1986–87 Dumbarton F.C. season

Dumbarton

1986–1987 season
Manager	Alex Totten
Stadium	Boghead Park, Dumbarton
Scottish League Division 1	3rd
Scottish Cup	Third Round
Scottish League Cup	Third Round
Top goalscorer	League: Gerry McCoy (21) All: Gerry McCoy (22)
Highest home attendance	2,500
Lowest home attendance	440
Average home league attendance	1,180
← 1985–86 1987–88 →

Season 1986–87 was the 110th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 80th time, the Scottish Cup for the 92nd time and the Scottish League Cup for the 40th time.

Overview

Dumbarton began another First Division campaign with a new manager at the helm - Alex Totten - who had been released from his duties with Rangers following the arrival of Graeme Souness. Following another league reconstruction, the First Division clubs would play each other 4 times - a big ask particularly for the part-time clubs - but as things turned out it was to be a close thing for promotion with Dumbarton always up with the front runners. In the end, it was to be a 3rd place finish - just 4 points behind champions Morton.

In the Scottish Cup, it would be another early exit for Dumbarton, this time to Brechin City after a draw, in the third round.

In the League Cup, Stirling Albion were dispatched in the second round before a fighting display against Celtic, saw Dumbarton's interest in the competition come to an end for another year.

Locally, Dumbarton failed to keep a grip on the Stirlingshire Cup, with Stirling Albion gaining some revenge for their League Cup exit, with a semi final win.

Note that Dumbarton ended the season managerless - Alex Totten having been appointed at St Johnstone, and with the death of chairman and benefactor Sir Hugh Fraser, the club would be facing severe financial challenges in the coming season.

Results

Win

Draw

Loss

All results are written with Dumbarton's score first.

Scottish League

Main article: 1986–87 Scottish Football League

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance
9 August 1986	Partick Thistle	A	2-1	McCahill;McGowan	2,272
13 August 1986	Dunfermline Athletic	H	0-1		1,780
16 August 1986	Airdrie	A	0-1		1,500
23 August 1986	Forfar Athletic	H	3-2	Coyle,O(2);Bourke	550
30 August 1986	Morton	A	3-0	Moore;Coyle,O;Houston	2,300
6 September 1986	Brechin City	H	3-1	Coyle,O;Coyle,T;McCoy	480
13 September 1986	Montrose	H	1-0	Coyle,T	440
16 September 1986	Kilmarnock	A	1-2	Coyle,O	1,200
20 September 1986	Clyde	A	1-2	Coyle,O	800
27 September 1986	East Fife	H	2-1	McCoy;Moore	630
30 September 1986	Queen of the South	A	3-1	Moore;Coyle,O;McCoy	1,620
4 October 1986	Partick Thistle	H	2-2	Coyle,O(2)	1,200
8 October 1986	Dunfermline Athletic	A	1-0	McCoy	4,161
11 October 1986	Forfar Athletic	A	5-3	Coyle,O(2);McCoy(2);OG	815
18 October 1986	Airdrie	H	2-1	McNeil;Coyle,O	1,200
25 October 1986	Montrose	A	0-1		350
29 October 1986	Kilmarnock	H	2-0	McCoy(2)	1,050
1 November 1986	Brechin City	A	1-3	McCoy	450
8 November 1986	Morton	H	2-1	Coyle,T;McCahill	1,600
15 November 1986	Clyde	H	1-1	Houston	1,200
22 November 1986	East Fife	A	0-0		1,494
29 November 1986	Queen of the South	H	1-1	McCoy	900
6 December 1986	Partick Thistle	A	2-0	Houston;McCoy	2,284
13 December 1986	Dunfermline Athletic	H	1-2	Houston	2,431
20 December 1986	Forfar Athletic	H	0-1		1,000
27 December 1986	Airdrie	A	0-1		1,362
1 January 1987	Morton	A	1-4	Coyle,O	1,400
24 January 1987	Clyde	A	2-1	Rooney;Coyle,O	800
27 January 1987	Kilmarnock	A	2-1	MacIver(2)	1,000
7 February 1987	East Fife	H	1-1	McCoy	1,500
14 February 1987	Queen of the South	A	1-0	MacIver	1,400
21 February 1987	Montrose	H	2-1	Houston;MacIver	1,000
28 February 1987	Partick Thistle	H	1-0	McGowan	1,600
7 March 1987	Dunfermline Athletic	A	0-1		4,366
17 March 1987	Forfar Athletic	A	2-0	McCoy;Rooney	720
21 March 1987	Airdrie	H	2-2	Coyle,O;Coyle,T	1,200
28 March 1987	Morton	H	2-3	McCoy;Coyle,O	2,500
31 March 1987	Brechin City	H	1-1	MacIver	1,050
4 April 1987	Brechin City	A	2-1	McCoy(2)	382
11 April 1987	Kilmarnock	H	3-2	Coyle,O;McCoy;MacIver	1,500
18 April 1987	Montrose	A	0-2		300
25 April 1987	Clyde	H	2-1	McCoy(2)	1,250
2 May 1987	East Fife	A	1-2	McCoy	449
9 May 1987	Queen of the South	H	3-0	MacIver;McCoy;Coyle,T	1,000

Scottish Cup

Main article: 1986–87 Scottish Cup

Date	Rd	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance
31 January 1987	3	Brechin City	A	2-2	MacIver;McCoy	506
4 February 1987	3R	Brechin City	H	2-3	MacIver;Coyle,T	2,000

Scottish League Cup

Main article: 1986–87 Scottish League Cup

Date	Rd	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance
20 August 1986	2	Stirling Albion	H	1-0	Coyle,T	746
27 August 1986	3	Celtic	A	0-2		11,390

Stirlingshire Cup

Date	Rd	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance
4 August 1986	1	Falkirk	A	2-1	Moore;McCoy
21 April 1987	SF	Stirling Albion	A	1-2	Martin

Other Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers	Attendance
2 August 1986	Alloa Athletic	H	4-1	unknown

Appearances

Dumbarton used 24 players for the 48 League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup matches, as detailed below. Brothers Owen and Tom Coyle were best by appearing in all but two of these matches.

Player	Position	Appearances	Goals
Gordon Arthur	GK	35
John Bourke	FW	9(4)	1
Mark Clougherty	MF	30
Owen Coyle	MF	36(10)	17
Tommy Coyle	MF	46	7
Harry Curran	MF	11
Danny Docherty	MF	20(4)
Arthur Grant	FW	10(16)
Peter Houston	FW	36(6)	5
Alan Kay	MF	19(2)
Stuart MacIver	FW	21(13)	9
Dave Martin	MF	34
Steve McCahill	MF	40(2)	2
Gerry McCoy	FW	37(6)	22
Pat McGowan	FW	20(15)	2
Joe McLeod	MF	4(1)
Donald McNeil	MF	14	1
Jim McNeill	MF	2
Ray Montgomerie	DF	38
Allan Moore	FW	20	4
Jackie Rafferty	MF	2(1)
Jim Rooney	MF	24(1)	2
Hugh Stevenson	GK	13
Billy Traynor	DF	7

Reserve Team

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League (West).

See also

• 1986–87 in Scottish football

External links

• Scottish Football Historical Archive