Following League Reconstruction in the summer of 1975 , the Premier Division of 10 clubs played each other four times giving 36 league games , however the First and Second Divisions of 14 clubs only played each other twice , a total of 26 games. The clubs from these two Divisions then played an end of season competition – The Spring Cup to fill the fixture gap.
This competition proved unpopular and was only played in this one season before clubs agreed to play three times and a 39 game league seaosn.
This is a look back at this one off Cup competition.
The 28 teams were divided into 7 groups of four teams each playing 6 games before the top 2 in each group with the 2 best third place teams moving to two legged knock outs last 16 and Quarter Finals before one off semi finals and final at neutral venues.
Dumbarton , Queen of the South and Montrose had to move games due to their continued involvement in the Scottish Cup.
ROUND ONE
Group 1 saw Airdrie open with 2-1 home win over Brechin and despite losing their first away game 3-0 at East Fife won the group with 4 wins and a draw, ending with a 6-2 home win over Stranraer.
Stranraer beat East Fife 1-0 in their opening game at home but it was their only win and East Fife qualified in second place wining all three home games and a final day 1-1 draw at Brechin
Group 2 Falkirk opened with a 3-1 defeat at Second Division Alloa, but three home wins and a draw at Berwick saw them win the group.
Alloa and Kilmarnock drew home and away with each but it was Alloa who surprisingly qualified as runners up , as Kilmarnock lost twice to Falkirk. Alloa and Faklirk both taking three points from their two games with Berwick.
Group 3 St Mirren and Partick both opened with 2 wins from 2 games against Forfar and Meadowbank to virtually ensure their progression to the last 16.
Partick went ahaed with a 2-1 win at Love Street , but lost in a major shock 2-1 at Meadowbank as St Mirren came back to join them on 6pts with a 1-0 win at Forfar.
Partick beat Forfar 4-2 at home and St Mirren beat Meadowbank 4-0 to set up a group decider at Firhill on the final day.
St Mirren won 3-1 as the League Champions ended in second place behind St Mirren but still made it to the last 16.
Group 4 Dumbarton opened with 2 wins , a 4-1 home win over Albion Rovers and 2-0 at Arbroath.
Arbroath had 2-0 at Stenhousemuir. It was however Albion Rovers who blew the group wide open after their opening defeat beat Stenhousemuir and Arbroath 1-0 at home before a 3-2 win at Stenhousemuir out them top on 6pts after 4 games. Dumbarton had lost 2-1 at Stenhousemuir before another shock when they lost 2-1 at home to Arbroath, who joined them on 4pts from 4 games.
Dumbarton moved to the top of the table with Albion Rovers on 6pts after beating them 2-1 at Cliftonhill.
Arbroath surprisingly lost 1-0 at home to Stenhousemuir as both teams were now on 4pts with one game remaining.
Dumbarton took top spot beating Stenhousemuir 3-1 at home and Arbroath’s 3-2 win over Albion Rovers secured their second place on goal difference.
Albion Rovers subsequently qualified as one of the two best third place teams.
Group 5 was the craziest group of all with Hamilton Accies losing 3-0 at Cowdenbeath as Queens Park drew 1-1 with Dunfermline.
Dunfermline got their first win 1-0 at home to Cowdenbeath as Accies and Queens drew 1-1 at Douglas Park.
Queens Park beat Cowdenbeath as Accies moved back in the hunt for qualification with a 2-1 win at Dunfermline.
Queens Park and Accies drew 1-1 however an incredible 4-0 win by Cowdenbeath over Dunfermline left all four clubs within 2pts with 2 games remaining.
Dunfermline moved level on 5pts with Queens Park after beating them 2-1 but it was Hamilton Accies who went top after 5 games beating Cowdenbeath 1-0 at home.
Queens Park won 3-1 at Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline won 2-1 at Hamilton as Queens and the Pars leapfrogged Accies into the top two positions and into the last 16. Accies were fortunate to find themselves as one of the two best third place teams when the dust settled on the final afternoon.
Group 6 saw Raith Rovers began with wins over Queen of the South 4-2 at home and 2-1 at Clydebank before a 2-2 draw at Clyde.
Clydebank beat Clyde 3-1 away and despite the defeat to Raith then won their next three games 4-0 at home to Queen of the South before 3-1 in the return at Palmerston and 3-0 home win over Clyde secured their place in the last 16.
Raith topped the group in the end beating Clyde 2-1 at home before losing 2-0 at Dumfries against Queen of the South.
Raith beat 2-1 Clydebank at Kirkcaldy to complete the double over the Bankies and win the group on the final day.
Group 7
Morton opened with a 2-1 win at East Stirling with Montrose playing in the Scottish Cup.
Montrose then won 4-2 at Morton before beating East Stirling 3-0.
Morton would progress to round two with away wins 1-0 at Stirling and 4-1 at Montrose.
Montrose would join them with back to back 3-2 wins over Stirling Albion.
LAST 16
Arbroath 2 Falkirk 1, Falkirk 2 Arbroath 0
Agg Arbroath 2 Falkirk 3
Clydebank 4 Albion Rovers 0 , Albion Rovers 2 Clydebank 0
Agg Clydebank 4 Albion Rovers 3
Dunfermline 4 Airdrie 2, Airdrie 3 Dunfermline 0
Agg Dunfermline 4 Airdrie 5
Montrose 3 Hamilton 1 , Hamilton 6 Montrose 3
Agg Montrose 6, Hamilton 7
Morton 1 Queens Park 1 , Queens Park 2 Morton 3
Agg Morton 4 Queens Park 3
Partick 1 East Fife 0, East Fife 2 Partick 0
Agg Partick 1 East Fife 2
St Mirren 3 Alloa 0 , Alloa 1 St Mirren 3
Agg St Mirren 7 Alloa 1
Raith 2 Dunbarton 2 , Dumbarton 4 Raith 0
Agg Raith 2 Dumbarton 6
QUARTER FINALS
Clydebank 1 East Fife 0, East Fife 1 Clydebank 1
Agg East Fife 1 Clydebank 1 – Clydebank won 4-2 on pens
Dumbarton 4 Falkirk 2, Falkirk 1 Dumbarton 2
Agg Dumbarton 6 Falkirk 3
Hamilton 0 Airdrie 4, Airdrie 5 Hamilton 0
Agg Hamilton 0 Airdrie 9
Morton 1 St Mirren 0 , St Mirren 0 Morton 1
Agg Morton 2 St Mirren 0
SEMI FINALS
Airdrie 3 Morton 1 – Love Street , Paisley
Clydebank 3 Dumbarton 1 – Firhill Glasgow
FINAL
AIRDRIE 4 CLYDEBANK 2 After Extra Time – Firhill, Glasgow
Mick Larnach put the Bankies 1-0 up after 2mins but Airdrie took the game to extra time when Willie McCullough equalised after 74 mins.
Mick Larnach gave Clydebank the advantage with a goal 10mins into extra time but midway through extra time Airdrie scored twice in a minute to turn the tide in their favour with John McVeigh and Willie McCullough netting. Airdrie sealed the victory with a late Tommy Walker goal.
Football is Academical 