Colin Dobson
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Colin Dobson[1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 9 May 1940||
Place of birth | Eston, England[3] | ||
Date of death | 16 February 2023 | (aged 82)||
Place of death | Middlesbrough, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[4] | ||
Position(s) |
Inside-forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1955–1957 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1957–1966 | Sheffield Wednesday | 177 | (49) |
1966–1972 | Huddersfield Town | 155 | (50) |
1972 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 4 | (0) |
1972–1976 | Bristol Rovers | 62 | (4) |
Total | 398 | (103) | |
International career | |||
1961 | England U23 | 2 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
1984–1985 |
West Riffa | ||
1985–1987 | Al Rayyan | ||
1994–1995 | Al Arabi | ||
1997 | Oman U17 | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Colin Dobson (9 May 1940 – 16 February 2023) was an English professional
Dobson began his career with Sheffield Wednesday in 1961 and went on to score 52 goals in 193 games for the First Division club. He was sold on to Huddersfield Town for a £20,000 fee in August 1966 and helped the club to the Second Division title in 1969–70. He was loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion in 1972 before joining Bristol Rovers as a player-coach in the summer. He was promoted out of the Third Division with Rovers in 1973–74. Over 15 years in the Football League, he scored 103 goals in 398 league appearances. He also won two caps for the England under-23s.
After retiring as a player, he embarked on an extensive career in coaching and
.Club career
Sheffield Wednesday
At fifteen, Dobson began his career at
Huddersfield Town
Dobson moved on to Tom Johnston's Huddersfield Town for a £20,000 fee in August 1966.[7] He made a significant impact with 17 goals in 39 games in the 1966–67 season; strike partner Tony Leighton also claimed 20 goals to help Town to a sixth-place finish in the Second Division. Dobson finished as the club's top-scorer with 14 goals in 47 games in the 1967–68 campaign, including one in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal at Highbury. He was then a top-scorer for a second time as he bagged 11 goals in 43 matches in the 1968–69 season, as new boss Ian Greaves took the "Terriers" to within ten points of promotion. Dobson built a successful partnership with Frank Worthington and claimed nine goals in his 33 appearances as promotion was achieved with a first-place finish in 1969–70. However, he appeared just 12 times in the 1970–71 campaign, claiming one goal, and departed Leeds Road at the end of the season. He also played four Third Division games at Pat Saward's Brighton & Hove Albion in January 1972 on a loan deal that was expected to be made permanent.[7][3] However, he fractured his ankle in the last of these games, his full home debut against Walsall on 12 February.[3]
Bristol Rovers
In June 1972, Dobson signed with Bristol Rovers as a player-coach, having been a former teammate of manager Don Megson at Sheffield Wednesday.[3] He had to wait until 24 November before he made his debut for the club, in a match against Southend United.[4] Rovers finished fifth in the Third Division in 1972–73, before winning promotion in second place in 1973–74. The team avoided relegation by a three-point margin in 1974–75 and then by a five-point margin in 1975–76. He scored four goals in 63 league and cup games during his time at the Eastville Stadium.[8]
International career
Dobson won two England under-23 caps in 1961, making his debut as a substitute for Alan Suddick as England beat Yugoslavia 4–2 in Belgrade on 29 May; his second cap came against Romania four days later.[3] In the summer of 1968, he was selected by the Football Association for a Commonwealth tour of the United States, New Zealand, Malaysia and Hong Kong.[7]
Style of play
Dobson was a skilful and pacey
Coaching career
Dobson left Bristol Rovers to become the youth
Death
Dobson died in Middlesbrough on 16 February 2023, at age 82.[4]
Career statistics
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other[a] | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Sheffield Wednesday | 1961–62[8] | First Division | 28 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 12 |
1962–63[8] | First Division | 38 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 14 | |
1963–64[8] | First Division | 36 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 12 | |
1964–65[8] | First Division | 42 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 9 | |
1965–66[8] | First Division | 33 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
Total | 177 | 49 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 193 | 52 | ||
Huddersfield Town | 1966–67[8] | Second Division | 37 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 17 |
1967–68[8] | Second Division | 39 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 47 | 14 | |
1968–69[8] | Second Division | 39 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 11 | |
1969–70[8] | Second Division | 31 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 9 | |
1970–71[8] | First Division | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
1971–72[8] | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 155 | 50 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 175 | 52 | ||
Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 1971–72[8] | Third Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Bristol Rovers | 1972–73[8] | Third Division | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
1973–74[8] | Third Division | 39 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
1974–75[8] | Second Division | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |
1975–76[8] | Second Division | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
Total | 62 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 69 | 5 | ||
Career total | 398 | 103 | 20 | 2 | 23 | 4 | 441 | 109 |
- Full Members Cup.
Honours
Huddersfield Town
Bristol Rovers
- Football League Third Division second-place promotion: 1973–74
References
- ^ "Colin Dobson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Colin Dobson". www.adrianbullock.com. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "When football didn't deliver the right break for Colin Dobson". In parallel lines. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Obituary – Colin Dobson". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ "Obituary – Colin Dobson". www.swfc.co.uk. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ "Town Legends". YorkshireLive. 1 November 2005. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Thomson, Dougie (19 December 2009). "Town nostalgia: Old boy Colin Dobson back in Town". Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Colin Dobson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ Tattum, Colin (9 November 2010). "Ben Foster on going back to where it all began with Birmingham City". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ Stanway, Rob. "Cheif Scout Leaves". stokecity-mad.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "Penrice joins scouting network to monitor foreign transfer markets". The Sentinel. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "John Rudge faces Potters exit in Britannia shake-up". The Sentinel. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ Partington, Mikey (15 May 2020). "Dobson On Promotion To Division One & Frank Worthington". www.htafc.com. Retrieved 17 February 2023.