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He had two spells with the Clarets and there were similarities with both. He broke a leg in pre-season 1970 and missed the first part of the season as we plummeted to the bottom of the league and eventually lost our First Division status after twenty-four years.
But two years later as captain he led us back as Second Division Champions in a season that saw the Clarets lose just four league games.
Early in the 1974/75 season he was suddenly sold to Everton to balance the books just as money was being sought to pay for the newly built Bob Lord Stand. Is it any wonder that it is still referred to by so many as the Martin Dobson Stand?
He went to Everton and for a time it looked like one of us would win the league but disappointing run ins saw Derby lift the title.
We were back in the Second Division when he returned in 1979, again signed by Harry Potts. Injury again blighted the season, he didn’t play a game in the last two months of the season, and we dropped into Division Three for the first time ever.
Back as captain too he once again led us back up within two years. He was moved to sweeper behind a teenage back four of Brian Laws, Vince Overson, Micky Phelan and Andy Wharton and we lost just two of the last thirty-eight games to lift the title.
Having gone back down it was rumoured that there was a clash between him and new manager John Bond but the fact is that he was in excellent form during that season for the Clarets until Bury offered him the position of player/manager.
On 10th March 1984, still officially undecided, he played in a 0-0 draw at home against Bristol Rovers. At the final whistle no one moved as Dobbo went to all four sides of the ground to say his farewells. His decision had been made and he went off to Gigg Lane where he had some success alongside a whole host of ex-Clarets.
Since then he has mainly worked as a scout although he did have a short time at Bristol Rovers as manager. He was apparently for years all set to come back to the Turf as manager but that never did happen.
He was the last Burnley player to pull on an England shirt in a full international and during his two spells at Burnley he played in a total of 499 league and cup games scoring 76 goals.
He is one of only six to have made over 400 league appearances for the club in post war football alongside Jimmy Adamson, John Angus, Tommy Cummings, Jimmy McIlroy and Alan Stevenson.
A massive crowd favourite, he will get a superb reception when he strides back onto the Turf Moor pitch tonight.
D-O-DOB-DOBO-DOBBO