Stephen Dobbie
Encyclopedia
Stephen Dobbie is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 professional footballer who plays for Swansea City.

Dobbie began his career with Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

 in 2002, but did not play in a first team match. He had more opportunities at Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

, whom he joined in 2003 and then St. Johnstone whom he joined, initially on loan, in 2005. However, he failed to command a regular starting place at either club. His career was revived by a loan spell at Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...

 in 2006 and he then became a prolific goalscorer for Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...

, who he joined in 2007, scoring 47 goals in 83 league appearances plus seven cup goals. Dobbie was traditionally a striker but recently has been playing as an attacking midfielder.

Rangers and Northern Spirit

Born in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Dobbie started his career at Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...

, but failed to break into the first team despite being prolific in the reserve side. In 2002 he went on loan to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...

 club Northern Spirit
Northern Spirit FC
Northern Spirit Football Club was a football club based in North Sydney, Australia. Northern Spirit entered the National Soccer League in the 1998-99 season...

, scoring three goals in three league games in the 2002–03 season. He was transferred to Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

 in 2003 after no first-team league appearances for Rangers.

Hibernian

Dobbie made his debut on 9 August 2003 as an 85th minute substitute in a 2–1 win over Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...

 at Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park, usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish city of Dundee. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C. and has a capacity of 14,209.-Early days :...

. After five substitute appearances, he made his full debut on 23 September, scoring a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

 in a 9–0 win over Montrose
Montrose F.C.
Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team, based in the town of Montrose, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division.- Early years :...

 in the second round of the 2003–04 Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...

. His full league debut came four days later in a 1–2 defeat to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

 at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...

, and he scored his first league goal on 7 December in a 1–3 defeat to Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

 at Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium is an all-seated football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It was first used in 1899 and from 1903 has been the home of Aberdeen Football Club...

.

On 5 February 2004, in the semi-final of that season's Scottish League Cup at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...

 against his former club Rangers, Dobbie scored the equalising goal in the 79th minute. The game ended 1–1 after extra time and Hibs won 4–3 on penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...

. Despite this, Dobbie failed to win a regular place in the Hibernian first team as Garry O'Connor
Garry O'Connor
Garry Lawrence John O'Connor is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Hibernian. He has also played for the Scotland international team....

 and Derek Riordan
Derek Riordan
Derek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...

 were preferred. Dobbie was a 70th minute substitute in the 2004 Scottish League Cup Final
2004 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2004 Scottish Cup Final was played on 14 March 2004, at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 57th Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Hibernian and Livingston. Livingston won the match 2–0, thanks to goals from Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister.-Match details:...

 defeat by Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...

. Hibs lost 2–0 to goals by Derek Lilley
Derek Lilley
Derek Lilley is a Scottish footballer currently without a club following his release from Scottish Third Division side Forfar Athletic.-Morton & England:...

 and Jamie McAllister
Jamie McAllister
James Reynolds "Jamie" McAllister is a Scottish international professional Association footballer currently playing for Bristol City. He plays usually as a left back.-Early career:...

.

He made a total of 33 appearances, scoring six goals that season. On 3 July he made his European debut in the second round of the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, as a 76th minute substitute, in a 1–1 draw with Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

n A Lyga
A Lyga
The A Lyga is the top division of professional football in Lithuania. It is organized by LFF . League size has varied between 8 and 12 teams over the past few years; for its 2011 season, the league features 12 teams...

 side Vėtra
FK Vetra
FK Vėtra was a Lithuanian football team from the capital city of Vilnius.- History :The club was founded in 1997 and was initially based in Rūdiškės, a settlement in Vilnius district, and moved in 2003 to Vilnius city with the purchase of its own stadium....

 at Easter Road.

He then started the 2004–05 season with Hibernian, making seven League and three League Cup appearances.

St Johnstone and Dumbarton

A lack of opportunities at Hibs under the management of Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray
Anthony Mark "Tony" Mowbray is an English former professional football player, who is currently the manager of Middlesbrough...

 meant that Dobbie was sent on loan to Scottish First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....

 side St. Johnstone on 28 January 2005. His debut came on 19 March as a 57th minute substitute in a 0–2 defeat to Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...

 at McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park is a football stadium in Perth, Scotland, the home ground of St. Johnstone FC. It has an all-seated capacity of 10,673.-History:...

 and scored his first goal in a 4–0 win over Partick Thistle
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...

 at the Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium
Firhill Stadium or Firhill Arena is a football, rugby union and rugby league stadium located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, Scotland. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C...

 on 16 April. He made a total of eight appearances for the club that season, scoring two goals.

The transfer to St Johnstone was made permanent in the summer of 2005, going on to make a total of 27 appearances scoring 4 goals in the 2005–06 season.

He struggled to hold down a regular place in the team, and the following season he was loaned out to Scottish Third Division Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...

, where he found some form, scoring ten goals in seventeen league games. He made his debut on 19 August 2006 in a 0–1 defeat to Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...

 at Hampden Park. His first goal came in his second match for the club, a 1–3 defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club from Inverness who compete in the Scottish Premier League. They are currently managed by Terry Butcher and assistant manager Maurice Malpas...

 at the Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium
The Caledonian Stadium, currently known as the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium situated in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland...

 in the second round of that season's Scottish League Cup. He made a total of 18 appearances on loan at Dumbarton, scoring 11 goals.

Queen of the South

Dobbie's form at Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...

 was noticed by Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...

 based Scottish First Division club Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...

 who signed him from St. Johnstone on 5 January 2007. He made his debut the following day in a 1–1 draw with Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...

 in the third round of the 2006–07 Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...

 at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...

. In the replay, a 3–3 draw at Palmerston Park
Palmerston Park
Palmerston Park is a multi-purpose stadium on Terregles Street in Dumfries, south west Scotland. The site of the ground was formerly a farm called Palmers Toun. This is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith in Dumfries. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of...

 ten days later, Dobbie scored his first two goals for the club. Queen's went on to win the tie 4–2 on penalties After scoring another brace in a 4–3 home league win over Partick Thistle on 27 January, he scored again in the 2–0 fourth round victory over Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...

 in the Scottish Cup. He then grabbed a third brace on 17 February in a 3–0 win over Airdrie United
Airdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...

 at the Excelsior Stadium
Excelsior Stadium
The Excelsior Stadium is the home of Airdrie United F.C. of the Scottish Football League Second Division. It was built in 1998 to house Airdrieonians F.C., and when Airdrieonians went into liquidation four years later, Airdrie United began playing their home games there.When the stadium first...

. He then played in the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup as Queen's lost 2–1 to his former club Hibernian. He scored 13 goals in a total of 19 appearances that season.

With Gordon Chisholm
Gordon Chisholm
Gordon Chisholm is a Scottish professional football former player and manager. Chisholm played as a central defender for Sunderland, Hibernian, Dundee and Partick Thistle....

 appointed manager for the 2007–08 season, Dobbie and Queens embarked upon a club history making Scottish Cup run. He scored twice in the third round as Queen's beat Peterhead
Peterhead F.C.
Peterhead F.C. are a football club based in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. They currently play in the Scottish Football League Third Division, following promotion in the 2004–05 season.Their home ground is Balmoor in Peterhead, with a capacity of 4,000...

 5–0 at the Balmoor Stadium on 24 November 2007. He added another goal in the fourth round 4–0 home win over Linlithgow Rose
Linlithgow Rose F.C.
Linlithgow Rose F.C. are a Scottish junior association football club from Linlithgow, West Lothian who play in the East Region Super League...

 on 12 January 2008. Queen's then beat Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....

 2–0 in the fifth round on 2 February.

Dobbie's opening goal in a 2–0 home win in the quarter-final against Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...

 on 8 March helped to take Queens to their first Scottish Cup semi final since 1950. The second goal was scored by Ryan McCann
Ryan McCann
Ryan McCann is a Scottish professional association footballer who plays in either midfield or at right back and who is currently at Stockport County...

 with a notably long range shot from 84 yards. Queens then progressed to their first ever Scottish Cup Final by beating Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

 4–3 in the semi-final on 12 April. Dobbie started the semi-final at Hampden Park, but had to be substituted approaching half time due to injury. Despite second half goals by Steve Tosh
Steve Tosh
Steven William Tosh is a professional association footballer. A midfielder journeyman of many clubs, Tosh is currently with Cove Rangers.-Early career:...

 and Jim Thomson, Queens' lost 2–3 to Rangers in the final
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...

 on 24 May, with Dobbie being substituted in the 82nd minute. Dobbie was Queens' top scorer for the 2007–08 season with 20 goals in a total of 44 games as the club finished fourth in the First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....

.

Dobbie played in Queens' 2008–09 UEFA Cup campaign in August 2008, in which they lost 2–4 over two legs to Danish Superliga
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga is the current Danish football championship tournament, and administered by the Danish Football Association. It is the highest association football league in Denmark and is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams to be relegated, which proves to be one of the...

 side FC Nordsjælland
FC Nordsjælland
Football Club Nordsjælland is a professional Danish football team from the North Zealand town of Farum, Denmark. Founded as Farum Boldklub from the merger of the town's two football clubs Farum IK and Stavnsholt BK in 1991, the club changed its name to F.C...

 in the second qualifying round. Despite being the most prolific goal scorer at Queens since Andy Thomson
Andy Thomson (Scottish footballer)
Andrew "Andy" Thomson is a former Scottish professional football player. He played in 549 league matches, scoring 195 league goals in a career that saw him play for Queen of the South, Partick Thistle, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir in Scotland and Southend United, Oxford United, Gillingham and...

 in the early 90s, Chisholm elected to leave Dobbie out of the starting line up for both games, preferring Stewart Kean
Stewart Kean
Stewart Kean is a Scottish professional footballer currently playing for Stenhousemuir.-Ayr United:Kean signed for Ayr United at the start of the 2001–02 season to begin his senior football career. Kean made 93 league appearances and scored 29 league goals for the club.-St Mirren:Kean signed for St...

.

The 2008–09 season saw Dobbie score 23 goals in 32 league games, including four in one game, a 7–1 home win over Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...

. All four goals came in just 13 minutes in the second half of the game.

On 6 May 2009, Queen of the South announced Dobbie was moving to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 to play for Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

 side Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

. Dobbie said of the move "I'm sad to leave Queen of the South as I felt I'd struck up a good bond with the fans those past two and a half years. However, it's an offer I just couldn't refuse! I'd like to say a big thank-you to the manager, the players, coaching staff at Palmerston and I'll never forget my time there. If I'm not playing any week don't be surprised to see me in the stand watching Queens in action. Good luck to you all." Dobbie was the first player to transfer between the two clubs since Tommy Lang
Tommy Lang
Thomas "Tommy" Lang was an footballer, who played for Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town, Manchester United, Swansea City and Queen of the South. He was born in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland....

 in 1938.

Swansea City

Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

 confirmed on 7 May 2009 that they had agreed personal terms with Dobbie who would be moving to the South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...

 club, subject to a medical at the Liberty Stadium
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
The Liberty Stadium is a purpose-built sports stadium and conferencing venue in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium is all-seated, with a capacity of 20,532 making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea and the third largest stadium in Wales after the Millennium Stadium and the...

. He passed the medical on 22 May, signing a three-year deal with the club on a free transfer. His first two goals for Swansea came in a 3–0 win at home to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....

 in the first round of the 2009–10
2009–10 Football League Cup
The 2009–10 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 50th season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for England's top 92 football clubs....

 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 on 11 August 2009. His third goal came in the next round of the League Cup, a 1–2 defeat at home to Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

 on 25 August. This gave Dobbie three goals in six games for Swansea at this point. However he lost his team place due to injury and played only two more games for Swansea in 2009.

Blackpool

On 1 February 2010, Dobbie signed for fellow Championship side Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

 on loan until the end of the season
Blackpool F.C. season 2009–10
The 2009–10 season was Blackpool F.C.s 103rd season in the Football League. It was also their third consecutive season in The Championship, the second tier of English football. The club won promotion, via the play-offs, to the Premier League for the first time, their 28th overall season in the top...

, with a view to a permanent move.

This would eventually make Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa
Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...

 who was Swansea City manager at the time very unpopular with the fans for many reasons. As Dobbie was not signed by Sousa it was believed the two never got along. Despite being a potential goalscorer Dobbie was often snubbed and never given many chances. Swansea City fans were also angry because Dobbie was loaned to their promotion rivals for the play off places.

Two days later he scored on his debut, in a 3–2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...

. On 6 February, in his first full appearance, he found the net again in the 89th minute of a 2–1 home defeat to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

. Dobbie scored a crucial goal in a play-off semi final against Nottingham Forest that earned Blackpool a place in the Wembley final. Dobbie made a second half substitute appearance in the 3–2 play off final win against Cardiff City
Cardiff city
Cardiff City may refer to:* Cardiff city centre* Cardiff City Council* Cardiff City F.C.* Cardiff City L.F.C.* Cardiff City Stadium...

.

Return to Swansea City

After his loan spell with Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

, Dobbie returned to Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

. After Paulo Sousa
Paulo Sousa
Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...

 left the club to manage Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

, new Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers is a Northern Irish former footballer, who is currently the manager of Swansea City.After retiring as a footballer at the age of 20, Rodgers stayed at Reading and was appointed as youth team coach. He joined Chelsea, under the leadership of José Mourinho, as youth team manager in...

 gave Dobbie more chances in the first team. With Craig Beattie
Craig Beattie
Craig Beattie is a Scottish footballer who has played for Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion, and Celtic as a striker.-Celtic:...

 and Gorka Pintado
Gorka Pintado
Gorka Pintado del Molino is a Spanish footballer who plays for AEK Larnaca F.C. in Cyprus, as a striker.-Football career:...

 out injured, leaving only Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi is a Kosovar-born Finnish professional footballer who is currently playing for League One side Oldham Athletic. Kuqi plays predominately as a striker. He has spent most of his career in the English league, and has played for clubs including Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich...

 to compete with for the lone striker role in the team, Dobbie was heavily relied on to score goals.

Dobbie scored in a 4–0 home win against Preston North End on 14 August 2010, his first goal in 12 months for Swansea, which he dedicated to Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj
Besian Idrizaj was an Austrian professional football player who last played as a striker for Swansea City. He was ethnic Albanian.He died of a suspected heart attack on 15 May 2010 at the age of 22.-Liverpool:...

. The following month he put Swansea 1-0 up against Leeds United in the 13th minute, but they went on to lose 2-1. After Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi
Shefki Kuqi is a Kosovar-born Finnish professional footballer who is currently playing for League One side Oldham Athletic. Kuqi plays predominately as a striker. He has spent most of his career in the English league, and has played for clubs including Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich...

 was loaned to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

, Dobbie was the only fit and available striker at the club while Rodgers looked elsewhere for a loan signing. West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

 striker Frank Nouble
Frank Nouble
Frank Herman Nouble is an English professional footballer, who plays as a striker for Gillingham on loan from West Ham United.-Club career:...

 arrived at the club on a three month loan deal as competition for Dobbie. Dobbie was dropped to the bench but later came on and scored to make it 2-0 to the Swans. On 28 September 2010 his next goal came at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

, which gave Swansea a 3-2 win.

From October to January, Dobbie was only used as a substitute and failed to score any goals as he was replaced by Middlesbrough loan signing Marvin Emnes
Marvin Emnes
Marvin Emnes is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for English team Middlesbrough.-Early life:...

 and a returning Craig Beattie
Craig Beattie
Craig Beattie is a Scottish footballer who has played for Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion, and Celtic as a striker.-Celtic:...

. It became more difficult for Dobbie to get a chances in the team when Jermaine Easter
Jermaine Easter
Jermaine Maurice Easter is a Welsh international footballer currently playing as a striker for Crystal Palace.-Early career:...

 joined for a month on loan from Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes Dons F.C.
.Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...

. On 28 December 2010 at home to Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

, Dobbie was given a rare start, alongside Jermaine Easter
Jermaine Easter
Jermaine Maurice Easter is a Welsh international footballer currently playing as a striker for Crystal Palace.-Early career:...

. Easter scored the only goal of the game, while Dobbie impressed in what seemed to be an attacking midfield role.

After Luke Moore
Luke Moore
Luke Moore is an English football striker who currently plays for Swansea City. Moore has represented England at U21 level and is the younger brother of fellow former professional footballer, Stefan Moore.-Aston Villa:...

 was signed from West Brom, Dobbie continued to be kept on the bench. On 22 February 2011, away at Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

, Dobbie came from the bench to score the winning goal in a 1-0 win. It was his first goal in 5 months.

On 26 February 2011, in a 3-0 win against play-off rivals Leeds United, Dobbie impressed playing behind lone striker Luke Moore
Luke Moore
Luke Moore is an English football striker who currently plays for Swansea City. Moore has represented England at U21 level and is the younger brother of fellow former professional footballer, Stefan Moore.-Aston Villa:...

. He helped Luke Moore score the third goal of the game with an impressive through ball. On 8 March 2011 he opened the scoring with an early goal at home to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

, with the final score being 1-1. He scored three goals in the last two games of the season, which helped Swansea finish third in the table.

During the first leg of the semi-final play-off match away at Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

, left back Neil Taylor
Neil Taylor
Neil Royston Taylor, born Farnborough, Kent on 21 July 1959, is a former cricketer who played first-class and List A cricket for Kent and Sussex for 20 seasons between 1979 and 1998....

 was sent off after only a minute into the game. In order to bring on a defender to reorganise the team, Rodgers substituted Dobbie moments later. Dobbie scored the second goal in the home leg against Forest, which helped secured Swansea a place in the final with a 3–1 aggregate victory.

Dobbie then played in the 2011 Football League Championship play-off Final
2011 Football League Championship play-off Final
The 2011 Football League Championship play-off final was a football match contested by Reading and Swansea City on 30 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium to decide the third team to be promoted from the Championship to the Premier League for the 2011–12 season....

 at Wembley, a second successive successful appearance in the play off final. A 4-2 victory against Reading, Dobbie scored his side's third goal and also set up one for Scott Sinclair
Scott Sinclair
Scott Andrew Sinclair is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Swansea City as a winger, having previously played for Bristol Rovers, Chelsea, Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic...

.

Career statistics

Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Northern Spirit
Northern Spirit FC
Northern Spirit Football Club was a football club based in North Sydney, Australia. Northern Spirit entered the National Soccer League in the 1998-99 season...

2002-03 3 3 - - - 3 3
Total3300000033
Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

2003-04 28 2 1 0 4 4 - 33 6
2004-05 7 0 - 3 1 1 0 11 1
Total352107510447
St Johnstone
St Johnstone F.C.
St. Johnstone F.C. is a professional football club based in Perth, Scotland. Although it is officially recorded as being formed in 1884, the club did not play its first game until February 1885. The club's home since 1989 has been McDiarmid Park....

 (loan)
2004-05 8 2 - - - 8 2
St Johnstone
St Johnstone F.C.
St. Johnstone F.C. is a professional football club based in Perth, Scotland. Although it is officially recorded as being formed in 1884, the club did not play its first game until February 1885. The club's home since 1989 has been McDiarmid Park....

2005-06
Scottish First Division 2005-06
The 2005-06 Scottish First Division was won by St Mirren.As league champions, St Mirren were promoted to the Scottish Premier League. Stranraer who lost in a relegation playoff Semi-Final and Brechin were relegated to the Scottish Second Division, and Scottish Second Division winners Gretna and...

20 1 1 0 2 2 - 23 3
Total283102200315
Dumbarton
Dumbarton F.C.
Dumbarton Football Club is Scotland's 4th oldest football club – founded in 1872, just after Queen's Park , Kilmarnock and Stranraer...

 (loan)
2006-07
Scottish Third Division 2006-07
The 2006–07 Scottish Football League Third Division was the 12th season in the format of ten teams in the fourth-tier of Scottish football. The season started on 4 August 2006 and ended on 28 April 2007. Berwick Rangers finished top and were promoted alongside Queen's Park as play-off winners.East...

17 10 - 1 1 - 18 11
Total17100011001811
Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...

2006-07
Scottish First Division 2006-07
The 2006-07 First Division season was the twelfth season of the Scottish First Division in its current format of ten teams. It began on August 5, 2006 and ended on April 28, 2007....

15 8 4 3 - - 19 11
2007-08
Scottish First Division 2007-08
The 2007–08 First Division season was the thirteenth season of the First Division in its current format of ten teams.The team which finished first were automatically promoted to the Scottish Premier League...

36 16 6 4 1 0 - 43 20
2008-09
Scottish First Division 2008-09
The 2008–09 Scottish First Division will be the fourteenth season of the First Division in its current format of ten teams.-SPL & First Division:Promoted from First Division to Scottish Premier League* Hamilton Academical...

32 23 1 0 1 0 2 0 36 23
Total834711720209854
Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

2009-10
2009–10 Football League Championship
The Football League Championship season 2009–10 is the sixth season of the league under its current title and eighteenth season under its current league division format...

6 0 1 0 2 3 - 9 3
Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

 (loan)
19 5 - - - 19 5
Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...

2010-11
2010–11 Football League Championship
The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format...

44 11 1 0 3 0 - 47 11
Total50132053005714
Career Total 2348915717113026998

Personal life

When Dobbie moved from Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...

 to Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

 in February 2010, his wife Susanne was nine months pregnant and already overdue. When he made his debut for the Seasiders on 3 February, she was five days overdue. He said: "My wife is in a hotel on the prom. I've got a house organised, which we are about to move into. It has been a bit rushed. It was a case of a quick pack in Swansea, so the baby will be born in England now." The baby, a boy, was born the following weekend.

Honours

Hibernian – 2004 Scottish League Cup Final
2004 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2004 Scottish Cup Final was played on 14 March 2004, at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 57th Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Hibernian and Livingston. Livingston won the match 2–0, thanks to goals from Derek Lilley and Jamie McAllister.-Match details:...

ist

Queen of the South – 2008 Scottish Cup Final
2008 Scottish Cup Final
The 2008 Scottish Cup Final was a football match which took place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 24 May 2008. The match was the final of the 123rd Scottish Cup and was contested by Queen of the South and Rangers. Queen of the South beat Aberdeen 4–3 in their semi-final, Rangers beat St...

ist

Blackpool – 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final
2010 Football League Championship play-off Final
The 2010 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 May 2010 to decide the third team to be promoted from The Championship to the Premier League for the 2010–11 season....

 winner

Swansea City - 2011 Football League Championship play-off Final
2011 Football League Championship play-off Final
The 2011 Football League Championship play-off final was a football match contested by Reading and Swansea City on 30 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium to decide the third team to be promoted from the Championship to the Premier League for the 2011–12 season....

 winner

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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