Colin Dobson

[eastville1966]

His son Peter just posted on Facebook that Colin passed away earlier today at the age of 82. A classy winger and a valuable member of that legendary 1973/74 promotion team.

RIP Colin and condolences to his family.

[Deleted]

Very sad news and one of my early Rovers heroes.

RIP Colin and deepest sympathy to his loved ones.

[piratesquarters]

I can sea him now, pinging crosses, time after time.

RIP Colin

[Topper Gas]

That's sad news.

[yetigas]

A very skillful winger was Colin who added some class to the team. RIP.

[rememberhalifax]

Certainly was a quiet ,classy winger of the old school, thanks for the memories Colin, R.I.P.

[bidefordgas]

Believe he retired from football at Rovers, remember he joined us as a player coach. As has been said a very classy footballer of the old school.
RIP Colin.

[herbertblake]

Sad to hear of the death of talented former Rovers player who died yesterday at the age of 82.

Colin Dobson. 1972-76.
Born, 9.5.1940, Eston, Cleveland.
​Died, 16.2.2023 Middlesbrough
5’ 8”; 10 st 12 lbs.
Bristol Rovers league Début: 24.11.72 v Southend United.
Career: South Bank; 1955 Sheffield Wednesday (professional, November 1957) [177,49]; 27.8.66 Huddersfield Town (£25,000) [149+6,50]; January 1972 Brighton (loan) [2+2,0]; 3.6.72 Bristol Rovers (free) (player-coach) [63,4]; May 1976 Coventry City (youth team coach); 14.12.83 Port Vale (assistant manager); 1985 West Riffa, Bahrain (coach); 1985 Al Rayyan (coach); June 1986 Aston Villa (youth coach); June 1987 Sporting Lisbon (youth coach); November 1988 Gillingham (youth coach); Coventry City (youth coach); 1992 Al Arabi, Kuwait (coach); September 1995 Port Vale (coach); May 1996 Oman (national youth coach); January 1999 coaching career across a variety of countries has succeeded winger Colin Dobson’s impressive playing career. The younger child of Oswald Dobson and Millicent Cooper, his mother being the daughter of William Cooper and Edith Roberts, Colin Dobson was a fast, elusive winger who represented Eston District and Yorkshire Schools whilst working as an apprentice ship-builder in Middlesbrough. When Pelé played in his first match on British soil, both Don Megson and Colin Dobson were in the opposition, Dobson missing a penalty a minute before half-time as Santos defeated Sheffield Wednesday 4 -2. stalwart for a decade at Hillsborough, he appeared against Barcelona in a Fairs Cup quarter-final but, dropped in the run-up to the 1966 FA Cup Final, missed the Wembley show-piece and commanded a large transfer fee to join Huddersfield. Top scorer in 1967-68 and 1968-69 with the Terriers, he won a Second Division championship medal in the spring of 1970. By this stage, Dobson had supplemented the two England Under-23 caps he had won against Yugoslavia and Denmark in 1963 with an appearance for theafter 28 minutesfor the Football League XI and a place on the Football Association tour to the USA, New Zealand, Malaysia and Hong Kong in 1968. Having broken his leg on loan at Brighton, Dobson brought his pace and guile to Eastville as Don Megson’s first signing, and registered the hundredth League goal of his long career when opening his Rovers account against Tranmere Rovers in January 1973. He later struck the crossbar with a venomous thirty-yard drive 28 minutes into Rovers’ 1-0 home victory over Cambridge United in September 1973. A regular in Rovers’ 1973-74 promotion campaign, at which time he lived in Downend with his wife Susanne and sons Simon and Peter, he played in the club record victory 8-2 away to his former side, Brighton, in December 1973, and appeared for Rovers in second-tier football. He had scored in the promotion campaign against Cambridge when, having hit the bar after 28 minutes with a thirty-yard drive, he hooked home the only goal of the match after 65 minutes from Frankie Prince’s knock-down. Later that season, he played away to his former club, Huddersfield, the Pirates recording a 2-1 victory. He never played against Rovers during his footballing career. Dobson’s peripatetic coaching career included coaching Rayyan, alongside Wayne Jones, to the United Arab Emirates League title in 1985-86, winning the Amir Cup both at West Riff and at Rayyan, and lifting the 1996 Asian Cup in Thailand, whilst working for the Oman national side. More recently, he has worked under the former Rovers team mates Tony Pulis and John Rudge at both Port Vale and Stoke City.

[pirate]

Very sad news. Thoughts and condolences to his family and friends. 💙

[allgasandgaiters]

Kenny Stephens down the right, Dobbo down the left, Smash and Grab in the middle - what a team! RIP Colin and sympathy to his family. Good memories of Eastville in the 1970s.

[playtowin]

He livened up many a fans saturday afternoon and put smiles on faces. Thanks for the memories. Best wishes to family and friends.
Rest in peace.

[warehamgas]

Very sad indeed.
One of the very consistent players in my favourite team/season of all time, 1973/74. After the exciting times of Bill Dodgin, Don Megsons team was very hard to beat and without checking I think we had 6/7players who played 42+ games that season. I think he was player/coach as well. Would unlikely be in any top 20 of Rovers players but he was a very underrated, consistent and reliable player.
A mainstay of only our second ever promotion (7 now) so well-deserving of any credits imo. Thank you Colin.
Sad news, RIP.

UTG!

[clockendgas]

Sad news,always on the team sheet when I first started going to eastville,thanks for the memories colin.

[smudge1]

Very good winger who gave me hours of pleasure RIP

[Colyton Gas]

I reffed on the Central league and often went to Highfield Road where Colin managed Coventry Reserves.Always a gent and told me before one game that he was encouraging positive football and his side couldn't pass backwards.I explained I could only penalise things as per the rules but he explained he didn't expect me to do that but was simply pointing out in case i might be wondering.
Always polite and we always discussed his time at Eastville.

[hollyhillgas]

Classy winger, remember him in derby at trashton, putting over a cross so good, that the only thing their C/B Collier could do, was head it in his own net.

[stapletongas]

He was part of a very good team back then