1983–84 Dumbarton F.C. season
Dumbarton 1983–1984 football season
| 1983–1984 season | |
|---|---|
| Manager | Billy Lamont/ Davie Wilson |
| Stadium | Boghead Park, Dumbarton |
| Scottish League Division 1 | 2nd |
| Scottish Cup | Fourth Round |
| Scottish League Cup | First Round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Joe Coyle (14) All: Joe Coyle (15) |
| Highest home attendance | 3,000 |
| Lowest home attendance | 400 |
| Average home league attendance | 1,200 |
Season 1983–84 was the 100th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 78th time, the Scottish Cup for the 89th time and the Scottish League Cup for the 37th time.
Overview
At the ninth time of asking, and in what was the club's 100th year of competitive football, Dumbarton managed to achieve that elusive promotion and a place in next season's Premier Division, although it was not to prove to be all 'plain sailing'. Indeed, after 6 games, with 3 wins it was looking like another average 'middle of the table' campaign. However an unbeaten run of 12 games was to follow changing the club's fortunes and Dumbarton were suddenly right up there with the 'front runners' - and then disaster struck! Billy Lamont resigned his managerial post to take up the reins at fellow Division 1 club Falkirk. Credit to Dumbarton that they had a new manager in Davie Wilson in place within two weeks, and the club guaranteed promotion with 2 games to play, although they were unable to catch champions Morton, who finished 3 points ahead.
In the Scottish Cup, after a fine win over Raith Rovers, Dumbarton lost to Division 1 'champions in waiting', Morton in the fourth round.
The League Cup format was again reorganised, with a first round being played before sectional games were introduced. However the first tie against Premier Division Hibernian was to prove too much of a hurdle to get over.
Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup, Dumbarton released their grip on the trophy with a loss in the first round to Alloa.
Results & fixtures
[1] Win Draw Loss
Scottish First Division
Dumbarton v Clydebank
| 20 August 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–0 | Clydebank | Boghead Park |
Coyle,T  35' | Attendance: 1,789 Referee: A McMonigle |
Ayr United v Dumbarton
| 3 September 1983 First Division | Ayr United | 1–2 | Dumbarton | Somerset Park |
| McNaughton | Bourke 1' Coyle,J 33' (pen) | Attendance: 1,015 Referee: W McLeish |
Dumbarton v Partick Thistle
| 10 September 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 0–1 | Partick Thistle | Boghead Park |
| Doyle 44' | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: M Delaney |
Dumbarton v Brechin City
| 14 September 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 1–2 | Brechin City | Boghead Park |
| McGowan,P | Fleming Eadie | Attendance: 450 |
Meadowbank Thistle v Dumbarton
| 17 September 1983 First Division | Meadowbank Thistle | 0–2 | Dumbarton | Meadowbank Stadium |
| Bourke Coyle,J | Attendance: 450 |
Falkirk v Dumbarton
| 24 September 1983 First Division | Falkirk | 4–1 | Dumbarton | Brockville Park |
| Grant 16' Irvine 44'Houston | Coyle,J | Attendance: 1,200 Referee: B McGinlay |
Dumbarton v Hamilton
| 28 September 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–0 | Hamilton | Boghead Park |
| Coyle,J 46' (pen) Ashwood 77' | Attendance: 400 |
Dumbarton v Raith Rovers
| 1 October 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Raith Rovers | Boghead Park |
| McNeil 11' Ashwood 52' | Kerr 4' | Attendance: 550 Referee: A McGunnigle |
Morton v Dumbarton
| 8 October 1983 First Division | Morton | 2–2 | Dumbarton | Cappielow Park |
| Robertson 3' Clinging 7' | Bourke 29', 33' | Attendance: 1,500 Referee: A Huett |
Dumbarton v Clyde
| 15 October 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 1–0 | Clyde | Boghead Park |
| Ashwood 32' | Attendance: 500 Referee: J Renton |
Kilmarnock v Dumbarton
| 22 October 1983 First Division | Kilmarnock | 2–2 | Dumbarton | Rugby Park |
| McDicken Bryson | Ashwood McNeil | Attendance: 1,500 Referee: H Williamson |
Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic
| 29 October 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 1–1 | Alloa Athletic | Boghead Park |
| Ashwood | Purdie 44' | Attendance: 700 Referee: W Crombie |
Airdrie v Dumbarton
| 5 November 1983 First Division | Airdrie | 1–1 | Dumbarton | Broomfield Park |
| Sinclair | Bourke 1' | Attendance: 1,100 Referee: D Downie |
Brechin City v Dumbarton
| 12 November 1983 First Division | Brechin City | 2–3 | Dumbarton | Glebe Park, Brechin |
| Elvin 14' Hyslop | Coyle,J 26' (pen) Coyle,T 33' | Attendance: 700 Referee: D Galloway |
Dumbarton v Meadowbank Thistle
| 19 November 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 0–0 | Meadowbank Thistle | Boghead Park |
| Attendance: 600 Referee: B Robertson |
Dumbarton v Morton
| 26 November 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 1–1 | Morton | Boghead Park |
| Ashwood | Robertson 5' | Attendance: 1,500 Referee: H Young |
Raith Rovers v Dumbarton
| 3 December 1983 First Division | Raith Rovers | 1–3 | Dumbarton | Starks Park |
| Smith | Ashwood 32' Bourke Coyle,J | Attendance: 750 |
Dumbarton v Falkirk
| 10 December 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 3–0 | Falkirk | Boghead Park |
| McGowan,M Coyle,J | Attendance: 1,500 |
Hamilton v Dumbarton
| 17 December 1983 First Division | Hamilton | 4–1 | Dumbarton | Douglas Park |
| Forsyth Hutchenson (pen)McNaught Kean | Ashwood | Attendance: 940 |
Partick Thistle v Dumbarton
| 26 December 1983 First Division | Partick Thistle | 1–0 | Dumbarton | Firhill Park |
| Buckley | Attendance: 3,821 |
Dumbarton v Ayr United
| 31 December 1983 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Ayr United | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 40' Montgomerie | Connor | Attendance: 1,250 Referee: R Cathcart |
Clydebank v Dumbarton
| 2 January 1984 First Division | Clydebank | 0–2 | Dumbarton | Kilbowie Park |
| Coyle,J (pen) Robertson | Attendance: 1,040 |
Dumbarton v Kilmarnock
| 7 January 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 4–3 | Kilmarnock | Boghead Park |
| Coyle,T 21' Ashwood 26'Bourke 28'Coyle,J | McClurg 32', 46' McGivern | Attendance: 1,000 Referee: D Syme |
Dumbarton v Airdrie
| 4 February 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 4–2 | Airdrie | Boghead Park |
| Robertson Crawley Coyle,J (OG) | Flood 30' Yule 33' | Attendance: 1,000 Referee: W Crombie |
Hamilton v Dumbarton
| 11 February 1984 First Division | Hamilton | 3–3 | Dumbarton | Douglas Park |
| Phillips Forsyth 40' | Bourke 2' McNeil 47'Robertson | Attendance: 1,015 Referee: T Muirhead |
Alloa Athletic v Dumbarton
| 21 February 1984 First Division | Alloa Athletic | 1–0 | Dumbarton | Recreation Park, Alloa |
| Paterson 18' | Attendance: 459 |
Dumbarton v Raith Rovers
| 25 February 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 3–1 | Raith Rovers | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 8' Craig 42' | Marshall 15' | Attendance: 750 Referee: G Smith |
Clyde v Dumbarton
| 29 February 1984 First Division | Clyde | 0–0 | Dumbarton | Shawfield Stadium |
| Attendance: 970 |
Dumbarton v Falkirk
| 3 March 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–0 | Falkirk | Boghead Park |
| Ashwood 57' Coyle,J 59' | Attendance: 1,050 Referee: B Robertson |
Kilmarnock v Dumbarton
| 10 March 1984 First Division | Kilmarnock | 0–0 | Dumbarton | Rugby Park |
| Attendance: 1,140 Referee: D Yeats |
Dumbarton v Meadowbank Thistle
| 17 March 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 3–0 | Meadowbank Thistle | Boghead Park |
| Bourke 16', 33' Robertson 35' | Attendance: 1,200 Referee: K Hope |
Partick Thistle v Dumbarton
| 24 March 1984 First Division | Partick Thistle | 0–0 | Dumbarton | Firhill Park |
| Attendance: 4,156 Referee: H Alexander |
Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic
| 31 March 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–0 | Alloa Athletic | Boghead Park |
| Ashwood 13' McCaig | Attendance: 1,000 Referee: A Ferguson |
Dumbarton v Clydebank
| 7 April 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Clydebank | Boghead Park |
| McCaig 8' Coyle,T | Given 40' (pen) | Attendance: 978 Referee: T Muirhead |
Morton v Dumbarton
| 14 April 1984 First Division | Morton | 2–0 | Dumbarton | Cappielow Park |
| Rooney 25' Doak | Attendance: 3,850 Referee: J Duncan |
Brechin City v Dumbarton
| 21 April 1984 First Division | Brechin City | 0–3 | Dumbarton | Glebe Park, Brechin |
| Coyle,T 34' Coyle,J McCaig | Attendance: 700 Referee: A Waddell |
Dumbarton v Clyde
| 28 April 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 2–2 | Clyde | Boghead Park |
| Craig Coyle,T | Docherty 30' Deans | Attendance: 2,900 Referee: L Thow |
Airdrie v Dumbarton
| 5 May 1984 First Division | Airdrie | 1–4 | Dumbarton | Broomfield Park |
| Fairlie 10' | Craig 15' Walsh 17'Ashwood | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: D Galloway |
Dumbarton v Ayr United
| 12 May 1984 First Division | Dumbarton | 0–3 | Ayr United | Boghead Park |
| Connor 39', 45' McNally | Attendance: 3,000 Referee: D Downie |
Scottish League Cup
Hibernian v Dumbarton
| 24 August 1983 League Cup R1(1) | Hibernian | 5–0 | Dumbarton | Easter Road |
| Irvine Clougherty (OG)Thomson | Attendance: 2,193 |
Dumbarton v Hibernian
| 27 August 1983 League Cup R1(2) | Dumbarton | 1–2 (1–7 agg.) | Hibernian | Boghead Park |
| McGrogan | Irvine 9' Conroy | Attendance: 760 Referee: B Robertson |
Scottish Cup
Raith Rovers v Dumbarton
| 6 February 1984 Cup R3 | Raith Rovers | 1–4 | Dumbarton | Starks Park |
| Smith | Ashwood Bourke Coyle,J | Attendance: 1,950 |
Morton v Dumbarton
| 18 February 1984 Cup R4 | Morton | 2–1 | Dumbarton | Cappielow Park |
| Pettigrew 43' | Craig 41' | Attendance: 3,383 Referee: L Thow |
Stirlingshire Cup
Alloa Athletic v Dumbarton
| 10 August 1983 First Round | Alloa Athletic | 3–2 | Dumbarton | Recreation Park, Alloa |
| Paterson Cole Thompson | McCaig McGrogan |
Pre-season matches
Dumbarton v 
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United | 8 August 1983 Friendly | Dumbarton | 1–3 | Hartlepool United | Boghead Park |
| |
League table
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morton (C, P) | 39 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 75 | 46 | +29 | 54 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Dumbarton (P) | 39 | 20 | 11 | 8 | 66 | 44 | +22 | 51 | |
| 3 | Partick Thistle | 39 | 19 | 8 | 12 | 67 | 50 | +17 | 46 | |
| 4 | Clydebank | 39 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 62 | 50 | +12 | 45 | |
| 5 | Brechin City | 39 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 56 | 58 | −2 | 42 |
Source: RSSSF[dead link] and statto[2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Player statistics
Squad
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | First Division | Scottish Cup | League Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| GK |  SCO | Tom Carson | 40 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| GK | SCO | Jim Stewart | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO | Martin McGowan | 35 | 1 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | SCO | Ray Montgomerie | 43 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Albert Burnett | 14 | 0 | 8+4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Joe Carson | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Mark Clougherty | 41 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Tommy Coyle | 43 | 7 | 38+1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Albert Craig | 30 | 5 | 21+5 | 4 | 0+2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Jim Hughes | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Dave McCaig | 32 | 3 | 10+19 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Donald McNeil | 36 | 3 | 31+1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | Stuart Robertson | 28 | 4 | 23+3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | SCO | David Stevenson | 5 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Kenny Ashwood | 33 | 15 | 31 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | John Bourke | 38 | 14 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Joe Coyle | 41 | 15 | 39 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Gerry Crawley | 29 | 1 | 19+6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Pat McGowan | 23 | 1 | 14+7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Joe McGrogan | 9 | 1 | 2+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| FW | SCO | Allan Moore | 5 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | |
| FW | SCO | Martin Walsh | 2 | 1 | 1+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Transfers
Amongst those players joining and leaving the club were the following:[4]
Players in
| Players out
|
Reserve team
Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League First Division (West), which was split into winter and spring series.
In the first series, of 12 fixtures, 6 were won and 3 drawn - and Dumbarton finished 5th of 13. In the second series, 4 games were won and 2 drawn of 10 ties - but the league was never completed.
Trivia
- Between the league game against Raith Rovers on 25 February and the league game against Clydebank on 7 April, Tom Carson did not concede a single goal - a record of 655 minutes.
- The League match against Hamilton on 11 February marked Pat McGowan's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 88th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
- The League match against Raith Rovers on 25 February marked Donald McNeil's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 17th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
See also
References
- ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
- ^ "Scottish Division One 1983-1984 Season Summary". statto.com. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- ^ McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
- ^ Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
External links
- Scottish Football Historical Archive
