‘JB’ selected for Great Britain Universities football team

John Dobbin, from the Braid, is in the GB panel who will aim to reach the World Student Games in Russia next summer.

The 21-year-old, known as ‘JB’, is one of three Northern Irish students in the GB panel for a development camp at Warwick University this week.

“I’m delighted to get the call,” said ‘JB’, a Sports Technology student at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

The local man caught the eye of Northern Ireland Universities manager Brian Prentice with his performances for Jordanstown in the Collingwood Cup - the showpiece event for Irish varisty football - in Limerick.

“From that, I was selected for the Northern Ireland Universities team which went to Nottingham about a month ago to play in a Home Nations tournament against English, Scottish and Welsh Universities.”

Once again, the local man’s stand-out performances saw him chosen for the Great Britain panel for the development camp, which also includes a match against England’s ‘C’ team, who are comprised of non-league footballers.

With one year of his degree still to run, ‘JB’ will be hoping to stay in contention for GB ahead of next summer’s World Student Games in Kazan, Russia.

His latest selection marks another high point in a wonderful debut season with his home club Raceview, who he helped to a Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate League and O’Gorman Cup double.