| 1984–1985 season | |
|---|---|
| Manager | Davie Wilson |
| Stadium | Boghead Park, Dumbarton |
| Scottish Premier League | 9th |
| Scottish Cup | Third Round |
| Scottish League Cup | Second Round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Joe Coyle (7) All: Joe Coyle (9) |
Season1984–85 was the 101stfootball season in whichDumbarton competed at aScottish national level, entering theScottish Football League for the 79th time, theScottish Cup for the 90th time and theScottish League Cup for the 38th time.
Dumbarton's return to the top tier of Scottish league football for the first time in a decade was to be short-lived. At the end of the year, it was looking likely that survival might be achieved, being 6 points clear of the relegation zone, however with only a win and a draw being taken from the last 15 matches, Dumbarton finished in 9th place and relegated to the First Division for next season.
In the Scottish Cup, Dumbarton lost to First Division Motherwell in the third round - the team who would replace them in the Premier Division at the end of the season.
The League Cup format reverted to straight knock-out, and after a first round win over Queen of the South, Dumbarton lost to fellow Premier Division opponents Dundee United.
Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup, after a win on penalties over Falkirk in the first round, a reversal of rolls was the case in the semi-final in a disappointing 'penalties' semi final defeat to East Stirling.
Finally, Premier Division status brought with it an added bonus - being a participant in the annual televised indoorTennent's Sixes tournament. Unfortunately Dumbarton did not progress beyond the group stages.
Win Draw Loss
| 11 August 1984Scottish Premier | Morton | 2-1 | Dumbarton | Cappielow Park |
| McNeill | Robertson | Attendance: 2,500 Referee: A Ferguson |
| 18 August 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 1-2 | Rangers | Boghead Park |
| Craig | McCoist Redford | Attendance: 10,000 Referee: R Cuthill |
| 25 August 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 2-1 | Dundee | Boghead Park |
| Coyle,J | Stephen | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: C Sinclair |
| 1 September 1984Scottish Premier | Hearts | 1-0 | Dumbarton | Tynecastle Stadium |
| Park | Attendance: 6,914 Referee: A Roy |
| 8 September 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 1-1 | Celtic | Boghead Park |
| Coyle,J | McGarvey | Attendance: 8,416 Referee: I Cathcart |
| 15 September 1984Scottish Premier | Hibernian | 2-3 | Dumbarton | Easter Road |
| Thomson Kane | Coyle,J Coyle,T | Attendance: 3,642 Referee: D McVicar |
| 22 September 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-2 | Aberdeen | Boghead Park |
| Miller Falconer | Attendance: 4,000 Referee: T Muirhead |
| 29 September 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-1 | St Mirren | Boghead Park |
| McAvennie | Attendance: 2,520 Referee: D Galloway |
| 6 October 1984Scottish Premier | Dundee United | 1-0 | Dumbarton | Tannadice Park |
| Coyne | Attendance: 5,852 Referee: W Crombie |
| 13 October 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 3-1 | Morton | Boghead Park |
| Dunlop Coyle,J Kay | Dunlop | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: B Robertson |
| 20 October 1984Scottish Premier | Rangers | 0-0 | Dumbarton | Ibrox Park |
| Attendance: 16,521 Referee: J Renton |
| 27 October 1984Scottish Premier | Dundee | 1-1 | Dumbarton | Dens Park |
| Smith | Ashwood | Attendance: 4,375 Referee: L Thow Man of the Match: T McKinlay |
| 3 November 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-1 | Hearts | Boghead Park |
| Bone | Attendance: 2,706 Referee: E Brolis |
| 10 November 1984Scottish Premier | Celtic | 2-0 | Dumbarton | Celtic Park |
| McGarvey Johnston | Attendance: 13,701 Referee: A Hewitt |
| 17 November 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 2-2 | Hibernian | Boghead Park |
| Craig McGowan | Durie | Attendance: 2,003 Referee: C Sinclair |
| 24 November 1984Scottish Premier | Aberdeen | 1-0 | Dumbarton | Pittodrie Park |
| McDougall | Attendance: 13,200 Referee: D Galloway |
| 1 December 1984Scottish Premier | St Mirren | 0-0 | Dumbarton | Love Street (stadium) |
| Attendance: 2,450 Referee: H Young |
| 8 December 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 2-2 | Dundee United | Boghead Park |
| Bourke Crawley | Dodds Bannon | Attendance: 1,524 Referee: W Crombie |
| 15 December 1984Scottish Premier | Morton | 2-4 | Dumbarton | Cappielow Park |
| Sullivan | Bourke Coyle,T Simpson | Attendance: 2,000 Referee: W Crombie |
| 29 December 1984Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 2-4 | Rangers | Boghead Park |
| Simpson Coyle,J | Ferguson,I McMinn Mitchell Cooper | Attendance: 7.800 Referee: G Smith |
| 1 January 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 1-0 | Dundee | Boghead Park |
| Craig | Attendance: 2,500 |
| 5 January 1985Scottish Premier | Hearts | 5-1 | Dumbarton | Tynecastle Stadium |
| Black Clark Bone | McNeill | Attendance: 7,571 Referee: J Cathcart Man of the Match: K Black |
| 19 January 1985Scottish Premier | Hibernian | 3-1 | Dumbarton | Easter Road |
| Sneddon Rice Durie | Kay | Attendance: 7,421 Referee: A Roy Man of the Match: M Weir |
| 2 February 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-2 | Aberdeen | Boghead Park |
| Stark Black | Attendance: 3,500 Referee: A Huett Man of the Match: E Black |
| 9 February 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 1-1 | St Mirren | Boghead Park |
| Kay | McAvennie | Attendance: 1,684 Referee: D Syme Man of the Match: A Kay |
| 23 February 1985Scottish Premier | Dundee United | 4-0 | Dumbarton | Tannadice Park |
| Milne Reilly Gough Sturrock | Attendance: 5,693 Referee: W Knowles Man of the Match: R Gough |
| 2 March 1985Scottish Premier | Rangers | 3-1 | Dumbarton | Ibrox Park |
| Ferguson McCoist | Coyle,T | Attendance: 8,424 Referee: D Downie |
| 16 March 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 1-0 | Morton | Boghead Park |
| Simpson | Attendance: 900 Referee: J Duncan Man of the Match: H Simpson |
| 23 March 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 1-3 | Hearts | Boghead Park |
| Bourke | Kidd Clark | Attendance: 2,207 Referee: T Muirhead |
| 3 April 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-2 | Celtic | Boghead Park |
| Johnston McClair | Attendance: 7,000 Referee: D Hope |
| 6 April 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-2 | Hibernian | Boghead Park |
| Irvine Rice | Attendance: 5,064 Referee: B Robertson |
| 13 April 1985Scottish Premier | Dundee | 1-0 | Dumbarton | Dens Park |
| Rafferty | Attendance: 3,386 Referee: B Crombie |
| 20 April 1985Scottish Premier | Aberdeen | 4-0 | Dumbarton | Pittodrie Park |
| McLeish Angus Kay Stark | Attendance: 12,500 Referee: J Renton |
| 27 April 1985Scottish Premier | Dumbarton | 0-2 | Dundee United | Boghead Park |
| Coyne Sturrock | Attendance: 818 Referee: K Hope Man of the Match: G Arthur |
| 4 May 1985Scottish Premier | St Mirren | 1-0 | Dumbarton | Love Street (stadium) |
| Godfrey | Attendance: 2,646 Referee: W McLeish |
| 11 May 1985Scottish Premier | Celtic | 2-0 | Dumbarton | Celtic Park |
| McClair McStay | Attendance: 6,514 Referee: L Thow |
| 30 January 1985Scottish Cup round 3 | Motherwell | 4–0 | Dumbarton | Fir Park |
| Blair Stewart | Attendance: 2,852 Referee: D Downie |
| 29 August 1984Scottish League Cup round 2 | Dumbarton | 0–4 | Dundee United | Boghead Park |
| Dodds Milne | Attendance: 2,500 Referee: H Young |
| 23 October 1984First Round | Falkirk | 1–1 (4-5 on penalties) | Dumbarton | Brockville Park |
| Craig | Houston |
| 8 May 1985Semi-final | East Stirling | 0–0 (3-2 on penalties) | Dumbarton | Firs Park |
| 31 July984Friendly | Queens Park | 1–2 | Dumbarton | Hampden Park |
| Bourke Ashwood |
| 4 August 1984Friendly | Dumbarton | 2–1 | Boghead Park | |
| Craig Bourke | Johnston | Attendance: 4,000 Referee: D Hope |
| 16 February 1985Friendly | Kilmarnock | 3–5 | Dumbarton | Rugby Park |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Dundee | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 48 | 50 | −2 | 37 | |
| 7 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 31 | |
| 8 | Hibernian | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 38 | 61 | −23 | 27 | |
| 9 | Dumbarton(R) | 36 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 29 | 64 | −35 | 19 | Relegation to the1985–86 Scottish First Division |
| 10 | Morton(R) | 36 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 29 | 100 | −71 | 12 |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier Division | League Cup | Scottish Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| GK | Gordon Arthur | 38 | 0 | 35+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| GK | Dougie McNab | 1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Rob Campbell | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Martin McGowan | 30 | 0 | 28+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| DF | Ray Montgomerie | 6 | 0 | 6+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Mark Clougherty | 31 | 0 | 28+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Tommy Coyle | 39 | 3 | 34+2 | 3 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Albert Craig | 38 | 4 | 35+0 | 4 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Harry Curran | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Alan Kay | 39 | 3 | 36+0 | 3 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Steve McCahill | 28 | 0 | 26+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Dave McCaig | 3 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Donald McNeil | 30 | 1 | 24+3 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Stuart Robertson | 25 | 1 | 21+2 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Jim Simpson | 28 | 3 | 15+10 | 3 | 0+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| MF | Graeme Sinclair | 5 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| FW | Kenny Ashwood | 28 | 1 | 19+6 | 1 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| FW | John Bourke | 29 | 4 | 24+2 | 4 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | ||
| FW | Joe Coyle | 38 | 9 | 28+7 | 7 | 2+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 2 | ||
| FW | Gerry Crawley | 22 | 1 | 16+5 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| FW | Stuart MacIver | 3 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
| FW | Pat McGowan | 15 | 1 | 13+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | ||
| FW | Allan Moore | 4 | 0 | 1+3 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | ||
Players in[edit]
| Players out[edit]
|
Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Premier Reserve League, winning 4 and drawing 5 of 36 matches finishing 10th of 10.
In the Reserve League Cup Dumbarton lost in the second round to Aberdeen and in the Second XI Cup lost out to Motherwell in the first round.