Arriving on a four-week trial from Spennymoor United of the Northern League, Bill Dobson appeared, to the local press, initially to be

“a fish out of the water,” on his debut at full-back, although he “improved in the second half.” 

He was never offered a contract and returned home. After the War, he made it into the Football League, a year after the Saints, when Durham City was admitted to Division III (N) in 1921. But he was soon back in local football. He had been a miner until May 1911 when he joined the 5th Durham Light Infantry but came out in July 1912 to return to the mines before his trial with Saints.

In August 2014 he rejoined his old regiment and by November was a lance corporal. In April 1915 he made it to sergeant and in October 1916 was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. In November 1916 he was mentioned in dispatches and then added a bar to his MM in July 1918. The reward for all his bravery? He returned to the mines after his demob.