Léon Dubly
 Léon Dubly in January 1904 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Léon Ernest Dubly | ||
| Date of birth | 28 March 1878 | ||
| Place of birth | Roubaix, France | ||
| Date of death | Unknown | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1895–1904 | RC Roubaix | ||
| International career | |||
| 1903 | France | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Léon Ernest Dubly (28 March 1878 – unknown) was a French footballer who played for RC Roubaix at the turn of the century. He was the captain of the Roubaix team for several years, leading them to three-peat of French national championships between 1902 and 1904.[1]
Early life
[edit]Léon Dubly was born in Roubaix on 28 March 1878, as the third of nine sons from the marriage formed by Henry Dubly (1842–1918) and Hermance (1850–1922).[2] In the early 20th century, the Dublys were the most prominent family in French football, as his brothers Maurice, Jean, and Raymond achieved internationals caps for France, although he and Maurice did so in unofficial matches against Corinthian in 1903.[3] Furthermore, Albert, another brother, was called up by France for the football tournament of the 1908 Olympic Games in London, but unlike Jean, he did not play in any matches.[4]
Playing career
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In 1892, the 14-year-old Léon, together with his older brother Maurice and a few other teenage friends of their age, formed a sports group called "French-Club de Roubaix-Tourcoing", which played association football and "Foot-Rugby".[5] On 2 April 1895, after three years of playing this sport in informal meetings, either on a field located near the Croix-Wasquehal station or later on a meadow belonging to the Binet farm, this group finally decided to take a step further and officially established the club under the name "Racing-Club Roubaisien", doing so in a meeting held at the Brasserie "La Terrasse", rue de la Gare (currently avenue Jean-Baptiste Lebas) in Roubaix.[5] On 9 April and 23 October 1899, Dubly started in two finals of the Coupe Manier, both of which ended in losses to Club Français.[6][7]
Together with his brothers Maurice and Albert, plus André Renaux, André François, and Émile Sartorius, he was a member of the Roubaix team that won a three-peat of French national championships between 1902 and 1904, with Léon and Albert starting in each of those three finals; the former was the captain in the 1902 final, scoring the opening goal to help his side to a 4–3 win over Racing Club de France.[8] In the preview of the 1903 final, the journalists of the French newspaper L'Auto (the future L'Équipe) described him as "the pillar of the Roubaix team, fast, resistant and with a very sure kick, a game is never lost for him before the final whistle. One of the most popular figures on the football fields of the North; he directs the passing game with mastery", and also noted that he was an "excelent captain and adored by his men, whom he nevertheless roughs up when necessary".[9] In the final itself, Dubly scored twice, both from the penalty spot following faults from Guéroult, to help his side to a 3–1 win, and after the match, he was carried in triumph.[10]
In the 1904 final, he did not score, but he still led his side to a 4–2 win over United Sports Club; this was his retirement match since he was set to get married within two weeks.[1] The local press stated that "after leading the famous Roubaix team to victory for three consecutive years, he has the right to the admiration of all those who play association football in France".[1] On 3 May 1903, Dubly started in the final of the Challenge International du Nord against Racing Club de Bruxelles, which ended in a 0–4 loss,[11] and on 2 January 1904, he started in a friendly match against the English club Eastbourne Old Town, which ended in a 2–4 loss.[12]
Later life
[edit]In 1914, Dubly replaced Henri Jooris as the president of the Lions des Flandres, a regional football scratch team representing the Northern Committee of the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA).[13]
Outside of football, Dubly was a fabric merchant in Paris and Roubaix.[2][14] After the First World War, Léon became the owner of a factory in Bohain, Nord, making imitation fur fabrics and who is also a fabric merchant.[14] In 1925, he lived in Paris and sometimes went for hunts.[14]
Honours
[edit]- Runner-up (2): 1898–99 and 1899
- Challenge International du Nord:
- Runner-up (1): 1903
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Le dernier match d'un athlète" [The last match of an athlete]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Tous les sports. 23 April 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Family tree of Léon Ernest Dubly". gw.geneanet.org. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Les premiers Bleus: Jean et Jules Dubly, les faux frères du Nord" [The first Blues: Jean and Jules Dubly, the false brothers of the North]. www.chroniquesbleues.fr (in French). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Football Tournament 1908 Olympiad - Squad Lists". RSSSF. 8 September 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Le Racing club de Roubaix". www.histoirederoubaix.com (in French). 14 May 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Le football - La Coupe Manier" [Football - The Manier Cup]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Le Vélo. 10 April 1899. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "La Coupe Manier". www.retronews.fr (in French). Le Journal des sports. 23 October 1899. p. 2. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Roubaix champion de France". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 21 April 1902. p. 7. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Les matches d'aujourd - Championnat de France - La finale" [Today's matches - French Championship - The final]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 19 April 1903. p. 7. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "La Finale del Championnat de France (U.S.F.S.A.) - Victoire du Racing Club de Roubaix" [The final of the French Championship (USFSA) - Victory of Racing Club de Roubaix]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 20 April 1903. p. 7. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Challenge International du Nord (U.S.F.S.A) - Victoire des Bruxellois" [Challenge International du Nord (USFSA) - Victory for the Brussels team]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 4 May 1903. p. 7. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "Eastbourne Old Town F.C., bat Racing Club de Roubaix, par 4 buts à 2" [Eastbourne Old Town beats Racing Club by 4 goals to 2]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). L'Auto. 3 January 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ "L'Équipe des Lions de Flandre (Nord) bat l'équipe de la Ligue (Paris) par 3 buts à rien" [The Lions of Flanders Team (North) beat the League team (Paris) by 3 goals to nothing]. www.bn-r.fr (in French). La Croix de Roubaix-Tourcoing. 5 January 1914. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ce que sont devenus les anciens champions" [What happened to the former champions]. gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Le Miroir des sports. 4 November 1925. p. 341. Retrieved 26 December 2024.