Thomas Dobson (rugby)

Thomas Hyde Dobson
Personal information
Full name Thomas Hyde Dobson
Born January→March 1872
Bradford, England
Died 12 November 1902 (aged 30)
Bradford, England
Playing information
Rugby union
Position Centre

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≤1895–95 Bradford F.C.
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≤1893/94–≥93/94 Yorkshire ≥1
1895 England 1 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position Wing

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1895–≥98 Bradford F.C.

Thomas "Tommy" Hyde Dobson (January→March 1872[1] — 12 November 1902 (aged 30)[2]) born in Bradford, was a rugby union footballer, and professional sprinter, and rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s, playing representative level rugby union (RU) for England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Undercliffe RFC, Laisterdyke RFC, Bowling RFC, and Bradford F.C.,[3] as a Centre, i.e. number 12, or 13, playing club level rugby league (RL) for Bradford F.C., as a wing, and as a sprinter, primarily in the Northern England, he won over £200 in prizes (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £81,950 in 2015),[4] he died in Bradford from food poisoning after eating raw mussels.[5] Prior to Tuesday 27 August 1895, Bradford F.C. was a rugby union club, it then became a rugby league club, and since 1907 it has been the association football (soccer) club Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C..

Playing career

International honours

Tommy Dobson won a cap for England (RU) while at Bradford F.C. in 1895 against Scotland.[6]

County honours

Tommy Dobson won cap(s) for Yorkshire (RU) while at Bradford F.C.,[7] in William Barnes Wollen's painting of Yorkshire's 11–3 victory over Lancashire during the 1893/94 season, a painting that is now held at the Rugby Football Union headquarters in the Twickenham Stadium, Alfred "Alf" Barraclough can be seen being tackled, and passing the ball to Jack Toothill, with Tommy Dobson on the outside, although Tommy Dobson did not actually participate in this particular match.[8]

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Tommy Dobson played right wing, i.e. number 2, in Bradford F.C.'s 0-7 defeat by Batley in the 1898 Challenge Cup Final during the 1897–98 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 23 April 1898, in front of a crowd of 27,941.

Change of Code

When Bradford F.C. converted from the rugby union code to the rugby league code on Tuesday 27 August 1895, Tommy Dobson would have been approximately 23. Consequently, he was both a rugby union and rugby league footballer for Bradford F.C.[9]

Club career

Tommy Dobson scored Bradford F.C.'s first ever try in the Challenge Cup in the 7-3 victory over Oldham in the 1897 Challenge Cup during the 1896–97 season at Park Avenue, Bradford on Saturday 20 March 1897.

Genealogical information

Tommy Dobson was the son of the professional sprinter, Harry Dobson, winner of the Sheffield Handicap, then the world's foremost sprint event which was run over a turf course and attracted "the fastest sprinters in the world".[10] Tommy Dobson's marriage to Jane Elizabeth (née Jagger) was registered during January–March 1895 in Bradford district.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Death details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
  4. ↑ "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Death Of A Bradford Footballer - Poisoned By Eating Mussels (Saturday 15 November 1902). Telegraph & Argus. ISBN n/a
  6. ↑ "Statistics at espnscrum.com". espnscrum.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Roses match". rugbyleagueheritageproject.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "The Ghost in the Painting - The Roses Match". englandrugby.com. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  9. ↑ "Photograph Thomas Hyde Dobson at rugbyleagueheritageproject.com". rugbyleagueheritageproject.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  10. ↑ Walter Eckersall (19 December 1926). "Michigan Track Coach Star of Years Gone by". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ↑ "Marriage details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
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