Michael Dobson

[Wouldbee]

Agree - never gave less than 100% and has my full respect although I'm struggling to recall him as being a 'heart on sleeve' type? Thought he had a fairly reserved / straightforward persona which is possibly why his thread hasn't attracted too much interest over the years for a player with so many appearances.

I stand by the HOTS comment. He did it in a quiet way but he definitely did it. Never a lack of focus.

 

[Balders Bee]

Michael's dad George was a good mate of mine and he told me that Michael wasn't that interested in football and never watched other games. To him it was just a job so I am not surprised that he has never been back to watch the Bees.

That's the impression I very much got. He never trades on his days as a football Pro with his Personal Training business - which you would think would be a selling point for some clientele.

As a player, yes not the most demonstrative of players but always a solid professional and gave 100%. He may not wish to do the whole nostalgia thing but I hope he has at least been invited.

 

[Banana]

He certainly did. I pointed out as much on here many years back and got a private message from him which in effect said "don't blame me, blame Wally...."

Did you not get one about corners and the lack of grass on the pitch?

 

[ChesilB]

Remember him in the away end up at Grimsby. Drew 1-1. Rankin was playing for Grimsby. Not sure if he got their goal. Anyway, Dobbo was injured but mingled with the fans. One of the good guys and a genuinely nice bloke.

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

Here’s a good interview with a Walsall podcast. There’s about 30-40 mins from the start, about his time with Brentford. Micheal really doesn’t like Martin Allan (which I think we all knew anyway).


View: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0iWbqfGjuhLPPdpSveeN8W?si=sJMnyGF3StOfFf_bfE0j3w

Cheers. Quite interesting insight that. Not your typical footballer.
Yeah Dobbo hates Maddog. Mentioned a letter he wrote in reply to a Bees fan where he slagged off MA & said the fan read it out at a fans forum to 250 Bees fans. Who was that, don’t remember that?
Didn’t like Denis Wise either.
Switched off when he said he’d always thought Walsall were a big club… & “bigger than Brentford”. ?

 

[wibs]

Cheers. Quite interesting insight that. Not your typical footballer.
Yeah Dobbo hates Maddog. Mentioned a letter he wrote in reply to a Bees fan where he slagged off MA & said the fan read it out at a fans forum to 250 Bees fans. Who was that, don’t remember that?
Didn’t like Denis Wise either.
Switched off when he said he’d always thought Walsall were a big club… & “bigger than Brentford”. ?

back in the day they probably were.

I think possibly those days have passed

 

[Brentford_till_die]

Yep, never heard anyone say a bad word about MD but he does get overlooked sometimes.

Would only be right to invite him back, he played a big part in some very good Bees teams.

That brace he got away at Southend in the LDV area final

Remember his goal in the final v Port Vale too. Scored too early Dobbo / Brentford !!

 

[nick logan]

Remember his goal in the final v Port Vale too. Scored too early Dobbo / Brentford !!

View: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/brentford-celebrate-michael-dobson-opening-goal-during-the-news-photo/948198

 

[Edmundo]

back in the day they probably were.

I think possibly those days have passed

In which day? I don't reckon Walsall have ever been a bigger club than Brentford, even when we were nobodies.

 

[nick logan]

back in the day they probably were.

I think possibly those days have passed

what are you on about lol ??

 

[Debut1949]

Walsall can look back with thanks to a time when the value of loyalty was so much higher than it is today. At least four seasons running in the 1950s it had to apply for re-election to the Football League and on each occasion it was re-elected.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

In which day? I don't reckon Walsall have ever been a bigger club than Brentford, even when we were nobodies.

They were temporarily a better football team in our dark days post Noades but agreed, never a bigger club.

 

[BEEcool]

Walsall could win the Champions League 3 times on the bounce and I still wouldn't accept them being bigger than us.

 

[hanworthbee]

In which day? I don't reckon Walsall have ever been a bigger club than Brentford, even when we were nobodies.

Weren't they in the championship equivalent in our cup run in 88/89

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

Weren't they in the championship equivalent in our cup run in 88/89

That’s true they were I think. Bit of a giant killing that. Cockram 1-0 at GP with some of us moved to the away end bit of new road.

 

[nick logan]

That’s true they were I think. Bit of a giant killing that. Cockram 1-0 at GP with some of us moved to the away end bit of new road.

They finished bottom i think

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

Here’s an embarrassingly patronising thread about Walsall. Maybe reopen it to pass the preseason?…

Are Walsall our least glamorous or interesting opposition?

i hope other teams don't see us like i think of Walsall. nothing famous about them, no famous ex players, a boring place, rubbish ground, not much of an away day, never bring many to GP, not even got much of a firm have they, i can't even remember what their home kit is and have seen us play...

griffinpark.org

 

[wibs]

In which day? I don't reckon Walsall have ever been a bigger club than Brentford, even when we were nobodies.

I think crowds were

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

Dobbo was also full of praise for Steve Coppell. Said he took him on loan to Reading to escape from Maddog!
Several of the team's hearts weren't in it v Stoke in the play off final as they'd agreed deals elsewhere. (Who left after that one?)
He wasn't that keen to be captain at BFC but everyone experienced had left.
Seems a nice humble lad as you'd expect. Surprised he didn't mention his dad playing for us despite several opportunities to talk about it.
Give it a listen. Actually don't bother I've spoilt most of the good bits for you.

 

[nick logan]

I think crowds were

when ?

 

[nick logan]

That’s true they were I think. Bit of a giant killing that. Cockram 1-0 at GP with some of us moved to the away end bit of new road.

iirc they hadn't won in ages

 

[Brentford_till_die]

Dobbo was also full of praise for Steve Coppell. Said he took him on loan to Reading to escape from Maddog!
Several of the team's hearts weren't in it v Stoke in the play off final as they'd agreed deals elsewhere. (Who left after that one?)
He wasn't that keen to be captain at BFC but everyone experienced had left.
Seems a nice humble lad as you'd expect. Surprised he didn't mention his dad playing for us despite several opportunities to talk about it.
Give it a listen. Actually don't bother I've spoilt most of the good bits for you.

Yeah we knew beforehand that if we didn't win then majority of the team would be off. (although I guess some would have left regardless, they could get more £ elsewhere).

Ingirmarsson, Theobald, Powell, Boxall, Evans, Owusu.
Sidwell & Burgess loans ended.
Gottskalksson and Ijah left a few months later in November 2002.

 

[wibs]

when ?

couldnt give you a date, I just always felt in the 90's they had bigger crowds than us when we were gettign 6k they were getting say 7 or 8k

also they were in the Championship late 90s early 2000's for a few seasons. We definitely werent

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

iirc they hadn't won in ages

Yeah, it was a Tuesday night replay and the crowd was over 8,000 I'm sure. Classic GP under the lights. They brought about 2/300. Remember they walked a load of us round behind their fans from Braemar to New Road because Paddock was overcrowded. Cockram scored from 3 yards up Ealing Road end. Can't remember what I had for dinner last night though!

 

[ChesilB]

couldnt give you a date, I just always felt in the 90's they had bigger crowds than us when we were gettign 6k they were getting say 7 or 8k

also they were in the Championship late 90s early 2000's for a few seasons. We definitely werent

Yep. Midlands powerhouse.

 

[nick logan]

Yeah, it was a Tuesday night replay and the crowd was over 8,000 I'm sure. Classic GP under the lights. They brought about 2/300. Remember they walked a load of us round behind their fans from Braemar to New Road because Paddock was overcrowded. Cockram scored from 3 yards up Ealing Road end. Can't remember what I had for dinner last night though!

Was in that corner bit of new road that was / became away bit

 

[Inappropriate Smilies Bee]

couldnt give you a date, I just always felt in the 90's they had bigger crowds than us when we were gettign 6k they were getting say 7 or 8k

also they were in the Championship late 90s early 2000's for a few seasons. We definitely werent

Yeah reckon that'll be enough to convince Nick I reckon. Put your feet up and wait for your apology...

 

[Brentford_till_die]

Yeah we knew beforehand that if we didn't win then majority of the team would be off. (although I guess some would have left regardless, they could get more £ elsewhere).

Ingirmarsson, Theobald, Powell, Boxall, Evans, Owusu.
Sidwell & Burgess loans ended.
Gottskalksson and Ijah left a few months later in November 2002.

Mahon and Gibbo left in March 2002, couple of months before the end of the season.

 

[Brentford_till_die]

couldnt give you a date, I just always felt in the 90's they had bigger crowds than us when we were gettign 6k they were getting say 7 or 8k

also they were in the Championship late 90s early 2000's for a few seasons. We definitely werent

Always wanted (wished) their striker. Jorge Leitão.
Seemed to always score.
64 goals in 247 EFL appearances.

 

[wibs]

Yeah reckon that'll be enough to convince Nick I reckon. Put your feet up and wait for your apology...

Note to self: Don't make casual throwaway comments to Nick Logan summing up a vague feeling you have, which puts Brentford in an inferior position, without the strongest of backup information that has been verified by a leading law firm

 

[Brentford_till_die]

Weren't they in the championship equivalent in our cup run in 88/89

 

[Brentford_till_die]

Brentford:

 

[nick logan]

Yeah reckon that'll be enough to convince Nick I reckon. Put your feet up and wait for your apology...

i'm on the way over

 

[Beat Poet]

Switched off when he said he’d always thought Walsall were a big club… & “bigger than Brentford”. ?

I can only think that Dobbo came to that conclusion because their ground is visible from the M6.

 

[badgerbee]

Walsall could win the Champions League 3 times on the bounce and I still wouldn't accept them being bigger than us.

You a closet Forest/Leeds fan by any chance....??......

 

[badgerbee]

Yeah, it was a Tuesday night replay and the crowd was over 8,000 I'm sure. Classic GP under the lights. They brought about 2/300. Remember they walked a load of us round behind their fans from Braemar to New Road because Paddock was overcrowded. Cockram scored from 3 yards up Ealing Road end. Can't remember what I had for dinner last night though!

Yep.
I was on the Ealing Road.
Had my pride and joy Ford Capri 1.6GL nicked from Green Dragon Lane Estate that night.
Never recovered.
That taught me never to park there again......?

 

[Infatuated Bees Alter Ego]

Still strange how he's never been back. 177 appearances for a youth player shouldn't be forgotten.

And only 2 pages on here about him.

Been back to our club ? If so, yes, I've asked him about that, but hasn't been really forthcoming.

 

[rebus]

Michael's dad George was a good mate of mine and he told me that Michael wasn't that interested in football and never watched other games. To him it was just a job so I am not surprised that he has never been back to watch the Bees.

I think that’s a fair assessment. Would be nice to get him down for a game though.

 

[Infatuated Bees Alter Ego]

I think that’s a fair assessment. Would be nice to get him down for a game though.

Him and Carl Asaba please.

 

[rebus]

Him and Carl Asaba please.

Yes. That would be great.

 

[Streetboy]

Asaba is very much involved with the Sheff Utd commentary team/local radio. I'd be very surprised if he hadn't been down when we played them.

 

[rebus]

Asaba is very much involved with the Sheff Utd commentary team/local radio. I'd be very surprised if he hadn't been down when we played them.

He's not been yet.

 

[Banana]

I think that’s a fair assessment. Would be nice to get him down for a game though.

I believe that an editor of a former fanzine wrote on these pages that he drew up next to Dobbo on the M40. Dobbo said that he didn't even bother to look at our results anymore. That made me sad. Especially because our history with his family.

He needs to come back as a Gtech hero. Any maybe the youngest captain in our 1000 year history means he gets a place in the Hall of Fame...

 

[Billy Hunt]

Yeah, it was a Tuesday night replay and the crowd was over 8,000 I'm sure. Classic GP under the lights. They brought about 2/300. Remember they walked a load of us round behind their fans from Braemar to New Road because Paddock was overcrowded. Cockram scored from 3 yards up Ealing Road end. Can't remember what I had for dinner last night though!

You were wearing your bright yellow coat, which made you easy to spot on the goals of the season video. ??

 

[rebus]

You were wearing your bright yellow coat, which made you easy to spot on the goals of the season video. ??

Busy night that. Leslie Smith was the half time guest. Oh for a chat with him now to talk about the old days.

 

[tinman]

I remember asking Noades what sort of message was sending out young up and coming young players if he wasn’t prepared to give youth (Dobson) a chance to prove themselves in the first team. His answer was ‘Do you want promotion or don’t you’