The 1954–55 season was the 71st Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at national level, entering the Scottish Football League, the Scottish Cup and the Supplementary League Cup. In addition Dumbarton competed in the Stirlingshire Cup.
Scottish League Division C (South-West)
With club finances re-structured, a new manager (Peter McGown having taken over from Willie Irvine) and a new youthful team in place, the season was approached with some confidence, in the knowledge that only winning the league would guarantee a return to the top 'tiers' of Scottish football.
However, things were not going to be easy, since apart from Stranraer, their league opponents would be the reserve (or 'A') sides of the bigger clubs from the top two divisions - and so it was to prove, for despite challenging strongly throughout the season, and topping the league in early March, in the end only 4th place out of 13 was achieved,
Nevertheless, league re-construction at the end of the season meant that the Divisions C were brought to an end, with Dumbarton, Stranraer, Montrose, East Stirling and Berwick Rangers all joining a revamped 19 team Second Division for season 1955–56.
League table Top Four PTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts1Partick Thistle 'A'241842893653402Rangers 'A'241644532627363St Mirren 'A'241464573918344Dumbarton24126658461230
Scottish Cup
There was an early exit in the Cup with Dumbarton losing to Montrose in the third round.
Scottish Supplementary League Cup No progress was made from the sectional games in the Supplementary League Cup, finishing 5th of 7.
Section Table PTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts1Rangers 'A'121011331715212St Mirren 'A'12633301812153Partick Thistle 'A'12714322210154Clyde 'A'124352328–5115Dumbarton124261319–6106Queens Park Strollers122281628–1267Third Lanark 'A'123092035–156
Stirlingshire Cup There was also a first round defeat in the county cup, to East Stirling.
Friendlies
Player statistics
Source:
Transfers Amongst those players joining and leaving the club were the following:
Players in PlayerFromDate Joe Gallacher Clydebank Juniors 2 May 1954 Les Brown Kirkintilloch RR 9 Jul 1954 John McKay Maryhill 12 Jul 1954 Tommy Craig Kirkintilloch RR 9 Aug 1954 Jim Gray Yoker Ath 9 Aug 1954 John McCall Gloucester City 10 Aug 1954 Hugh Gallacher Arbroath 25 Aug 1954 John Heaney Bury 11 Nov 1954 George Liddell St Mirren 22 Jan 1955 Jimmy Ritchie Hamilton 27 Jan 1955
Players out PlayerToDate Jack Cameron Hartlepools 22 May 1954 Danny Bell Dundee United 19 Jun 1954 Willie Gibson Stenhousemuir 20 Jul 1954 Tom McGairy Walsall 1 Aug 1954 Walter Scott Halifax Town 1 Aug 1954 Tom Donegan Arbroath 14 Aug 1954 Jock Weir Portadown 20 Nov 1954 Hugh Shaw Rhyl Jimmy Whyte Dunfermline Ath
Source:
Reserve Team Dumbarton only played one official 'reserve' match in the Second XI Cup, losing in the first round to Clyde, after a replay.
References