Don Tobin

Don Tobin
Personal information
Date of birth1 November 1955
Place of birthLiverpool, England
Playing positionMidfielder
Youth career
1970–1971Everton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1971–1973Everton0(0)
1973–1976Rochdale47(5)
1976–1977Witton Albion
1977–1978Sligo Rovers
1978–1980California Sunshine
1978–1980Wichita Wings (indoor)71(17)
1981–1983Carolina Lightnin'
1981–1983Los Angeles Lazers (indoor)90(50)
1983–1987Canton Invaders (indoor)
1984Rochester Flash
1985Tulsa Tornados
1988–1989Tampa Bay Rowdies
1989Memphis Rogues (indoor)
1990–1993Orlando Lions
Teams managed
1983–1987Canton Invaders (assistant)
1989Memphis Rogues
2000Tampa Bay Extreme
–Tampa Spartans (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Don Tobin is a retired English association football midfielder. Since 1995 he has been Director of Coaching at the Dunedin Stirling Soccer Club in the US. He is also the Technical Director of the University of Tampa's women's soccer team, the Tampa Spartans.

In 1970, Tobin signed with Everton FC as a schoolboy apprentice. He later turned professional with the team, but saw no first team time before moving to Rochdale A.F.C. in 1973. After three seasons, he transferred to Witton Albion. In 1977, he moved to Sligo Rovers for one season before moving to the United States where he remained for the rest of his career. When he arrived in the US, he signed with the California Sunshine of the American Soccer League. After the 1978 summer outdoor season, he signed with the Wichita Wings of the Major Indoor Soccer League for the 1978–79 indoor season. In the spring of 1979, he returned to the Sunshine. That season, he was selected for the ASL first team All Star.[1] He played one more season with the Wings in 1979–80 and one more season with the Sunshine in 1980. In 1981, he signed with the Carolina Lightnin' of the ASL. The Lightnin' won the ASL championship, 2–1 over New York United with Tobin scoring the first Lightnin' goal.[2] This season he was again an ASL first team All Star.[3] He spent three seasons with Carolina. In the fall of 1981, he joined the Los Angeles Lazers for two seasons of MISL action. He scored fifty goals before being released in the summer of 1983. He then signed with the Canton Invaders of the American Indoor Soccer Association. He spent four seasons in Canton and was the 1986 AISA MVP.[4] An injury suffered in February 1987 led to the loss of several months with the Invaders. Then, disagreements between Tobin and the coaching staff led the team to release him at the end of the 1986–87 season.[5] In 1984, he played for the Rochester Flash in the United Soccer League.[6] In June 1985, he signed with the Tulsa Tornados of the USL, but the league collapsed after only six games. In November 1992, the Tampa Bay Rowdies signed Tobin for the team's upcoming 1988 American Soccer League season.[7] He was a regular starter in 1988, but lost much of the 1989 season with injuries before being suspended by head coach Rodney Marsh in August when he told Marsh he would miss a game to manage his ice cream business.[8] The team released him a few weeks later. He was not unemployed for long as the expansion Memphis Rogues of the AISA hired Tobin as head coach. In addition to coaching the team, Tobin also played. On 15 December 1989, the Rogues both fired and released Tobin.[9] In July 1990, he signed with the Orlando Lions of the American Professional Soccer League.[10][11] The Lions folded at the end of the season and it appears Tobin retired from playing then.

In 2000, Tobin coached the Tampa Bay Extreme of the W-League.[12] He is currently an assistant coach with the University of Tampa's soccer team.

References

  1. ↑ The Year in American Soccer – 1979
  2. ↑ Carolina Wins A.S.L. Title
  3. ↑ The Year in American Soccer – 1981
  4. ↑ The Year in American soccer – 1983
  5. ↑ PIKUZINSKI'S EXIT LEAVES INVADERS SEEKING FORWARDS Akron Beacon Journal (OH) – Sunday, 2 August 1987
  6. ↑ SUN REWARDS FANS WITH 4–0 VICTORY Miami Herald, The (FL) – Sunday, 29 July 1984
  7. ↑ Rowdies sign three players St. Petersburg Times – Wednesday, 2 December 1987
  8. ↑ Tobin stunned by suspension, but remains eager to rejoin Rowdies St. Petersburg Times – Friday, 11 August 1989
  9. ↑ December 15, 1989 Transactions
  10. ↑ Fogarty, Marsh sure make Rowdieball hard to figure St. Petersburg Times – Wednesday, 11 July 1990
  11. ↑ 1990 Orlando Lions
  12. ↑ W-League game of Saturday June 3rd, 2000

External links