THERE have been some notable hat tricks scored in the Barclays Premier League of late, but Stephen Dobbie is currently closing in on the kind of triple achievement which would leave even the efforts of Luis Suarez or Fernando Torres in the shade.
The former Queen of the South striker is back on-loan at Blackpool, where he is aiming to be the only player in history to take three teams up to the English top flight via the play-offs in successive seasons. Having helped the Bloomfield Road club attain promotion in 2010, only to return to parent club Swansea City shortly afterwards, then take the Welsh club up last season, only to swiftly find himself surplus to first-team requirements there, it might be third time lucky for the player this year. Indeed, he may even get a run of games to prove himself in the top flight.
What happens in the summer is anyone's guess, but for now Dobbie is delighted to be experiencing deja vu as he parachutes back into the role of play-off specialist. Ian Holloway's side face Birmingham City in their semi-final first leg tonight, and it says something for the player's reputation that both sides were vying for his services in January. Despite scoring in both the play-off semi-final and final last year, Dobbie made just seven appearances for Swansea in the first part of this season – a campaign which was affected by an ankle ligament injury in October – and suspected the writing might be on the wall when Gylfi Sigurdsson arrived on loan from Hoffenheim in his position and started scoring 25-yarders every second week.
"Sometimes that is the way it goes," Dobbie said. "The Premiership is where every player wants to play – it is the biggest league in the world – but there is no grudge with the manager. When you get to such a high level, clubs are always going to bring in players. Sometimes you find yourself not playing as many games as you can. But I am back here at Blackpool again trying to help the boys get back into the Premier League.
"To do it for a third time would be special, but it is not about me," insisted the 29-year-old, who still has 12 months remaining on his Swansea deal. "A lot of people are talking about it, but you need to get to the big day first. At Blackpool, it was my first season in England and I was just grateful to get a chance of playing on such a high stage. Last year I had been there the whole time and to score in the semis and the final, and play at Wembley again, will never leave me."
Blackpool used to be a favourite holiday destination for Scots and now finds itself as the home of quite a contingent of Scottish footballers. Alongside Dobbie are his one-time Rangers contemporary Barry Ferguson, Queen of the South pal Bob Harris, former Celtic full-back Stephen Crainey, as well as Danny Wilson and John Fleck, both of whom followed his path through the ranks at Ibrox.
"I know the way the gaffer works, and I was just glad I could come in and help them try to get back to the Premiership, but I know a lot of boys here as well and I know it is a nice place to live," he said. "There are a lot of Scottish boys and everybody has to play their part. Danny and John Fleck haven't played since I've been here, but it can be difficult for young boys to get into a squad like this."
Dobbie still retains hope that a more lasting chance to stake his claim in the Premier League and a chance to fulfil his "dream" of a Scotland cap, could be ahead. There have been no discussions about what awaits him when he returns to Swansea in the summer to see out the remaining 12 months of his deal. But for now all that comes second to another day in the sun at Wembley.
"I guess West Ham probably are the favourites to go up," he said, "but both times when I have gone up we were the underdogs so it is up to us to try to do the same again."
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