Stuart Dobson (born 10 February 1970) is an English retired footballer who played in various indoor soccer leagues in the United States. He currently serves as the goalkeeping coach for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship.

Stuart Dobson
Dobson coaching the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 2017
Personal information
Full name Stuart Dobson
Date of birth (1970-02-10) 10 February 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth Beverley, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Youth career
Reading F.C.
1992–1994 Portland Pilots
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995 Portland Pride (indoor) 10 (0)
1995–1996 Chicago Power (indoor) 20 (0)
1996–1997 Tampa Bay Terror (indoor) 46 (0)
1996 Cascade Surge ? (0)
1997–1998 Montreal Impact (indoor) 8 (0)
1998 Harrisburg Heat (indoor) 11 (0)
1998 Mississippi Beach Kings (indoor) 27 (0)
1998–1999 Buffalo Blizzard (indoor) 26 (0)
1999 Utah Freezz (indoor) 21 (0)
2000–2001 Buffalo Blizzard (indoor) 3 (0)
2001–2006 Philadelphia KiXX (indoor) 50 (0)
Total 222 (0)
Managerial career
2007–2008 New Jersey Ironmen (goalkeepers)
2008–2012 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (goalkeepers)
2012–2015 Akron Zips (goalkeepers)
2015– Tampa Bay Rowdies (goalkeepers)
2023 Tampa Bay Rowdies (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Continental Indoor Soccer League

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Dobson started his professional career with Portland Pride of the Continental Indoor Soccer League in June 1995[1] where he appeared in 10 matches.[2]

National Professional Soccer League

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He then joined Chicago Power of the National Professional Soccer League for the 1995–96 NPSL season and appeared in 20 matches[3] before being traded to Tampa Bay Terror in exchange for Bill Andracki.[4] He appeared in a further seven games for Tampa Bay that season. In the Terror's offseason, Dobson featured in at least seven outdoor matches for Cascade Surge[5] for the 1996 USISL Professional League. He appeared in 39 more matches for the 1996–97 season, leading the Terror to the playoffs where he played three more matches.[6]

Dobson joined Montreal Impact for the club's first season of indoor soccer in 1997, appearing in eight matches before being traded for cash to Harrisburg Heat.[7] He made a further 11 appearances for the Heat.[8] However, Dobson's stop in Harrisburg was short as the Heat traded him on 17 November 1998 to the Buffalo Blizzard.[9]

He remained in Buffalo, on and off, until the National Professional Soccer League ceased operations after the 2000–01 season. In his first year with the club, Dobson led them to the playoffs, making three appearances, after playing in 26 regular season matches.[10] He didn't appear in the 1999–2000 season, but made his final three appearances for the Blizzard in the 2000–01 season.[11]

Eastern Indoor Soccer League

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In the 1998 off-season of the NPSL, Dobson played in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League, a regional minor indoor soccer league that lasted only two seasons. He was acquired by Mississippi Beach Kings on 7 May 1998 ahead of the final 1998 EISL season.[12][13] With Mississippi, Dobson went to the playoffs, but ultimately lost by one goal in the championship game to Lafayette SwampCats.[14] Dobson was named the 1998 Eastern Indoor Soccer League Goalkeeper of the Year[15][16] and was placed on the 1998 EISL All-League Team.[17]

World Indoor Soccer League

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In the 1999 off-season of the NPSL, Dobson joined World Indoor Soccer League team Utah Freezz[18] and made 21 appearances before losing in the playoffs. He re-signed with the club in June 2000.[19]

Major Indoor Soccer League

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Dobson found a home with Philadelphia KiXX of the Major Indoor Soccer League when he was selected in the 8th round (45th overall) in the 2001 MISL Dispersal Draft.[20][21] He made 50 regular season appearances from 2001 through 2006 and won the 2001–02 MISL Championship.[22][23][24][25][26]

Coaching career

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Dobson was named Goalkeepers Coach for Akron Zips men's soccer on 15 August 2012 under former head coach Caleb Porter.[27] He previously held the same role with UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer which he joined in 2008[28] after being with New Jersey Ironmen and working with Tony Meola.[29] On 15 January 2015, the Tampa Bay Rowdies introduced Dobson as their new goalkeepers coach, replacing the outgoing Slobodan Janjuš.[30]

In July 2023, following Neill Collins' departure to join Barnsley as manager, Dobson assumed the role of interim head coach for the Rowdies.[31]

References

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  1. ^ "Transactions". Sports. Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Vol. 150, no. 174. Spartanburg, South Carolina. 23 June 1995. p. B6. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  2. ^ "1995 Continental Indoor Soccer League Final Statistics". Kenn.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  3. ^ "NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1995-1996". Kenn.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  4. ^ Soccer tonight The Tampa Tribune – Friday, 1 March 1996
  5. ^ Finke, Jeff (16 June 1996). "Shadow Starts Slow, But Downs Cascade In Shootout". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  6. ^ "NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1996-1997". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Thursday's Sports Transactions". Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ "NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1997-1998". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Transactions". Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  10. ^ "NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE PLAYOFF STATISTICS -- 1998-1999". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  11. ^ "NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 2000-2001". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  12. ^ "EISL Transactions". Archived from the original on 21 February 1999. Retrieved 8 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ "Thursday's Sports Transactions". Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ "Eastern Indoor Soccer League". American Soccer History Archives. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  15. ^ "Beach Kings' Dobson Takes Home Goalkeeper of the Year Award". Archived from the original on 20 August 1999. Retrieved 8 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ "Second-period rally too much for Kings". Archived from the original on 9 February 1999. Retrieved 8 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "EISL Names All-League Team". Archived from the original on 20 February 1999. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  18. ^ Edward, James (11 August 1999). "Dobson's dilemma resolved -- Freezz find a keeper". DesertNews.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  19. ^ "General: Transactions - Soccer". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. 29 June 2000. Retrieved 9 February 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  20. ^ "MISL HOLDS DISPERSAL DRAFT". Archived from the original on 23 August 2001. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  21. ^ "Stuart Dobson 2002 MISL player profile". Archived from the original on 30 March 2002. Retrieved 8 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ^ "MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 2001-2002". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  23. ^ "MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL REPORT - 2002-2003". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  24. ^ "MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL REPORT - 2003-2004". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  25. ^ "MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE DAILY REPORT". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  26. ^ "MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE DAILY REPORT". Kenn.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  27. ^ "Men's Soccer Names Stuart Dobson Goalkeeper Coach". Akron Zips. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  28. ^ "UCSB Names Stuart Dobson Goalkeeper Coach". UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  29. ^ "Dobson set to lead goalkeepers of UC-Santa Barbara". OurSportsCentral.com. New Jersey Ironmen. 28 January 2008. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  30. ^ "Goalkeeper Coach Stuart Dobson Joins Rowdies Technical Staff". Rowdies Soccer. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  31. ^ "Collins Departing Rowdies to Take Barnsley Manager Role". RowdiesSoccer.com. Tampa Bay Rowdies. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
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