The Spring Cup was a Scottish football tournament played in 1976. It was introduced for members of Division One and Two of the Scottish Football League in the wake of league reconstruction in 1975, to be played after the conclusion of all the league fixtures at the end of the 1975–76 season. It derived its title from the season (spring) it was played in.
League reconstruction and foundation When Scottish Football League member clubs voted in favour reconstruction in the summer of 1974, the format they approved was a three division structure of 10, 14 and 14 teams respectively, to be introduced at the beginning of the 1975–76 season. The new Divisions One and Two would now contain 14 teams, previously considered a difficult number for creating a balanced schedule. A 26-game programme (with every team playing each other home and away) was considered too short, a 52-game programme (with each team playing each other home and away twice) too congested. A 39-game schedule would leave an imbalance with sides having two fixtures at home against some teams, and one against others. The solution the Scottish Football League opted for was a 26-game calendar augmented by a supplementary cup competition, the "Spring Cup". The tournament, to be played at the season's end, was open only to teams from Divisions One and Two.
Format The 28 Division One and Two clubs were divided into seven groups of 4 teams. These sides would play each other home and away, with two points awarded for a win and one for a draw, the top two sides in the group qualifying for the second round. In addition, the two third-placed sides with the best record would also qualify. The second round and quarter-finals were played on a two-leg, home and away basis, while the semi-finals and final were to be played at neutral venues.
1975–76 Spring Cup Division One Airdrieonians won the competition, defeating Division Two Clydebank in the final. They had qualified from a group containing Brechin City, East Fife and Stranraer. In the second round they eliminated Dunfermline Athletic 5–4 on aggregate, while in the quarter-finals they beat Hamilton Academical. In the semi-final, a strike from Cairney and two own goals helped them defeat Morton 3–1 at Love Street.
First round
Group 1 Team Airdrieonians 6 4 1 1 11 7 +3 9 East Fife 6 3 1 2 10 5 +5 7 Brechin City 6 1 3 2 9 8 +1 5 Stranraer 6 1 1 4 7 17 -10 3
Home teamScoreAway teamDate Airdrieonians 2–1 Brechin City 6 March 1976 Stranraer 1–0 East Fife 6 March 1976 Brechin City 4–0 Stranraer 13 March 1976 East Fife 3–0 Airdrieonians 13 March 1976 East Fife 2–0 Brechin City 20 March 1976 Stranraer 0–1 Airdrieonians 20 March 1976 Airdrieonians 1–0 East Fife 27 March 1976 Stranraer 2–2 Brechin City 27 March 1976 Brechin City 1–1 Airdrieonians 3 April 1976 East Fife 4–2 Stranraer 3 April 1976 Airdrieonians 6–2 Stranraer 10 April 1976 Brechin City 1–1 East Fife 10 April 1976
Group 2 Team Falkirk 6 4 1 1 10 5 +5 9 Alloa Athletic 6 2 3 1 10 8 +2 7 Kilmarnock 6 1 3 2 5 6 -1 5 Berwick Rangers 6 0 3 3 4 10 -6 3
Home teamScoreAway teamDate Alloa Athletic 3–1 Falkirk 6 March 1976 Berwick Rangers 0–0 Kilmarnock 10 March 1976 Falkirk 2–0 Berwick Rangers 13 March 1976 Kilmarnock 0–0 Alloa Athletic 13 March 1976 Berwick Rangers 2–2 Alloa Athletic 20 March 1976 Kilmarnock 0–1 Falkirk 20 March 1976 Alloa Athletic 2–2 Kilmarnock 27 March 1976 Berwick Rangers 1–1 Falkirk 27 March 1976 Falkirk 3–1 Alloa Athletic 3 April 1976 Kilmarnock 3–1 Berwick Rangers 3 April 1976 Alloa Athletic 2–0 Berwick Rangers 10 April 1976 Falkirk 2–0 Kilmarnock 10 April 1976
Group 3 Team St Mirren 6 5 0 1 18 2 +16 10 Partick Thistle 6 4 0 2 14 5 +9 8 Meadowbank Thistle 6 2 1 3 6 17 -11 5 Forfar Athletic 6 0 1 5 5 15 -10 1
Home teamScoreAway teamDate Forfar Athletic 0–1 Partick Thistle 6 March 1976 Meadowbank Thistle 0–4 St Mirren 6 March 1976 Partick Thistle 5–0 Meadowbank Thistle 13 March 1976 St Mirren 5–0 Forfar Athletic 13 March 1976 Forfar Athletic 3–3 Meadowbank Thistle 20 March 1976 St Mirren 1–2 Partick Thistle 20 March 1976 Forfar Athletic 0–1 St Mirren 27 March 1976 Meadowbank Thistle 2–1 Partick Thistle 27 March 1976 Partick Thistle 4–2 Forfar Athletic 3 April 1976 St Mirren 4–0 Meadowbank Thistle 3 April 1976 Meadowbank Thistle 1–0 Forfar Athletic 10 April 1976 Partick Thistle 1–3 St Mirren 10 April 1976
Group 4 Team Dumbarton 6 4 0 2 12 7 +5 8 Arbroath 6 3 0 3 8 6 +2 6 Albion Rovers 6 3 0 3 9 10 -1 6 Stenhousemuir 6 2 0 4 6 10 -4 4
Home teamScoreAway teamDate Stenhousemuir 0–2 Arbroath 6 March 1976 Dumbarton 4–1 Albion Rovers 10 March 1976 Albion Rovers 1–0 Stenhousemuir 13 March 1976 Arbroath 0–1 Dumbarton 13 March 1976 Albion Rovers 1–0 Arbroath 20 March 1976 Stenhousemuir 2–1 Dumbarton 20 March 1976 Dumbarton 1–2 Arbroath 27 March 1976 Stenhousemuir 2–3 Albion Rovers 27 March 1976 Arbroath 0–1 Stenhousemuir 3 April 1976 Albion Rovers 1–2 Dumbarton 7 April 1976 Arbroath 3–2 Albion Rovers 10 April 1976 Dumbarton 3–1 Stenhousemuir 10 April 1976
Group 5 Team Queen's Park 6 2 3 1 9 6 +3 7 Dunfermline Athletic 6 3 1 2 7 8 -1 7 Hamilton Academical 6 2 2 2 5 8 -3 6 Cowdenbeath 6 2 0 4 8 7 +1 4
Home teamScoreAway teamDate Cowdenbeath 3–0 Hamilton Academical 6 March 1976 Queen's Park 1–1 Dunfermline Athletic 6 March 1976 Dunfermline Athletic 1–0 Cowdenbeath 13 March 1976 Hamilton Academical 1–1 Queen's Park 13 March 1976 Dunfermline Athletic 1–2 Hamilton Academical 20 March 1976 Queen's Park 2–0 Cowdenbeath 20 March 1976 Cowdenbeath 4–0 Dunfermline Athletic 27 March 1976 Queen's Park 1–1 Hamilton Academical 27 March 1976 Dunfermline Athletic 2–1 Queen's Park 3 April 1976 Hamilton Academical 1–0 Cowdenbeath 6 April 1976 Cowdenbeath 1–3 Queen's Park 10 April 1976 Hamilton Academical 0–2 Dunfermline Athletic 10 April 1976
Group 6 Team Raith Rovers 6 4 1 1 12 9 +3 9 Clydebank 6 4 0 1 15 6 +9 8 Clyde 6 2 1 3 7 11 -4 5 Queen of the South 6 1 0 5 6 14 -8 2
Home teamScoreAway teamDate Clyde 1–3 Clydebank 6 March 1976 Raith Rovers 4–2 Queen of the South 10 March 1976 Clydebank 1–2 Raith Rovers 13 March 1976 Queen of the South 1–2 Clyde 13 March 1976 Clyde 2–2 Raith Rovers 20 March 1976 Clydebank 4–0 Queen of the South 20 March 1976 Queen of the South 1–3 Clydebank 27 March 1976 Raith Rovers 2–1 Clyde 27 March 1976 Clydebank 3–0 Clyde 3 April 1976 Queen of the South 2–0 Raith Rovers 3 April 1976 Clyde 1–0 Queen of the South 10 April 1976 Raith Rovers 2–1 Clydebank 10 April 1976
Group 7 Team Montrose 6 4 1 1 15 11 +4 9 Morton 6 4 1 1 11 7 +4 9 East Stirlingshire 6 1 2 4 4 8 -4 4 Stirling Albion 6 0 2 4 6 10 -4 2
Home teamScoreAway teamDate East Stirlingshire 1–2 Morton 6 March 1976 Morton 2–4 Montrose 13 March 1976 Stirling Albion 0–0 East Stirlingshire 13 March 1976 Montrose 3–0 East Stirlingshire 20 March 1976 Stirling Albion 0–1 Morton 20 March 1976 East Stirlingshire 2–1 Stirling Albion 27 March 1976 Montrose 1–4 Morton 27 March 1976 Montrose 3–2 Stirling Albion 31 March 1976 Stirling Albion 2–3 Montrose 3 April 1976 Morton 1–0 East Stirlingshire 7 April 1976 East Stirlingshire 1–1 Montrose 10 April 1976 Morton 1–1 Stirling Albion 10 April 1976
Second Rounds
First leg Home teamScoreAway teamDate Arbroath 2–1 Falkirk 14 April 1976 Clydebank 4–1 Albion Rovers 14 April 1976 Dunfermline Athletic 4–2 Airdrieonians 14 April 1976 Montrose 3–1 Hamilton Academical 14 April 1976 Morton 1–1 Queen's Park 14 April 1976 Partick Thistle 1–0 East Fife 14 April 1976 St Mirren 3–0 Alloa Athletic 14 April 1976 Raith Rovers 2–2 Dumbarton 17 April 1976
Second leg Home teamScoreAway teamDateAgg Airdrieonians 3–0 Dunfermline Athletic 17 April 1976 5–4 Albion Rovers 2–0 Clydebank 17 April 1976 3–4 Alloa Athletic 1–4 St Mirren 17 April 1976 1–7 East Fife 2–0 Partick Thistle 17 April 1976 2–1 Falkirk 2–0 Arbroath 17 April 1976 3–2 Hamilton Academical 6–3 Montrose 17 April 1976 7–6 Queen's Park 2–3 Morton 17 April 1976 3–4 Dumbarton 4–0 Raith Rovers 19 April 1976 6–2
Quarter-finals
First leg Home teamScoreAway teamDate Clydebank 1–0 East Fife 21 April 1976 Dumbarton 4–2 Falkirk 21 April 1976 Hamilton Academical 0–4 Airdrieonians 21 April 1976 Morton 1–0 St Mirren 21 April 1976
Second leg Home teamScoreAway teamDateAgg Airdrieonians 5–0 Hamilton Academical 24 April 1976 9–0 East Fife 1–0 Clydebank 24 April 1976 1–1After Extra Time, Clydebank won on penalties Falkirk 1–2 Dumbarton 24 April 1976 3–6 St Mirren 0–1 Morton 24 April 1976 0–2
Semi-finals Home teamScoreAway teamDate Airdrieonians 3–1 Morton 28 April 1976 Clydebank 3–1 Dumbarton 28 April 1976
Final
Demise It quickly became apparent that the competition was not proving popular with spectators, and club directors began to talk of further change. The Scottish Football League itself seemed to have an ambiguous attitude to the competition, failing to have the trophy engraved before the first final. In May 1976, a motion forwarded by Albion Rovers to have a 39-game Division One and Two calendar, effectively ending the Spring Cup, was overwhelmingly backed, coming into force for the start of the 1976–77 season.
See also Scottish C Division League Cup Scottish B Division Supplementary Cup Scottish Challenge Cup
References
External links Competition details at scottishleague.net "Can We Have Our Cup Back? at derek-drennan.co.uk Spring Cup results at statto.com