# 1985–86 Dumbarton F.C. season

Season 1985–86 was the 102nd 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 91st time and the Scottish League Cup for the 39th time.

## Overview

Dumbarton returned to the First Division as favourites for the title, and in mid October the team was sitting atop the league. However results took an inexplicable nosedive with 2 wins in 11 games, accounting for Davie Wilson's resignation at the beginning of February. Alex Wright took over as caretaker manager until the end of the season, and an initial run of only 2 defeats in 11 matches placed the club well clear in 2nd place with only 6 games remaining. However, 4 nervy defeats in those closing fixtures dropped Dumbarton to 6th place, 13 points behind champions Hamilton but only 2 points shy of 2nd placed Falkirk, and one of four clubs just missing out on a promotion spot.
In the Scottish Cup, Dumbarton lost embarrassingly to Second Division Queen's Park in the third round.
The League Cup was no better with another disappointing exit in the second round to Second Division Stirling Albion.
Locally, however, in the Stirlingshire Cup, there was something to smile about with the trophy returning to Boghead after a final win over Clydebank.
Finally, despite losing Premier Division status, Dumbarton were invited to participate in the annual televised indoor Tennent's Sixes tournament, as both Rangers and Celtic had declined to enter. After winning three of four qualifying matches, 1-0 vs St Mirren, 0-0 (4-3 on penalties) vs Dundee and 4-0 vs Manchester City and a 0-3 defeat to Hearts, Dumbarton suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in the semi-final to the eventual tournament winners Aberdeen.

## Results & fixtures

Win  Draw  Loss

### Pre-season matches
## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 4 | Forfar Athletic | 39 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 51 | 43 | +8 | 44 |
| 5 | East Fife | 39 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 54 | 46 | +8 | 43 |
| 6 | Dumbarton | 39 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 59 | 52 | +7 | 43 |
| 7 | Morton | 39 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 57 | 63 | −6 | 39 |
| 8 | Partick Thistle | 39 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 53 | 64 | −11 | 36 |

## Player statistics
### Squad

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | First Division | First Division | League Cup | League Cup | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| | GK | SCO | Gordon Arthur | 40 | 0 | 38+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | GK | SCO | Hugh Stevenson | 1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Martin McGowan | 20 | 0 | 19+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Ray Montgomerie | 26 | 0 | 22+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Eric Schaedler | 15 | 0 | 14+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | DF | SCO | Mark Shanks | 5 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Mark Clougherty | 38 | 0 | 37+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Owen Coyle | 16 | 5 | 11+5 | 5 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Tommy Coyle | 31 | 6 | 24+5 | 6 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Albert Craig | 34 | 6 | 29+3 | 6 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Harry Curran | 6 | 0 | 5+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Danny Docherty | 19 | 2 | 15+3 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Alan Kay | 22 | 0 | 19+2 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Steve McCahill | 21 | 1 | 19+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Donald McNeil | 17 | 1 | 16+0 | 1 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Jackie Rafferty | 6 | 0 | 6+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Jim Simpson | 7 | 0 | 3+4 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | MF | SCO | Ken Thomson | 5 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Kenny Ashwood | 2 | 1 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | John Bourke | 28 | 8 | 25+2 | 8 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Joe Coyle | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Gerry Crawley | 21 | 0 | 20+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Stuart MacIver | 31 | 10 | 13+16 | 10 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Gerry McCoy | 34 | 14 | 29+3 | 13 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Pat McGowan | 31 | 2 | 25+4 | 2 | 1+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Allan Moore | 34 | 4 | 26+7 | 4 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Paul Taylor | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| | FW | SCO | Mark Williams | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |

## Reserve team

Dumbarton competed in the Scottish Reserve League (West), winning 10 and drawing 5 of 18 matches finishing runners up to Airdrie.
In the Reserve League Cup Dumbarton lost in the second round to Celtic.

## Trivia

* The League match against Partick Thistle on 17 August marked Ray Montgomerie's 100th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 91st Dumbarton player to reach this milestone.
* The League match against Clyde on 15 March marked Mark Clougherty's 200th appearance for Dumbarton in all national competitions - the 19th Dumbarton player to break the 'double century'.
* Early in the season there was a tragic death in the playing staff - that of popular defender Eric Schaedler. Eric had been signed up in the close season and had become a firm favourite with the Dumbarton fans.