# Spring Cup > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spring_Cup > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spring_Cup.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Cup > Source revision: 1344985593 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Scottish football tournament This article is about the football tournament. For other uses, see [Spring Cup (disambiguation)](/source/Spring_Cup_(disambiguation)). Spring Cup Sport Football Founded 1976 No. of teams 28 Country Scotland Most recent champion Airdrieonians The **Spring Cup** was a Scottish [football](/source/Association_football) tournament played in 1976. It was introduced for members of Division One and Two of the [Scottish Football League](/source/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](/source/1975%E2%80%9376_in_Scottish_football). 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](/source/1975%E2%80%9376_in_Scottish_football). 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](/source/Airdrieonians_F.C._(1878)) won the competition, defeating Division Two [Clydebank](/source/Clydebank_F.C._(1965)) in the final. They had qualified from a group containing [Brechin City](/source/Brechin_City_F.C.), [East Fife](/source/East_Fife_F.C.) and [Stranraer](/source/Stranraer_F.C.). In the second round they eliminated [Dunfermline Athletic](/source/Dunfermline_Athletic_F.C.) 5–4 on [aggregate](/source/Two-legged_match), while in the quarter-finals they beat [Hamilton Academical](/source/Hamilton_Academical_F.C.). In the semi-final, a strike from Cairney and two [own goals](/source/Own_goal) helped them defeat [Morton](/source/Greenock_Morton_F.C.) 3–1 at [Love Street](/source/Love_Street_(stadium)). ### First round #### Group 1 Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts 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 team Score Away team Date 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 team Score Away team Date 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 team Score Away team Date Agg 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 team Score Away team Date 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 team Score Away team Date Agg Airdrieonians 5–0 Hamilton Academical 24 April 1976 9–0 East Fife 1–0 Clydebank 24 April 1976 1–1[1] Falkirk 1–2 Dumbarton 24 April 1976 3–6 St Mirren 0–1 Morton 24 April 1976 0–2 ### Semi-finals Home team Score Away team Date Airdrieonians 3–1 Morton 28 April 1976 Clydebank 3–1 Dumbarton 28 April 1976 ### Final 3 May 1976 Airdrieonians 4 – 2 (a.e.t.) Clydebank McCulloch 74' 106', McVeigh 105' Walker 115' Larnach 2' 100' [Firhill Stadium](/source/Firhill_Stadium) Attendance: 5,000 Referee: W Mullan ([Dalkeith](/source/Dalkeith)) ## 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](/source/Albion_Rovers_F.C.) 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](/source/1976%E2%80%9377_in_Scottish_football). ## See also - [Scottish C Division](/source/List_of_winners_of_the_Scottish_League_One_and_predecessors#Scottish_League_C_Division_(1946–1955)) League Cup - Scottish [B Division Supplementary Cup](/source/B_Division_Supplementary_Cup) - [Scottish Challenge Cup](/source/Scottish_Challenge_Cup) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-aet_1-0)** After Extra Time, Clydebank won on penalties - Crampsey, Bob (1990). *Scottish Football League: The First 100 Years* (Paperback). Scottish Football League. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9516433-0-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9516433-0-4). ## External links - [Competition details](http://www.scottishleague.net/archive/archive78.htm) at scottishleague.net - ["Can We Have Our Cup Back?](http://www.derek-drennan.co.uk/Football/Articles/Spring_Cup.html) at derek-drennan.co.uk - [Spring Cup results](http://www.statto.com/football/stats/scotland/spring-cup/) at statto.com v t e 1975–76 in Scottish football « 1974–75 1976–77 » Domestic leagues Football League Premier Division First Division Second Division Highland League Domestic cups Scottish Cup Final League Cup Final Spring Cup Junior Cup European competitions European Cup European Cup Winners' Cup UEFA Cup Anglo-Scottish Cup Related to national team Results Euro 1976 qualifying (Group 4) British Home Championship Club seasons Premier Division Aberdeen Ayr United Celtic Dundee Dundee United Heart of Midlothian Hibernian Motherwell Rangers St. Johnstone First Division Airdrieonians Arbroath Clyde Dumbarton Dunfermline Athletic East Fife Falkirk Hamilton Academical Kilmarnock Montrose Morton Partick Thistle Queen of the South St. Mirren Second Division Albion Rovers Alloa Athletic Berwick Rangers Brechin City Clydebank Cowdenbeath East Stirlingshire Forfar Athletic Meadowbank Thistle Queen's Park Raith Rovers Stenhousemuir Stirling Albion Stranraer v t e Defunct football competitions in Scotland National leagues Senior Scottish Football League Premier Division First Division Second Division Third Division Scottish Premier League War Emergency League Non league Scottish Football Alliance Scottish Football Federation Scottish Football Union Scottish Junior Football League Age groups Scottish Premier Reserve League SPFL Development League Regional leagues Supplementary Edinburgh League Glasgow and West of Scotland League Glasgow League Inter City League Inter City Midweek League Inter County League Lanarkshire League Renfrewshire League Scottish County League Junior Ayrshire Junior League Central Junior League East Junior League Fife Junior League Glasgow Junior League Lanarkshire Junior League North Junior League Scottish Intermediate League Scottish Junior East Region Leagues Superleague/Premiership Premier League North Division Central Division South Division Scottish Junior West Region Leagues Premiership Championship League One League Two Ayrshire District Central 1st Central 2nd Tayside Junior League Wartime North Eastern League Southern League Other Combined Reserve League Ayrshire and Renfrewshire League Ayrshire Combination Ayrshire League Central Combination Central League Dumfries and Galloway leagues Eastern League Midland League Northern League Perthshire League Southern Counties League (Scotland) Cup competitions Cross border Anglo-Scottish Cup British League Cup Coronation Cup Dubai Champions Cup Empire Exhibition Trophy Football World Championship Friendship Cup Texaco Cup National Drybrough Cup Qualifying Cup SFA Challenge Cup North Region Saint Mungo Cup Spring Cup Summer Cup Supplementary Cup Tennents' Sixes Regional Ayrshire Cup Churchill Cup Dumbartonshire Cup Edinburgh Exhibition Cup Glasgow Charity Cup Glasgow Dental Hospital Cup Glasgow Exhibition Cup 1888 1901 Glasgow North Eastern Cup Lanarkshire Cup Lord Provost's Cup North Ayrshire Cup Perthshire Cup Rosebery Charity Cup West of Scotland Junior Cup Wilson Cup Wartime North Eastern League Cup Southern League Cup Victory Cup 1919 1946 War Emergency Cup War Fund Shield Friendly Allison Trophy ARR Craib Cup Caledonia Trophy Evening Telegraph Cup Festival Cup Glasgow International Tournament Ibrox Trophy Lord Provost Charity Cup Tennent Caledonian Cup --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spring Cup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Cup) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Cup?action=history)). 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