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

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

  Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish First Division

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
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
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
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
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

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

Stirlingshire Cup

13 October 1980 First Round Falkirk 1–2 Dumbarton Brockville Park
McRoberts Kennedy
McGowan,P

Pre-season/Other matches

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

League table

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

Player statistics

Squad

No. Pos Nat Player TotalFirst DivisionScottish CupLeague Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Scotland SCO Tom Carson 3703302020
GK Scotland SCO Donald Hunter 60600000
DF Scotland SCO Rob Campbell 16011+500000
DF Scotland SCO Martin McGowan 100+100000
DF Scotland SCO Joe O'Donnell 10100000
MF Scotland SCO George Brannigan 10100000
MF Scotland SCO Mark Clougherty 3413210020
MF Scotland SCO Tommy Coyle 33029+102010
MF Scotland SCO John Gallacher 2712312020
MF Scotland SCO Billy Hutchinson 30300000
MF Scotland SCO Dave Jackson 817+110000
MF Scotland SCO Jim Martin 1505+900010
MF Scotland SCO Ally MacLeod 4343942020
MF Scotland SCO Donald McNeil 20200000
MF Scotland SCO Graeme Sinclair 4003602020
FW Scotland SCO Steve Armstrong 200+200000
FW Scotland SCO Raymond Blair 34822+880+2020
FW Scotland SCO Ally Brown 2572370020
FW Scotland SCO Joe Coyle 2952532220
FW Scotland SCO John Donnelly 18514+242100
FW Scotland SCO Brian Gallacher 371433132021
FW Scotland SCO Ian Gibson 300+300000
FW Scotland SCO Joe Kennedy 704+300000
FW Scotland SCO John Mailer 1101100000
FW Scotland SCO Gerry Marshall 301+10000+10
FW Scotland SCO Pat McGowan 27121+412000
FW Scotland SCO Tommy McGrain 28023+202010
FW Scotland SCO Mike Rankin 32423+54201+10
FW Scotland SCO Sean Sweeney 100+100000

[1]

Transfers

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

Reserve team

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

  • 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

References

  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.
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