1983–84 Dumbarton F.C. 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 (15) All: Joe Coyle (16) | ||
Highest home attendance | 3,000 | ||
Lowest home attendance | 400 | ||
Average home league attendance | 1,200 | ||
|
Season 1983–84 was the 107th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 77th time, the Scottish Cup for the 89th time and the Scottish League Cup for the 37th time.
Overview
At the ninth time of asking, 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
Win |
Draw |
Loss |
All results are written with Dumbarton's score first.
Scottish League
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 August 1983 | Clydebank | H | 2-0 | Coyle,T(2) | 1,789 |
3 September 1983 | Ayr United | A | 2-1 | Bourke;Coyle,J | 1,015 |
10 September 1983 | Partick Thistle | H | 0-1 | 2,000 | |
14 September 1983 | Brechin City | H | 1-2 | McGowan,P | 450 |
17 September 1983 | Meadowbank Thistle | A | 2-0 | Bourke;Coyle,J | 450 |
24 September 1983 | Falkirk | A | 1-4 | Coyle,J | 1,200 |
28 September 1983 | Hamilton | H | 2-0 | Ashwood;Coyle,J | 400 |
1 October 1983 | Raith Rovers | H | 2-1 | McNeil;Ashwood | 550 |
8 October 1983 | Morton | A | 2-2 | Bourke(2) | 1,500 |
15 October 1983 | Clyde | H | 1-0 | Ashwood | 500 |
22 October 1983 | Kilmarnock | A | 2-2 | McNeil;Ashwood | 1,500 |
29 October 1983 | Alloa Athletic | H | 1-1 | Ashwood | 700 |
5 November 1983 | Airdrie | A | 1-1 | Bourke | 1,100 |
12 November 1983 | Brechin City | A | 3-2 | Coyle,J(2);Coyle,T | 700 |
13 November 1983 | Meadowbank Thistle | H | 0-0 | 600 | |
26 November 1983 | Morton | H | 1-1 | Ashwood | 1,500 |
3 December 1983 | Raith Rovers | A | 3-1 | Bourke;Ashwood;Coyle,J | 750 |
10 December 1983 | Falkirk | H | 3-0 | McGowan,M;Coyle,J(2) | 1,500 |
17 December 1983 | Hamilton | A | 1-4 | Ashwood | 940 |
26 December 1983 | Partick Thistle | A | 0-1 | 3,821 | |
31 December 1983 | Ayr United | H | 2-1 | Montgomerie;Bourke | 1,250 |
2 January 1984 | Clydebank | A | 2-0 | Coyle,J;Robertson | 1,040 |
7 January 1984 | Kilmarnock | H | 4-3 | Coyle,T;Ashwood;Bourke;Coyle,J | 1,000 |
4 February 1984 | Airdrie | H | 4-2 | Robertson;Crawley;Coyle,J;OG | 1,000 |
11 February 1984 | Hamilton | A | 3-3 | McNeil;Robertson;Bourke | 1,015 |
21 February 1984 | Alloa Athletic | A | 0-1 | 459 | |
25 February 1984 | Raith Rovers | H | 3-1 | Bourke(2);Craig | 750 |
29 February 1984 | Clyde | A | 0-0 | 970 | |
3 March 1984 | Falkirk | H | 2-0 | Ashwood;Coyle,J | 1,050 |
10 March 1984 | Kilmarnock | A | 0-0 | McNeil;Ashwood | 1,140 |
17 March 1984 | Meadowbank Thistle | H | 3-0 | Robertson;Bourke(2) | 1,200 |
24 March 1984 | Partick Thistle | A | 0-0 | 4,156 | |
31 March 1984 | Alloa Athletic | H | 2-0 | Ashwood;McCaig | 1,000 |
7 April 1984 | Clydebank | H | 2-1 | Coyle,T;McCaig | 978 |
14 April 1984 | Morton | A | 0-2 | 3,850 | |
21 April 1984 | Brechin City | A | 3-0 | Coyle,T;Coyle,J;McCaig | 700 |
28 April 1984 | Clyde | H | 2-2 | Craig;Coyle,T | 2,900 |
5 May 1984 | Airdrie | A | 4-1 | Ashwood;Craig(2);Walsh | 2,000 |
12 May 1984 | Ayr United | H | 0-3 | 3,000 |
Scottish Cup
Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 February 1984 | 3 | Raith Rovers | A | 4-1 | Ashwood(2);Bourke;Coyle,J | 1,950 |
18 February 1984 | 4 | Morton | A | 1-2 | Craig | 3,383 |
Scottish League Cup
Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 August 1983 | 1(1) | Hibernian | A | 0-5 | 2,193 | |
27 August 1983 | 1(2) | Hibernian | H | 1-2 | McGrogan | 760 |
Stirlingshire Cup
Date | Rd | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 August 1983 | 1 | Alloa Athletic | A | 2-3 | McCaig;McGrogan |
Other Matches
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 August 1983 | Hartlepool United | H | 1-3 | unknown | |
17 August 1983 | Celtic XI | H | 1-0 | McGowan,P |
Appearances
Dumbarton used 22 players for the 43 League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup matches, as detailed below. Tom Coyle and Ray Montgomerie were best by appearing in all of these matches.[1]
Player | Position | Appearances[2] | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Kenny Ashwood | FW | 33 | 15 |
John Bourke | FW | 37(1) | 14 |
Albert Burnett | MF | 10(4) | |
Joe Carson | MF | 5 | |
Tom Carson | GK | 40 | |
Mark Clougherty | MF | 41 | |
Joe Coyle | FW | 41 | 16 |
Tommy Coyle | MF | 42(1) | 7 |
Albert Craig | MF | 23(7) | 5 |
Gerry Crawley | FW | 23(6) | 1 |
Jim Hughes | MF | 0(2) | |
Dave McCaig | MF | 11(21) | 3 |
Martin McGowan | DF | 35 | 1 |
Pat McGowan | FW | 16(7) | |
Joe McGrogan | FW | 3(6) | 2 |
Donald McNeil | MF | 35(1) | 3 |
Ray Montgomerie | DF | 43 | 1 |
Allan Moore | FW | 2(3) | |
Stuart Robertson | MF | 25(3) | 4 |
David Stevenson | MF | 3(2) | |
Jim Stewart | GK | 3 | |
Martin Walsh | FW | 1(1) | 1 |
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.