Stoke City are mourning the death of club legend Peter Dobing, the captain who lifted their only major trophy, at the age of 87. The news comes as the current side, sitting 9th in the Championship with 20 points from 12 games, prepares for its next match.

The club announced plans to pay tribute to Dobing during their upcoming Remembrance fixture against Preston North End on Saturday 31 October. "The thoughts and sincere condolences are with Peter's friends and family at this immensely difficult time," the club said.

Dobing's Playing Career

Dobing's legacy is cemented by his role in Stoke's historic 1972 League Cup triumph. He captained the side at Wembley, leading them to a 2-1 victory over Chelsea. He started 10 of the 12 games in that cup run, scoring three goals including one in the semi-final second replay against West Ham United. The midfielder made 377 appearances for the Potters, scoring 95 goals after joining from Manchester City for a then-club record fee of £37,500 in 1963.

His career was eventually ended by a broken leg suffered in January 1965, but not before he had become a revered figure, known for his immaculate dress sense and pipe-smoking.

Career Before Stoke

Dobing began his career at Blackburn Rovers, making his debut in December 1955. He was a prolific scorer, netting 20 league goals as Rovers won promotion to Division One in the 1957-58 season. He was City's top scorer with 22 goals before his move to the Potteries, where he later worked as a potter after hanging up his boots.

The news comes as the current Stoke side, sitting 9th in the Championship standings with 20 points from 12 games, prepare for their next fixture this weekend. Their 0-0 draw with Bristol City last time out was a game of few chances, with the team registering just 3 shots on goal in the entire 90 minutes. That result on Saturday 24 October continued a recent run of three wins, one draw and one loss. This season, the team has scored 18 goals and conceded 16. They are five points behind the league leaders, Middlesbrough, a side they narrowly lost 2-3 to earlier this month. The upcoming tribute will occur when they host Preston, who are currently 24th in the table. Dobing's father played rugby league for Salford and he was born in Manchester.

Stoke's recent form reads three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five outings, a period in which they have scored 7 goals and conceded 5. This sequence includes a 1-0 win at Derby on Saturday 17 October, where Luke Graham scored the decisive goal.

The original report is at bbc.com