Peter Dobing

Peter Dobing (born 1 December, 1938 in Manchester) is an English former footballer, who played for Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Stoke City.

Dobing came from a sporting family; his father played rugby league for Salford. He started his career with Blackburn Rovers, making his debut aged 17.cite web |url=http://www.nobok.co.uk/page/FootballBio/0,,10301~792119,00.html |title= Dobing's long-running success |accessdate=2007-05-28 |work= Nobok] In the 1957-58 season he scored 20 League goals as Blackburn gained promotion to the First Division,cite web |url=http://legacy.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashire/rovers/worthington_cup/news200202b.html |title= Where are they now? |accessdate=2007-05-28 |work= Lancashire Evening Telegraph] including in four in one match against Bristol City. [cite web |url=http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10303~78845,00.html |title= 1955-1964: A Golden Era |accessdate=2007-05-28 |work= Blackburn Rovers official website] The following season he scored 24 league goals, the highest figure of his career. In 1959-60 Dobing played a large part in Blackburn's FA Cup run which saw them reach the final, scoring five goals during the cup run. However, Rovers were soundly beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final. In 1961 he moved to Manchester City for £37,500.

Manchester City signed Dobing as a replacement for Denis Law, who had departed for Torino. He made his Manchester City debut in the opening match of the 1961-62 season, a 3-1 win against Leicester City. he started all but one of Manchester City's matches that season, [cite book |last=James |first=Gary |title=Manchester City - The Complete Record |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |date=2006 |id=ISBN 1-85983-512-0 p391] finishing the season as the club's top scorer with 22 goals. The following season was less successful, Dobing scored 10 goals in 50 appearances in a year which ended in relegation. In the close season Dobing was sold to newly-promoted Stoke City.

In Dobing's first season at Stoke the club reached the final of the League Cup, but were beaten 4-3 on aggregate by Leicester City. He spent more than a decade at Stoke, captaining the team which won the 1972 League Cup. [cite web |url=http://www.stokecityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HallofFameDetail/0,,10310~401801,00.html |title= Peter Dobing |accessdate=2007-05-28 |work= Stoke City official website] Dobing was known for his short temper on the pitch, which once resulted in him receiving a nine week suspension. [cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2004/09/10/nigel_johnson_100904_feature.shtml |title= Heads Go Up |accessdate=2007-05-28 |work= BBC] His playing career ended due to a broken leg sustained in 1973. He then worked in the Staffordshire pottery industry. [cite web |url=http://ds.dial.pipex.com/bob.dunning/where29.htm#dobing |title= Where Are They Now? |accessdate=2007-05-28 |work= Bob and 1970-71 Footballers]

References