Scottish Football League Champions | Scottish Cup Runners Up | |
Stadium Boghead Park, Dumbarton Top goalscorer League: John Bell (20)
All: John Taylor (28) | ||
Season 1890–91 was the 18th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level, entering the inaugural Scottish Football League and entering the Scottish Cup for the 18th time.
Contents
Overview
Dumbarton took part in the first ever Scottish League Championship, and with 11 wins and 3 draws from their first 14 fixtures, it looked likely that they would win the title. However losses to Celtic and Rangers in their final four ties meant that Dumbarton finished up with the same number of points as Rangers. With no rules on what should happen in such circumstances, the Scottish League decided on a play-off decider, which finished 2-2, and rather than arrange for a further play-off, the inaugural championship was shared.
In the Scottish Cup, Dumbarton almost made it a league and cup double, but lost out to Hearts in the final.
In other competitions, there was a lot of silverware heading towards Boghead. Dumbarton again retained the Dumbartonshire Cup (fourth time overall), beating Vale of Leven in the final, retained the Greenock Charity Cup, by beating the hosts Morton in the final, and in the first (and only) League Charity Cup, Dumbarton beat Celtic in the final. Easily the club's most successful season to date.
Despite all the competitive games, Dumbartons still managed to play 8 'other' matches, of which 5 were won, 2 drawn and 1 lost, scoring 29 goals and conceding 12.
Results
All results are written with Dumbarton's score first.
Scottish League
In the decider, played at Cathkin Park on 21 May 1891 in front of 10,000 spectators, Dumbarton and Rangers drew 2-2, with Taylor and J. Miller scoring for Dumbarton. It was subsequently decided that the Championship be shared.
County Caps
A Dumbartonshire representative match was played against Renfrewshire on 15 November 1890 in which McLeod; Watson; McMillan; Boyle; Taylor; Galbraith; Mair and McNaught were all selected to play - Dumbarton county won 3-1.
Transfers
Despite the club's success, Dumbarton lost the services of internationalists Ralph Aitken and Joe Lindsay. Aitken went to Newcastle West End and having returned from a brief spell with Dumbarton Athletic, Lindsay left this time for Renton.
Reserve Team
Dumbarton were knocked out at the second round stage of the Scottish Second XI Cup, but once again retained the Dumbartonshire Second XI Cup, beating Clydebank in the final.
Factfile
* John Bell became the first ever League topscorer with 20 goals
* Dumbarton remained unbeaten at home during the season in all matches played - a run stretching back to September 1889.
* Dumbarton scored 165 goals in all games - beating the previous record set in season 1887-88. This was the fourth season in a row and the sixth time in the club's history that the 'century' had been broken.