1997–98 Dumbarton F.C. season

Season 1997–98 was the 114th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 92nd time, the Scottish Cup for the 103rd time, the Scottish League Cup for the 51st time and the Scottish Challenge Cup for the eighth time.

Dumbarton
1997–1998 season
ManagerIan Wallace
StadiumBoghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 310th
Scottish CupThird Round
Scottish League CupSecond Round
Scottish Challenge CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Colin McKinnon (10)
All: Colin McKinnon (11)
Highest home attendance465
Lowest home attendance310
Average home league attendance391

Overview

In Ian Wallace's first full season at the helm, Dumbarton's poor financial status meant that the team was almost unchanged from the one that had dropped from the Second Division the previous season. Nevertheless, initial results were promising, but this was soon to be replaced with that well known sinking feeling as the season went on. From January, Dumbarton registered just 3 league wins, and from the end of February till the end of the season propped up the rest of the league - easily Dumbarton's worst league performance in its history.

In the national cup competitions, however, the five-year wait for some progress was brought to an end. In the Scottish Cup, an uninspiring win over Highland League outfit Lossiemouth presented Dumbarton with a tie against Premier Division Motherwell in the third round. After holding their opponents to a home draw, they battled fiercely in the replay only to lose by a single goal.

In the League Cup, old rivals Queen's Park were dispatched in the first round, before Dumbarton found Premier Division Aberdeen too hot to handle.

Finally, however, in the Challenge Cup, it was the same old story - eight seasons and eight first round defeats - Falkirk would be the victors this time.

Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup, the format reverted to group ties, but with only one win from three ties, Dumbarton failed to reach the final.

Results & fixtures

[1]   Win   Draw   Loss

Scottish Third Division
Main article: 1997–98 Scottish Third Division
5 August 1997 Third DivisionCowdenbeath0–2DumbartonCentral Park, Cowdenbeath
McKinnon
Reilly 		Attendance: 232
16 August 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton2–2MontroseBoghead Park
McKinnon
Ward 		Winiarski
Taylor 		Attendance: 395
23 August 1997 Third DivisionBerwick Rangers5–3DumbartonShielfield Park
Forrester
Walton 		McKinnon
Mellis 		Attendance: 304
30 August 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton0–1Alloa AthleticBoghead Park
Wilson Attendance: 465
13 September 1997 Third DivisionAlbion Rovers2–1DumbartonCliftonhill Stadium
Watters
Graham 		Brittain Attendance: 495
20 September 1997 Third DivisionArbroath2–1DumbartonGayfield Park
Cooper
Grant 		Gow Attendance: 702
27 September 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton0–0Queen's ParkBoghead Park
Attendance: 436
4 October 1997 Third DivisionEast Stirling3–1DumbartonFirs Park
Neill
Hunter 		McKinnon Attendance: 321
18 October 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton2–2Ross CountyBoghead Park
Ward Golabek
Adam 		Attendance: 452
25 October 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton1–4Berwick RangersBoghead Park
Glancy Fraser
Forrester
Walton 		Attendance: 413
1 November 1997 Third DivisionMontrose2–2DumbartonLinks Park
McGlashan
Higgins 		Brittain
Sharp 		Attendance: 347
8 November 1997 Third DivisionAlloa Athletic1–2DumbartonRecreation Park, Alloa
McAneney Sharp
Grace 		Attendance: 424
15 November 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton1–1Albion RoversBoghead Park
McKinnon Watters Attendance: 425
22 November 1997 Third DivisionQueen's Park2–3DumbartonHampden Park
Edgar
Conroy 		McKinnon
Sharp 		Attendance: 548
29 November 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton1–2ArbroathBoghead Park
Meechan Crawford
Spence 		Attendance: 379
13 December 1997 Third DivisionRoss County2–3DumbartonVictoria Park, Dingwall
Wood Meechan
Glancy 		Attendance: 1,226
20 December 1997 Third DivisionDumbarton0–1East StirlingBoghead Park
Watt Attendance: 323
27 December 1997 Third DivisionBerwick Rangers1–1DumbartonShielfield Park
Walton McKinnon Attendance: 449
10 January 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton1–2CowdenbeathBoghead Park
Mooney Holmes
Mitchell 		Attendance: 338
17 January 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton0–0Queen's ParkBoghead Park
Attendance: 408
31 January 1998 Third DivisionArbroath2–2DumbartonGayfield Park
Burns
Tindal 		Meechan
Grace 		Attendance: 666
4 February 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton0–1Ross CountyBoghead Park
Adams Attendance: 447
17 February 1998 Third DivisionEast Stirling1–0DumbartonFirs Park
Hunter Attendance: 181
21 February 1998 Third DivisionCowdenbeath2–0DumbartonCentral Park, Cowdenbeath
Stewart
Winter 		Attendance: 255
25 February 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton2–3MontroseBoghead Park
Mooney
McKinnon 		Taylor
McGlashan 		Attendance: 315
28 February 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton0–3Alloa AthleticBoghead Park
Cameron
McKechnie 		Attendance: 396
7 March 1998 Third DivisionAlbion Rovers2–2DumbartonCliftonhill Stadium
Watters
Donaldson 		Sharp
Grace 		Attendance: 417
14 March 1998 Third DivisionQueen's Park0–2DumbartonHampden Park
Sharp
Grace 		Attendance: 528
21 March 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton1–2ArbroathBoghead Park
Sharp Spence Attendance: 383
28 March 1998 Third DivisionRoss County0–0DumbartonVictoria Park, Dingwall
Attendance: 1,475
21 March 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton1–0East StirlingBoghead Park
Wilson Attendance: 338
11 April 1998 Third DivisionAlloa Athletic3–0DumbartonRecreation Park, Alloa
Haddow
Irvine
McKechnie 		Attendance: 538
18 April 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton2–0Albion RoversBoghead Park
Mooney
Meechan 		Attendance: 398
25 April 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton0–2Berwick RangersBoghead Park
Walton
Neil 		Attendance: 310
2 May 1998 Third DivisionMontrose2–1DumbartonLinks Park
Henry
Higgins 		Mooney Attendance: 305
25 April 1998 Third DivisionDumbarton2–3CowdenbeathBoghead Park
Mooney
McKinnon 		Ritchie
Welsh
Murray 		Attendance: 413

Coca-Cola Cup
2 August 1997 League Cup Round 1Dumbarton1–1 (a.e.t.)
(6-5 p)		Queen's ParkBoghead Park
Bruce Edgar Attendance: 544
Referee: G Allison
9 August 1997 League Cup Round 2Dumbarton1–5AberdeenBoghead Park
McKinnon Jess
Miller
Newell 		Attendance: 1,739
Referee: J McCluskey

Scottish Challenge Cup
Main article: 1997–98 Scottish Challenge Cup
12 August 1997 Challenge Cup Round 1Dumbarton0-2FalkirkBoghead Park
Corrigan
McGraw 		Attendance: 447
Referee: K Clark

Tennent's Scottish Cup
3 January 1998 Cup Round 2Lossiemouth0–1DumbartonGrant Park, Lossiemouth
McCuiag Attendance: 509
Referee: K Bisset
24 January 1998 Cup Round 3Dumbarton1–1MotherwellBoghead Park
Sharp McSkimming Attendance: 2,412
Referee: B Tait
27 January 1998 Cup Round 3RMotherwell1–0DumbartonFir Park
Coyle Attendance: 4,202
Referee: B Tait

Stirlingshire Cup
22 July 1997 Group stageDumbarton0–2StenhousemuirBoghead Park
Banks  48' (pen)
Farrell  80'		 Attendance: 181
Referee: M McGarry
26 July 1997 Group stageDumbarton1–2Alloa AthleticBoghead Park
Glancy  90' McCulloch  28'
Mathieson  70'
18 August 1997 Group stageDumbarton4–1Stirling AlbionBoghead Park
Grace
Glancy
Ward

Pre-season/Other Matches
19 July 1997 FriendlyDumbarton2–3MortonBoghead Park
Ward  (pen)
Glancy
21 July 1997 FriendlyDumbarton3–2Norwich CityBoghead Park
Ward  25', 67'
Mellis  82'		 Simpson 60'
Marshall  83'
28 July 1997 FriendlyDumbarton0–0ClydebankBoghead Park
20 October 1997 FriendlyDumbarton3–1Vanguard Hao DoaBoghead Park
Grace
Glancy
McKinnon 		Wu Wen Bing  50'

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
6 Berwick Rangers 36 10 12 14 47 55 −8 42
7 Queen's Park 36 10 11 15 42 55 −13 41
8 Cowdenbeath 36 12 2 22 33 57 −24 38
9 Montrose 36 10 8 18 53 80 −27 38
10 Dumbarton 36 7 10 19 42 61 −19 31
Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Player statistics

Squad
No. Pos Nat Player TotalThird DivisionLeague CupChallenge CupScottish Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Derek Barnes 606+000+000+000+00
GK Kenny Meechan 36030+002+001+003+00
DF Craig Brittain 29223+022+001+003+00
DF Jamie Bruce 27121+102+010+003+00
DF Tom Currie 16015+000+000+001+00
DF Chris Dalrymple 303+000+000+000+00
DF Billy Davidson 604+200+000+000+00
DF Stevie Gow 25121+012+000+002+00
DF Alex Grace 32423+540+100+101+10
DF Stephen Hamill 100+000+000+100+00
DF Stephen Jack 12011+100+000+000+00
DF Martin Melvin 301+000+101+000+00
DF David Reid 17015+100+000+100+00
MF Jim Meechan 41536+052+000+003+00
MF Adrian Mellis 1915+1111+001+000+10
MF Billy Melvin 707+000+000+000+00
MF Robert Prytz 303+000+000+000+00
MF Willie Wilson 38130+212+001+003+00
FW Chris Ewing 201+100+000+000+00
FW Marc Falconer 806+200+000+000+00
FW Paddy Flannery 1305+600+000+002+00
FW Martin Glancy 26211+1022+001+000+20
FW Hrienn Hringsson 202+000+000+000+00
FW Ross McCuaig 18112+400+000+002+01
FW Colin McKinnon 391132+1102+011+003+00
FW Martin Mooney 36526+452+001+003+00
FW Tommi Orismaa 100+100+000+000+00
FW Robert Reilly 1014+211+101+000+10
FW Lee Sharp 40834+072+001+003+01
FW Hugh Ward 2639+1130+201+001+20

[2][3]

Transfers

[4]

Trivia
  • The League Cup match against Queen's Park on 2 August marked Hugh Ward's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 111th Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
  • The League match against East Stirling on 20 December marked Martin Mooney's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 27th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
  • For the third successive season Dumbarton matched the record fewest league home wins during a season - just two!

See also

References
  1. Scottish Football League Review 1998-99. The Scottish Football League. 1999.
  2. Scottish Football League Review 1998-99. The Scottish Football League. 1999.
  3. McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock - The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  4. Litster, John. Record of Post-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.