Football player, trainer, the legendary top scorer.
In the 30s of the XXth century, Dobay István is the most successful Romanian football player, who was born in Dumbravita next to Timisoara. He starts to practice sports at the age of 10, in 1920. He attends the athletic and football trainings of the TAC. The club’s trainer advises him to choose the football put of these two disciplines. He chooses well and he becomes the professional football player of the youth team, as he is trained by special trainers who keep „polishing” his techniques. In 1924 he moves to Unirea CFR, Timisoara and he plays in its senior team at the age of 15. In 1927 the Unirea CFR unites with the Banatul Sport Club and the new team continues its activity as the Banatul SK. In 1928, led by Dobay, the Banatul SK wins the first place of the regional championship and reaches the semi-final phase aiming to win the national championship.
Then he experiences an important period of his sport career as an outstanding attacker: he accepts the offer of Romania’s first professional football club and the Ripensia’s organizers and he becomes one of the best national professional football players of the time; he plays as a member of the team between 1930 and 1940. He is named the Romanian top scorer for four times (19321933, 1933-1934, 1934-1935 and 1936-1937). In the A-category championship he scores a total of 130 goals on behalf of the Ripensia team and the team owes him its success considering that they win the national championship for four times (1932-1933, 1934-1935, 1935-1936 and 1937-1938) and the Romanian Cup for two times (1933-1934 and 1935-1936). As the most successful football player of the Ripensia team, he becomes one of the most important forces of the Romanian national team. Between 1930 and 1939 he plays in 41 matches, in the national team and he scores 20 goals.
He is the terror of the goal keepers, his shots are powerful and precise, he is able to score from the left side, from the most unexpected angles. The adversary defensive football players are also afraid of him, nobody can remain in front of him because of his harsh movements, and therefore he is also named the „Horse.”
Between June 4, 1933 and December 26, 1934 he plays successfully in nine matches, and he scores at least one goal in each game. Between 1933 and 1937 he plays in 30 national matches. In 28 games Dobay István plays as the member of the starting team. Together with the national team, he participates in two world championships’ final stage (1934 and 1938) and five Balkan championships (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936). The Balkan championship in 1933 and 1936 is completed with the victory of the Romanian team.
Between 1941 and 1942 he is the player of the Hungarian Törekvés, then of the SC Budapest. In 1945 he moves to Medias, where he carries out his activity as the player and trainer of Kares. Led by Dobay, the team is accepted in the A-category championship. He plays until spring 1948, then as a trainer he deals with the following football teams: 1948-1949: CFR Constanta Dezrobirea; 1950-1952: Locomotiva Targu Mures; 1953: Flacăra Medias; 1954: Dinamo Bucuresti; 1955-1957: Steaua Bucuresti; 1958: UTA Arad; 1959: CFR Cluj.
He completes his trainer career in 1960. He settles to Targu Mures, where he also dies in 1994.
