1976–77 Dumbarton F.C. season

Dumbarton
1976–1977 season
Manager Alex Wright
Stadium Boghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 1 7th
Scottish Cup Third Round
Scottish League Cup Prelims
Top goalscorer League: John Bourke (19)
All: John Bourke (22)
Highest home attendance 4000
Lowest home attendance 500
Average home league attendance 1450

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.

Overview

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

Win
Draw
Loss

All results are written with Dumbarton's score first.

Scottish League

DateOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance
4 September 1976DundeeA1-2Muir4619
8 September 1976ArbroathA0-1753
11 September 1976MontroseH2-1Bourke(2)1,000
14 September 1976AirdrieH1-3Bourke1,200
18 September 1976St MirrenA1-2Bourke2,500
25 September 1976HamiltonH1-2Brown,A1,500
29 September 1976East FifeA3-2Brown,A;Muir;Steele784
2 October 1976Raith RoversA1-1Muir1,553
5 October 1976East FifeH5-1Muir(3);Steele;Bourke1,000
9 October 1976MortonH1-1Bourke2,000
16 October 1976St JohnstoneH2-1Bourke(2)2,000
20 October 1976FalkirkH2-2McLean;Bourke2,000
23 October 1976Queen of the SouthH3-3McLean;Bourke;Brown,A1,505
30 October 1976ClydebankA0-27,000
10 November 1976DundeeH1-1Harvey500
13 November 1976MontroseA1-2Harvey1,000
20 November 1976St MirrenH0-14,000
27 November 1977HamiltonA1-0Whiteford1,200
27 December 1977Queen of the SouthA2-1McLean;MacLeod2,500
1 January 1977ClydebankH1-1Brown,A4,000
8 January 1977MontroseH2-2Whiteford(2)2,000
22 January 1977HamiltonH1-1Whiteford1,500
5 February 1977Raith RoversA1-3Brown,A1,613
7 February 1977St MirrenA2-3Bourke;Graham7,800
12 February 1977MortonH0-41,000
19 February 1977St JohnstoneH2-0Bourke(2)1,497
23 February 1977Raith RoversH2-0Bourke;Whiteford800
26 February 1977MortonA0-32,000
5 March 1977Queen of the SouthH2-0Muir;Whiteford1,000
12 March 1977ClydebankA2-4Bourke;Whiteford4,000
19 March 1977AirdrieH2-1Bourke;Whiteford1,000
23 March 1977DundeeA0-41000
26 March 1977AirdrieA2-1Bourke;Whiteford2,000
2 April 1977FalkirkA3-1McLean;Whiteford(2)1,000
6 April 1977St JohnstoneH2-4Whiteford(2)1,000
9 April 1977FalkirkH4-0MacLeod(2);Whiteford;Muir1,000
16 April 1977ArbroathH2-3MacLeod;Bourke1,000
23 April 1977ArbroathA2-1MacLeod;OG957
30 April 1977East FifeH3-3MacLeod;McLean;;Bourke2,000

Scottish Cup

DateRdOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance
29 January 19773HeartsA1-1Bourke7,969
2 February 19773RHeartsH0-13,000

Scottish League Cup

DateRdOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance
14 August 1976PArbroathH2-0Wallace;Sinclair1,500
18 August 1976PCelticA0-315,000
21 August 1976PDundee UnitedH1-2Wallace2,500
25 August 1976PCelticH3-3Bourke(2);Wallace12,000
28 August 1976PDundee UnitedA1-1Muir4,000
1 September 1976PArbroathA3-0Muir;Mullen;MacLeod810

Stirlingshire Cup

DateRdOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance
15 November 19761Alloa AthleticH2-4Steele;Brown,A500

Other Matches

DateOpponentVenueResultScorersAttendance
27 July 1976Vale of LevenA5-2OG;Wallace(2);Mulraine;MacLeod
3 August 1976SpainLloret CFA6-1Wallace(2);Muir(2);Sinclair;Harvey
4 August 1976SpainMalgratA3-2Wallace;Smith;Harvey
6 August 1976SpainGeronaA-
11 August 1976Rangers XIH3-2Wallace(2);Muir

Player statistics

Squad[1]

No. Pos Nat Player TotalFirst DivisionScottish CupLeague Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Scotland Ian McGregor 10100000
GK Scotland Laurie Williams 4603802060
DF Scotland Terry Mullen 410+10000+31
DF Scotland Willie Russell 20200000
DF Scotland Don Watt 3602802060
MF Scotland Brian Brown 403+100000
MF Scotland Johnny Graham 42133+111+1060
MF Scotland Columb McKinley 33027+10202+10
MF Scotland Hugh McLean 37422+84203+20
MF Scotland Donald McNeil 27014+800+2030
MF Scotland Martin Mowatt 1001000000
MF Scotland Jim Muir 351026+182062
MF Scotland Graeme Sinclair 4613802061
MF Scotland Walter Smith 35026+102060
FW Scotland Raymond Blair 13011+200000
FW Scotland John Bourke 422236192142
FW Scotland Ally Brown 42529+652050
FW Scotland Jim Cook 16012+100030
FW Scotland Jim Donaldson 200+200000
FW Scotland Drew Harvey 1224+521+1010
FW Scotland Bobby McCallum 16010+40001+10
FW Scotland Murdo MacLeod 33825+570031
FW Scotland Tommy Mulraine 502+200010
FW Scotland Billy Steele 20216+420000
FW Scotland Ian Wallace 43000043
FW Scotland Jocky Whiteford 211519152000

International Caps

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

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

Reserve Team

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.

Factfile

* 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

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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