Dobbin, Jim

D | Player Pics | A-Z of Players

Personal

Fullname: James Dobbin
aka: Jim Dobbin
Born: 17 September 1963
Birthplace: Dunfermline
Signed: Jan 1979 (‘S’ Form); 9 October 1979 O (professional terms)
Left: 16 Mar 1984 (to Doncaster Rovers)
Position: Midfield
First game: Arbroath 4-1 home 1 September 1982 league cup
Last game: Hearts 3-1 away 17 December 1983 league
First goal: Arbroath 4-1 home 1 September 1982 league cup
Last goal: Dundee United 1-1 home 27 December 1983 league
Internationals: Scotland youth

Biog

Midfielder Jim Dobbin was a schoolboy signing for Celtic on an ‘S’-Form from Whitburn BC. He signed professional terms in October 1980. No less a talent than Billy Bremner (Doncaster Rovers manager) said of him that:

“He is a silky player with a great touch, a great talent for scoring spectacular goals“.

The Dunfermline-born player made a scoring debut (as a sub for Paul McStay) in a 4-1 defeat of Arbroath in a League Cup tie at Parkhead on September 1st 1982. That would be Jim Dobbin’s only appearance of that season, and it would be almost a year before he saw first team action again – making three more League Cup appearances at the start of the 1983-1984 season against Brechin City, Kilmarnock and Airdrie. All these games were at Celtic Park, and all were drawn matches.

Jim Dobbin’s league debut came on 3rd December 1983 in a match against St Johnstone in Perth. He would again get his name on the scoresheet as Celtic ran out 3-0 winners. A fortnight later he came off the bench to score in a 3-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle. His final appearance for Celtic’s first team came as a substitute just 10 days later on 27th December 1983 in a 1-1 draw against Dundee United at Celtic Park.

A good passer of the ball and with an eye for goal Jim Dobbin’s Celtic career was restricted by the emergence of another young midfielder – Paul McStay.

Consequently with first team opportunities limited Jim Dobbin was transferred to Doncaster Rovers in March 1984 after seven first team appearances and three goals. A fair record for the man with few opportunities in the first team.

Later moved to Grimsby and scored v Newcastle to stop Kevin Keegan’s side achieving a then record 14 wins in a row in 1992 (it was the only goal of the game). He went on to play for a myriad of lower tier sides before hanging up his boots in 2000.

After football, Jim Dobbin was working outside of football on a building site, but later moved onto work as a gas engineer for NPower, but kept ties in football by covering Barnsley FC home games for Opta stats.

Playing Career

APPEARANCES LEAGUE SCOTTISH CUP LEAGUE CUP EUROPE TOTAL
1979-84 3 0 4 0 7
Goals: 2 0 1 0 3

Honours with Celtic

(Honours below are only for those campaigns in which the player has played in at least one match in the campaign)

Scottish League Cup

  • 1982-83
  • (played in an early round match)

Pictures