Manager Jim Fallon/Ian Wallace Scottish Cup Second Round Scottish Challenge Cup First Round | Scottish League Division 2 9th Scottish League Cup Second Round | |
Stadium Boghead Park, Dumbarton | ||
Season 1996–97 was the 120th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 90th time, the Scottish Cup for the 102nd time, the Scottish League Cup for the 50th time and the Scottish Challenge Cup for the seventh time.
Contents
Overview
It was a mystery to most Dumbarton supporters, after the failures of the previous season, that manager Jim Fallon had retained his position – and that decision was to prove disastrous as the league campaign started off in the same poor manner as the previous one. By the end of October, Dumbarton had one win to show for 11 league matches, and had sunk to second bottom place, resulting in Jim Fallon's resignation. Within a week Ian Wallace, one of the club's brightest stars of the 1970s, had been installed and things began to take a turn for the better. Three wins on the trot in November saw Wallace named as Second Division manager of the month, but it wasn't to last. Results began again to go downhill, but even with 3 games left it was within Dumbarton's own hands whether a second successive relegation would occur. A last minute defeat to Stranraer and an uninspiring loss to Queen of the South meant that they had to better any result that Stranraer could achieve on the last day. As it was a win over Brechin City was not enough, and it would be Third Division football next season for the first time in the club's history.
In the national cup competitions, the drought on wins extented for a fifth season. In the Scottish Cup Cowdenbeath defeated Dumbarton in the second round.
In the League Cup, Premier Division Dundee beat Dumbarton, also in the second round.
Finally, in the Challenge Cup, in what was now becoming an embarrassment – a seventh first round defeat in seven attempts was registered – this time to Montrose.
Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup the misery was continued with a defeat to Falkirk.
Results
All results are written with Dumbarton's score first.