Bernard Peter "Bernie" Wright (born 17 September 1952), nicknamed Bernie the Bolt, is an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 former footballer. A tough centre-forward, he scored 78 goals in 320 league games in a nine year career in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

.

A youth player at Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

, he joined Walsall

Walsall F.C.

Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

 in 1971, moving on to Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

 later in the year. After one season with the "Toffees" he moved back to Walsall. In 1976 he transferred to Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

, winning promotion out of the Fourth Division

Football League Fourth Division

The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...

 in 1976–77, before signing for Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 two years later for a £9,000 fee. In 1980 he went in to non-league football with Kidderminster Harriers

Kidderminster Harriers F.C.

Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...

, later playing for Trowbridge Town

Trowbridge Town F.C.

Trowbridge Town F.C. are a football club based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, and they play at Woodmarsh on the southern edge of the town. They are currently members of the Hellenic Football League Division One West.-History:...

, Cheltenham Town

Cheltenham Town F.C.

Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

, Worcester City

Worcester City F.C.

Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...

, and Gloucester City

Gloucester City A.F.C.

Gloucester City Association Football Club is an English semi-professional association football club currently based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in South West England, via groundshare agreement....

.

Playing career

Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 born Wright became a professional at Third Division

Football League Third Division

The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

 Walsall

Walsall F.C.

Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

 under Bill Moore

Bill Moore (English football manager)

William "Bill" Moore was an English football manager and retired football player.-Playing career:Born in Washington, Tyne and Wear, Moore played for Walker Celtic in the late 1920s and early 1930s before joining Stoke City for whom he made a handful of senior appearances when he partnered Arthur...

, after leaving Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

 in 1971. The next year he was signed by Harry Catterick

Harry Catterick

Harry Catterick was an English football player and manager. As a player Catterick played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra, in a career that was interrupted by World War II, but he is most notable as a manager...

's Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

, after impressing in an FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 clash between Everton and Walsall at Goodison Park

Goodison Park

Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...

 on 5 February 1972. However he only played eleven First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 games for the club, scoring two goals, before having his contract terminated for 'serious misconduct' after a training ground incident. He had punched coach Stewart Imlach

Stewart Imlach

-External links:* * by Angus Robertson MP....

 after he had overlooked Wright for a first team spot. Though he only enjoyed an eleven month stay with the club, he created an impression on the Everton fans, who remember him for using his head to accidentally break the toe of Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

 centre-back Eddie Colquhoun

Eddie Colquhoun

Edmund Peter Skirving Colquhoun was a footballer who played for Sheffield United and Scotland. He played in the position of Centre back....

 during an attempted diving header.

Returning to Walsall in 1972, he became a favourite with the fans, scoring 38 goals in 152 league games during his four years at Fellows Park

Fellows Park

Fellows Park was a football stadium in Walsall, England. It was the home ground of Walsall F.C. from 1896 till 1990, when the team moved to the Bescot Stadium....

. After struggling in the lower half of the table in 1972–73 and 1973–74 under John Smith

John Smith (footballer)

John Smith was a footballer, a West Ham Academy product who was born in Shoreditch, London. He made 136 appearances for the club between 1956 and 1960, playing right half and inside right. He scored 23 goals for the east London club before being transferred to Tottenham Hotspur where he was one of...

 and then Ronnie Allen

Ronnie Allen

Ronald "Ronnie" Allen was an English international football player and manager. He was a professional footballer for nineteen years, between 1946 and 1964, making 638 appearances in the Football League, and scoring 276 goals. He also won five caps for England national team...

, the "Saddlers" came close to promotion in 1974–75 and 1975–76 under Doug Fraser

Doug Fraser

Doug Fraser was a Scottish football full-back.Fraser began his career in Scottish minor football, appearing for Eaglesham Amateur and Blantyre Celtic. After being rejected by both Celtic and Leeds United following trials Fraser turned professional with Aberdeen...

's stewardship. He joined Bobby Kennedy

Bobby Kennedy (footballer)

Robert 'Bobby' Kennedy is a Scottish former soccer player who could play in midfield or at right back.-Playing career:Bobby Kennedy started his career at Coltness United and after trials with Queen of the South and Clyde he joined Kilmarnock in 1957...

's Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

 in 1976, where he scored 13 goals in 66 league games. Bradford won promotion out of the Fourth Division

Football League Fourth Division

The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...

 in 1976–77, but suffered relegation in 1977–78 under John Napier

John Napier (footballer)

Robert John 'John' Napier was an Northern Irish football centre half and manager, who currently teaches soccer in San Diego, California.-Biography:Napier was born in Lurgan...

. Wright and Don Hutchins

Don Hutchins

Donald "Don" Hutchins is a retired English footballer who played for Leicester City, Plymouth Argyle, Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City and Scarborough-External links:***...

 were joint-top scorer in 1977–78 with ten goals.

In June 1978, Dennis Butler

Dennis Butler

Dennis Anthony Butler is an English former footballer and football manager. He played as a winger for Bolton Wanderers between 1959 and 1968, before ending his playing career following a five year spell at Rochdale...

's Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 paid the "Bantams" £9,000 to secure Wright's services; Vale had been relegated along with Bradford the previous season. Wright scored on his debut, a 1–1 draw at Chester

Chester City F.C.

Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

 in a League Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 game on 16 August 1978. Nine days later the tough striker endeared himself to "Valiants" fans when he scored a hat-trick past local rivals Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra F.C.

Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 at Gresty Road

Alexandra Stadium

The Alexandra Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Crewe, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crewe Alexandra...

. He finished as top scorer in the 1978–79

1978–79 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1978–79 season was Port Vale's sixty-seventh season of football in the Football League, and their first season back in the Fourth Division following their relegation from the Third Division. Bernie Wright was highly impressive with his fifteen goals, though the rest of the team limped to a...

 season with 15 strikes in 48 games, and was voted Player of the Year

Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year

The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...

 for this achievement. He lost his place under caretaker-manager Alan Bloor

Alan Bloor

Alan Bloor is an English professional footballer and manager, now retired. He made close to 400 appearances in the Football League for both Potteries teams...

, though regained it with a brace against Northampton Town

Northampton Town F.C.

Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

. He went on to record 9 goals in 33 games in 1979–80

1979–80 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1979–80 season was Port Vale's sixty-eighth season of football in the Football League, and their second successive season in the Fourth Division. One of the club's worst ever seasons, Vale finished twentieth in the league, and exited both cup competitions at the first stage. They also lost a...

, but fell out with new manager John McGrath, and dropped out of the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

 at the end of the season, joining Kidderminster Harriers

Kidderminster Harriers F.C.

Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...

 of the Southern Football League

Southern Football League

The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...

 on a free transfer. He later played for Trowbridge Town

Trowbridge Town F.C.

Trowbridge Town F.C. are a football club based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, and they play at Woodmarsh on the southern edge of the town. They are currently members of the Hellenic Football League Division One West.-History:...

, Cheltenham Town

Cheltenham Town F.C.

Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...

, Worcester City

Worcester City F.C.

Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...

 and Gloucester City

Gloucester City A.F.C.

Gloucester City Association Football Club is an English semi-professional association football club currently based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire in South West England, via groundshare agreement....

.

Post-retirement

Wright later became a forklift truck

Forklift truck

A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The modern forklift was developed in the 1920s by various companies including the transmission manufacturing company Clark and the hoist company Yale & Towne Manufacturing...

 supervisor and part-time referee in the Central Warwickshire Sunday Leagues.

Honours

with Bradford City

• Football League Fourth Division
  Football League Fourth Division
  The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
  
   fourth place promotion winner: 1976–77