| Club: | Dumbarton |
| Season: | 1996–1997 |
| Manager: | Jim Fallon/Ian Wallace |
| Stadium: | Boghead Park, Dumbarton |
| League: | Scottish League Division 2 |
| League Result: | 9th |
| Cup1 Result: | Second Round |
| Cup2 Result: | Second Round |
| Cup3 Result: | First Round |
| Matches: | 39 |
| Total Goals: | 45 |
| League Topscorer: | Hugh Ward (7) |
| Season Topscorer: | Hugh Ward (7) |
| Highest Attendance: | 762 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 411 |
| Average Attendance: | 627 |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
Season 1996–97 was the 113th football season in which Dumbarton competed at a Scottish national level, entering the Scottish Football League for the 91st 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.
Despite the failures of the previous season, manager Jim Fallon retained his position and unfortunately 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 13 league matches, and had sunk to second bottom place, resulting in 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 three 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 and the fourth tier of Scottish football for the first time in the club's history.
In the national cup competitions, the drought on wins extended 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, it was a seventh first round defeat in seven attempts – this time to Montrose.
Locally, in the Stirlingshire Cup the misery was compounded with a defeat to Falkirk.
See main article: 1996–97 Scottish Second Division.
See main article: 1996–97 Scottish Challenge Cup.
See main article: 1996–97 Scottish League Cup.
See main article: 1996–97 Scottish Cup.
| Player | From | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim McGall | Arsenal BC | 30 Aug 1996 | |
| Billy Davidson | Clydebank | 29 Sep 1996 | |
| Gerry McCabe | Arbroath | 11 Oct 1996 | |
| Willie Wilson | Ayr United | 9 Nov 1996 | |
| Derek Barnes | Clydebank | 14 Dec 1996 | |
| Gordon Parks | Clyde | 9 Jan 1997 | |
| David Reid | Baillieston | 20 Feb 1997 | |
| Jamie Bruce | East Kilbride Thistle | 26 Mar 1997 | |
| Robert Reilly | Queen's Park | 26 Mar 1997 | |
| Graeme McKenzie | Kilbirnie Ladeside | 28 Mar 1997 | |
| Stephen Hamill | Possil YM | 31 Mar 1997 | |
| Hrienn Hringsson | East Stirling (trialist) | ||
| Ross McCuaig | Leven Valley (trialist) | ||
| Adrian Mellis | Vale of Leven (trialist) | ||
| John Scott | Largs Thistle (trialist) |
| Player | To | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Martin | Albion Rovers | 2 Aug 1996 | |
| Ian MacFarlane | Clydebank | 19 Dec 1996 | |
| Hugh Burns | Larkhall Thistle | ||
| Roland Fabiani | Greenock | ||
| Alan Foster | Arthurlie | ||
| Charlie Gibson | Petershill |