCO Pat McGowan 27 1 21+4 1 2 0 0 0
FW   SCO Tommy McGrain 28 0 23+2 0 2 0 1 0
FW   SCO Mike Rankin 32 4 23+5 4 2 0 1+1 0
FW   SCO Sean Sweeney 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0

[1]

Transfers edit

Amongst those players joining and leaving the club were the following:[2]

Reserve team edit

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League First Division (West), winning 6 and drawing 6 of 26 games - finishing 11th of 14.

In the Scottish Second XI Cup, Dumbarton again lost to Dundee United in the fourth round, and in the Reserve League Cup, Dumbarton lost to Partick Thistle in the first round.

Trivia edit

  • The League match against Dunfermline on 9 September marked Joe Coyle's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 82nd Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The League match against Motherwell on 27 September marked Ally MacLeod's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 83rd Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The Scottish Cup match against Motherwell on 14 February marked John Gallacher's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 84th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The League match against Hamilton on 4 April marked Graeme Sinclair's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 15th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • The signing fee of £13,500 paid to Clyde for Mark Clougherty was a new club record.
  • During the season there was an amazing attempt to sign Johan Cruyff on a match-to-match basis. The £1,500 per match offer was eventually declined in favour of a £1.5 million contract from the USA.
  • The disappointing season was in the end to result in Sean Fallon's resignation as manager.

See also edit

References edit

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

External links edit

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