PART ONE – AUGUST TO DECEMBER 1985
Accies won the First Division Championship in 1985-86 , this is a look back at an amazing season.
(For context the league was made up of 14 teams playing each other 3 times meaning a total of 39 games and two points for a win)
August 1985
Accies began the 1985/86 season hosting the Lanarkshire Cup , playing Airdrie in the semi final. An early Airdrie goal was soon cancelled out and with new signings Jimmy Sinclair and striker Willie Jamieson making their debuts. Accies ran out 6-1 winners with Willie Jamieson netting a hat trick.
Accies fans were excited for the season ahead as they won the Lanarkshire Cup for the first time since 1934 as they beat Motherwell 1-0 in the final courtesy of a Gerry Phillips goal.
The league season began with a tough away trip to Falkirk which ended 0-0, although both teams played some quality football which suggested they would both be involved at the top end of the table.
Brechin City then visited Douglas Park and again the result was 0-0 despite Accies having 27 shots at goal.
A routine 2-0 win the League Cup second round over East Fife was followed by a 1-0 away defeat to Kilmarnock.
Incredibly Accies started what would become a high scoring season , with no league goals scored after 3 games.
Accies hosted Premier Division Dundee in the League Cup 3rd round with Albert Kidd’s early goal being wiped out before half time when Accies were awarded a penalty with John Pelosi netting. Into Extra Time and Accies created the cup shock to win 2-1 with John Brogan scoring the winner in front of 2237 fans. The real hero was goalkeeper Rikki Ferguson who saved a penalty late in extra time.
Accies scored their first league goals of the season the following Saturday as they beat Lanarkshire rivals Airdrie 3-1 again at Douglas Park. Brian Wright scored his final goal in Accies colours before his transfer to Motherwell.
September 1985
Accies opened September with a League Quarter Final which had to be played at Fir Park for safety reasons against Rangers. An early John Brogan goal was a shock and Accies almost doubled their lead with Tommy O’Neill’s shot hitting the underside of the bar , bouncing on the line before being cleared.
Rangers however won 2-1 with Bobby Williamson scoring twice close to half time.
Accies returned to league action with a hard fought 2-2 at Dumbarton in a match which was played in monsoon conditions with Rikki Ferguson again saving a penalty from Albert Craig. Accies then beat East Fife 2-1 at home.
Firhill was the next destination and with John McGachie scoring to level the game 1-1 before John Brogan netted a late winner as Accies won 2-1.
Accies in September with a swashbuckling display where they led Morton 4-0 at half time before John Brogan completed his hat trick in the second half as Accies ran out 5-0 winners.
Accies fans were becoming excited about a promotion push now the goals were being scod on a regular basis with John Brogan beginning to justify his signing the previous year.
October 1985
Accies began October moving into second place in the table behind early pace setters Dumbarton when they won 2-1 at Montrose with Brogan and John McNaught (below) scoring. McNaught was a fans favourite and nicknamed “Worzel” after TV character Worzel Gummidge due to his unkept hairstyle. He had begun his Accies career as a full back but manager John Lambie moved him into midfield and he benefited greatly from this move.
Accies then hit a bump in the road with a 2-1 home defeat to Alloa.
A tough trip to high flying Forfar Athletic ended in a 2-2 draw, with Brogan and McNaught again scoring.
Manager John Lambie was always looking to improve his squad and signed Ayr Utd’s Gerry Collins who immediately made his debut against his former club. John Brogan’s early goal was added to by captain Graeme Mitchell as Accies won 2-0.
John Lambie was on look out for a strike partner for John Brogan with Willie Jamieson now playing as a centre half.
November 1985
John McGachie was disappointing in the role at Shawfiled where Accies lost 1-0 to Clyde, this was his last game for Accies. McGachie soon departed for Meadowbank in a swap deal which saw Adrian Sprott arrive at Douglas Park.
Adrian Sprott would go on to score the most famous goal in Accies history when his goal secured a shock 1-0 win over Rangers at Ibrox in the 1987 Scottish Cup Third Round. Sadly Adrian passed away 2023 at age 61.
A new partnership was tried as league leaders Dumbarton visited Douglas Park , with young Willie Waters given his chance , which he grabbed with both hands, scoring a hat trick on his debut as Accies ran out 6-1 winners, with Rikki Ferguson again saving an Albert Craig penalty.
Accies again struggled to score and it took an own goal on the brink of half time to secure a 1-1 away to East Fife.
John Lambie then on the advice of John Brogan went back to Brogan’s former club St Johnstone and signed their top scorer Joe Reid.
Partick Thistle then visited Douglas Park and raced into a 2-0 half time lead , before John Pelosi brought Accies back into the game midway through the second half when he netted a penalty. Joe Reid came off the bench and made an immediate impact snatching a point with a last minute goal as the teams finished level at 2-2.
Accies ended November with a trip to Cappielow to face Morton, on what many described as a dangerous ice covered pitch. A Gerry Collins goal , his first for the club gave Accies a precious 1-0 win.
December 1985
Kilmarnock started December top of the league , a point ahead of Accies , but following a 1-0 won at Falkirk they hit a remarkable slump losing three consecutive games 4-1.
Accies opened December with a 4-2 win at home to Montrose with new strike force John Brogan and Joe Reid both netting twice.
Kilmarnock stayed top winning 1-0 at Falkirk, but the following week they would suffer a shock 4-1 defeat at Montrose opening the possibility for Accies to snatch top spot.
Accies game at Alloa was one of the most amazing in Accies history with Alloa racing into a 2-0 lead before Tommy O’Neill and Joe Reid brought Accies level. Alloa would go in at halftime 3-2 ahead. A superb second half display by Accies saw them equalise before two goals by substitute John McNaught seemed to have sealed victory. Frankie Cole completed his hat trick for the home side but Accies held on to win 5-4 and go top of the league.
Accies then faced two home games against third placed Forfar and second placed Kilmarnock at Douglas Park before 1985 would end.
John Brogan scored the only goal of the game as Accies defeated a tenacious Forfar Athletic 1-0 at Douglas Park.
This set up a massive game at Douglas Park as Kilmarnock again stumbled 4-1 at home to Dumbarton.
Accies led Kilmarnock by 1 point as the clubs met on a sunny winters day in their match of 1985, on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year 1985.
It was a game with 3,271 in attendance for Accies fans to savour as John Brogan’s early goal was added to by Tommy O’Neill’s wonderful free kick as they went 2-0 ahead inside the first half hour. Accies would go on to inflict Kilmarnock’s third consecutive 4-1 defeat and ensure Accies topped the table as 1985 ended.
Football is Academical 