Martin Dobson is the last Burnley player, so far, to gain full international honours for England. Undoubtedly one of the most elegant and stylish footballers ever to wear the famous Claret and Blue, he was very nearly lost to the professional game when Bolton Wanderers gave him a free transfer in 1967.

It was a crushing blow to the young Dobson who had been spotted by Wanderers scouts playing at centre forward for Clitheroe Grammar School and signed as a 16-year-old apprentice in 1964. He felt a failure, and was on the point of giving football the "thumbs down" when his father persuaded Burnley manager Harry Potts to give him a trial at Turf Moor.

He impressed sufficiently to be offered a contract and, after a stumble, his career was at last on the move again. He immediately won a place in the Clarets' reserve side and scored on his Central League debut. In little over a month he was playing in the First Division and, although not a regular at first, had served notice that he was a talent to be reckoned with.

Dobson initially disputed the striking roles with Willie Irvine and Andy Lochhead, but in little over a year both players had moved on as plans were being laid for the Burnley of the 1970s.

It is often said of Martin Dobson that, although he started his career as a centre forward, it was when he moved into midfield that he really found his true position.

Such was his versatility however that a loss of form for Colin Waldron late in 1969 prompted Harry Potts, then his successor Jimmy Adamson, to try Dobson at the heart of the Clarets' defence. The number five shirt was his for the remainder of the season and such was the impression he made as a centre back that he was called up for England under-23 duty against Bulgaria at Plymouth in April, 1970.

A broken leg for Martin Dobson in a friendly at Middlesbrough as the following season approached, greatly upset Burnley's plans for the new campaign. With goalkeeper Peter Mellor also out of action the first half of the season was a disaster and, although both players returned for only the second win of the season in late November "The Team of the Seventies" went on to be relegated.

After a year to find their feet in the Second Division the Clarets blossomed again in 1972/73 with Martin Dobson now captaining the side from midfield. Some marvellous football flowed from Turf Moor as Burnley swept to the Second Division Championship to once again take their place among the elite.

Sixth place in 1973/74 and an FA Cup semi-final place, all seemed set fair for another successful season and, who knows, some silverware for the Turf Moor trophy cabinet.

Four days after that memorable semi-final against Newcastle, Martin Dobson at last arrived on the full International stage, taking his place in what was Sir Alf Ramsey's last match as England manager, a goalless draw with Portugal in Lisbon. He appeared in three more Internationals whilst still a Burnley player under Joe Mercer on England's Eastern European tour the following summer.

Suddenly, three games into the 1974/75 season, the millionaires of Everton moved in, smashing the British transfer record and making off with Martin Dobson, who had become one of the Clarets' prized assets. £300,000 had proved impossible to resist for the Burnley Board of Directors who had the new Bob Lord Stand to pay for.

In five years on Merseyside, Dobson was a regular in an Everton side only modestly successful by Goodison Park standards. He figured in two UEFA Cup campaigns and in 1977, played in the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Liverpool and the three-game marathon in the League Cup Final which ended in defeat by Aston Villa at Old Trafford. He won just one more full England cap as an Everton player.

It was perhaps a surprise when, at 31, he returned to Turf Moor in the summer of 1979 for £100,000. Harry Potts was at the helm again and, with the Anglo-Scottish Cup having just been won, hopes were high of a serious push for promotion from Division Two.

It didn't happen of course and, at season's end, the Clarets were left contemplating life in the Third Division for the first time ever.

After a season of acclimatisation in Division Three, 1981-82 proved to be a memorable campaign. With Dobson once again captaining the side, the Clarets started poorly, but then put together a magnificent run of only two defeats in 38 League games to snatch the Third Division championship in the last game of the season. The good times seemed to have returned but relegation followed immediately with first Brian Miller then Frank Casper vacating the manager's chair.

The summer of 1983 saw the arrival of John Bond and immediately it was apparent that Bond did not see Martin Dobson as his lieutenant on the field. The captaincy passed to Tommy Hutchison, a Bond signing, and although Dobson was a regular in the side, at 35 he was obviously seen as dispensable.

He moved to Bury in 1984, later becoming player/manager and leading the Shakers to promotion from Division Four in 1985. He left Gigg Lane in 1989 after a disagreement with the Bury directors. He managed Bristol Rovers briefly at the start of the 1991/92 season and, in 1992 was offered a coaching position in Greece.

These days Martin Dobson coaches youngsters in the finer points of the game he graced with such distinction. He now lives in the Burnley area and is a frequent visitor to Turf Moor.

Nearly three decades after leaving Bolton, he returned to Burnden Park in May 1996 to take up the position of Youth Development Officer.