Michael William Dobson (born 9 April 1981) is an English former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
, who made over 170 appearances in the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
for
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
as a
full back. He also played for
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
and
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
and was nicknamed "Dobbo".
Career
Brentford
Youth years (1990–2000)
Born in
Isleworth
Isleworth ( ) is a town located within the London Borough of Hounslow in West London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane, London, River Crane. Isleworth's or ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, Dobson began his career as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
in the
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if ...
at
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
at the age of 9 and also played for
Sunday club West Middlesex Colts.
He signed a scholarship deal with Brentford at the end of the
1996–97 season and was named as an unused substitute on one occasion during
1998–99.
Dobson signed his first professional contract at the end of the 1998–99 season, but was called onto the substitutes' bench just once during
1999–00.
Breakthrough (2000–2002)
Dobson finally made his senior debut as a 71st-minute substitute for
Andy Scott during a 0–0
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
draw with
Swansea City on 19 August 2000.
Due to the continued absence of injured right back
Danny Boxall
Daniel James Boxall (born 24 August 1977) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a right back for Brentford F.C., Brentford, Bristol Rovers F.C., Bristol Rovers, Oldham Athletic A.F.C., Oldham Athletic ...
,
Dobson made his first start for the Bees in a 4–1
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, known for sponsorship purposes as the Papa Johns Trophy after restaurant chain Papa John's Pizza, is an annual English association football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL Leag ...
first round victory over
Oxford United
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club in the city of Oxford, England. The team plays in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The chairman is Grant Ferguson, the manager is Karl Robinson and t ...
on 5 December and thereafter became a regular starter in the team at
full back on either flank.
He starred in Brentford's run to the
2001 Football League Trophy Final and scored Brentford's goals in the 2–1 Southern Area Final first leg win over
Southend United
Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of English football. Southend are known as ...
and opened the scoring versus
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
in the final at the
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...
,
but the match ended in a 2–1 defeat for the Bees.
As a reward for his progress, Dobson signed a new three-and-a-half year contract on 23 March 2001 and he finished the
2000–01 season with 34 appearances and three goals.
Under new manager
Steve Coppell
Stephen James Coppell (born 9 July 1955) is an English professional football manager and former player.
As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and rep ...
, Dobson was Brentford's regular right back during the
2001–02 season,
in which the club narrowly missed out on automatic promotion, before advancing to the
2002 Second Division play-off final, which ended in a 2–0 defeat to
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
.
Despite being plagued by pelvic bruising during the season, which required painkillers, Dobson made 46 appearances and scored one goal, which came in a 3–2
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
second round defeat to
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The tea ...
on 8 December 2001.
Captain (2002–2004)
After the play-off final defeat at the end of the 2001–02 season, financial concerns led new manager
Wally Downes
Walter John Downes (born 9 June 1961) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He was most recently manager of AFC Wimbledon.
As a footballer, Downes played the majority of his career for Wimbled ...
to reduce the size of the Brentford squad and at the age of 21, Dobson was named as the new team
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
.
During the
2002–03 season, Dobson was an ever-present in league matches and made 54 appearances and scored one goal.
He made more
assists than any other Brentford player, with seven. Dobson signed a new three-year contract in July 2003. The Bees' slump continued into the
2003–04 season and Dobson's form suffered due to a niggling back injury,
but the appointment of
Martin Allen
Martin James Allen (born 14 August 1965) is an English football manager and former player. He played more than 100 games as a midfielder for both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and So ...
as manager in March 2004 reinvigorated the team and the club narrowly pulled off "
The Great Escape" from relegation to the
Third Division. He made 46 appearances and scored one goal during the 2003–04 season.
Injury-affected final seasons (2004–2006)
Dobson began the
2004–05 season as the Bees' regular starting right back,
but a
torn cartilage suffered in September 2004 saw him lose his place to stand-in right back
Kevin O'Connor and the captaincy to
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
Stewart Talbot.
He won back his place upon his return in January 2005, but began to drift out of the starting lineup in February and a
broken arm
In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between th ...
suffered in a match versus
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...
on 2 April ended his season. He made 23 appearances and scored one goal during 2004–05.
Dobson appeared sparingly as a midfielder during the early months of the
2005–06 season and later admitted in 2019 that he and manager Martin Allen "didn't see eye-to-eye".
He departed on
loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...
for the remainder of the campaign on 24 November 2005,
a move which generated funds to extend the loan of
Darren Pratley
Darren Antony Pratley (born 22 April 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for League Two club Leyton Orient as club captain.
Club career
Fulham
Starting his career at Fulham after signing from local rivals A ...
, who had usurped Dobson in the midfield pecking order. Dobson was released in May 2006 and finished his Brentford career on 211 appearances and seven goals.
Reading (loan)
Dobson reunited with his former Brentford management team of Steve Coppell and Wally Downes at high-flying
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
club
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
on 24 November 2005, on a loan running until 1 February 2006. Though he had yet to be called into the first team squad,
the loan was later extended until the end of the
2005–06 season and his only appearance for the Royals came as a 53rd-minute substitute for
Steve Sidwell in a 3–1 victory over Stoke City on 17 April 2006.
Reading celebrated promotion to the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
at the end of the season, though Dobson did not receive a Championship-winners' medal.
Walsall
On 7 June 2006, Dobson signed a two-year contract with newly-relegated
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
club
Walsall
Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
on a
free transfer. He was immediately named captain by manager
Richard Money
Richard Money (born 13 October 1955) is an English former footballer and manager who was most recently manager of National League club Hartlepool United. Before this, he managed Cambridge United, overseeing the side's return to the Football Leag ...
. Despite being "frequently the target of criticism", Dobson had a memorable
2006–07 season, making 42 appearances, scoring three goals and winning the first silverware of his career when the Saddlers clinched the League Two title,
which secured an immediate return to
League One
The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
. A less successful
2007–08 season followed, with Dobson losing his midfield place and suffering from persistent knee issues.
He was released in May 2008 and finished his two-season spell with at
Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium, also known as the Poundland Bescot Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Walsall, England, and the current home ground of Walsall Football Club. It was built in 1989–90, by GMI Construction, with a reporte ...
with 68 appearances and four goals.
Dobson parted the club with the words "there were a lot of things going on behind closed doors that players weren't happy about and I wasn't really enjoying my football".
Retirement
After receiving advice from two specialists, recurring knee problems forced Dobson into retirement during the 2008 off-season.
Personal life
Dobson is the son of former footballer
George Dobson and is the younger brother of football coach Richard Dobson.
He attended
The Heathland School and as of 2019 was living in
Banbury
Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census.
Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire ...
.
Dobson currently runs his own business called Flexercise, which specialises in
personal training
A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, p ...
and
sports massaging therapy.
Honours
Walsall
*
Football League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
:
2006–07
Individual
*
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross.
Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...
Supporters' Player of the Month:
February 2001
Career statistics
References
External links
*
Michael Dobsonat readingfc.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobson, Michael
Living people
1981 births
Footballers from Isleworth
Men's association football midfielders
Men's association football fullbacks
English men's footballers
Brentford F.C. players
Reading F.C. players
Walsall F.C. players
English Football League players