Bertrand Bossu
Encyclopedia
Bertrand Bossu is a French
footballer who plays as a goalkeeper who plays for Isthmian League
Division One North club Harlow Town
.
, Pas-de-Calais, Bossu started out as a boy at small French amateur club US Blériot-Plage, before joining Calais RUFC
. When he was 16 he moved to RC Lens
but never managed to play for the professional team there as he was confined to the third and fourth teams.
in March 2000. He made his debut and subsequently only first team appearance for Barnet on 17 May 2000 in the second leg of the play-off semi-final. Barnet were trailing 2-0 (4-1 on aggregate) away to Peterborough United
when Bossu replaced the injured Lee Harrison
in the Barnet goal. He conceded one more goal, giving David Farrell his hat-trick and confirming Peterborough's place in the final.
He joined Conference
side Hayes
on loan in December 2000. His one-man heroics in the 1–0 win away to Boston United
on 2 December ended a run of seven consecutive defeats. However, in the process Bossu broke a finger and returned to Barnet to recuperate.
He joined Rushden & Diamonds
on loan in March 2001, but failed to make a first team appearance for them and was released by Barnet at the end of the season. He rejoined Hayes in August 2001, but lost his place as Hayes were relegated from the Conference. Although he began the following season as second-choice, he regained his place in the side and went on to win the Hayes Supporters' Player of the Year Award in 2003. In the midst of this he had also become the first Hayes goalkeeper to score a goal, with a last-minute header in the game away to St Albans City
.
in September 2003 and made his debut later that month away to Walsall
. He played just five more times that season, including the victory at home to Premier League
side Charlton Athletic
in the FA Cup
.
In August 2004 he joined Torquay United
on a three-month loan deal playing in the first two games of the season away to Bristol City
and at home to Hull City
the same month. However, he was sent back to Gillingham by Torquay with a knee injury, prompting a row over who should pay his wages. He joined Oldham Athletic
in late October 2004, but failed to make their first team.
at the end of the 2004–05
season, joining Darlington
in August 2005. The same month he joined Accrington Stanley
on loan, playing one Conference National
game away to Cambridge United
before returning to Darlington where he played 10 times before being released at the end of the season. He then joined Walsall
in September 2006, but was released in May 2008.
, Bossu then went on trial with Scottish Premier League
side Aberdeen
. After impressing goalkeeping coach Jim Leighton
, he was offered a contract with the Scottish club. Bossu left Aberdeen in August 2009 after only three appearances for the club.
He signed for Crewe Alexandra
on a two-month contract on 28 October following a successful trial. However, he left six days later after asking for his contract to be cancelled.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballer who plays as a goalkeeper who plays for Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
Division One North club Harlow Town
Harlow Town F.C.
Harlow Town F.C. are an English football club based in Harlow, Essex. The club currently play in the Division One North of the Isthmian League, after relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division in 2009....
.
France
Born in CalaisCalais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
, Pas-de-Calais, Bossu started out as a boy at small French amateur club US Blériot-Plage, before joining Calais RUFC
Calais RUFC
Calais Racing Union FC is a French football club based in Calais, France.-The Club:The club was founded 1902 as Racing Club de Calais and was in the year 1974 renamed in Calais Racing Union Football Club....
. When he was 16 he moved to RC Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
but never managed to play for the professional team there as he was confined to the third and fourth teams.
Barnet and Hayes
Bossu joined BarnetBarnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
in March 2000. He made his debut and subsequently only first team appearance for Barnet on 17 May 2000 in the second leg of the play-off semi-final. Barnet were trailing 2-0 (4-1 on aggregate) away to Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
when Bossu replaced the injured Lee Harrison
Lee Harrison
Lee David Harrison is an English footballer who last played for Newport County as a goalkeeper where he was also Assistant Manager. He has spent most of his career at Barnet...
in the Barnet goal. He conceded one more goal, giving David Farrell his hat-trick and confirming Peterborough's place in the final.
He joined Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
side Hayes
Hayes F.C.
Hayes F.C. was an English football club based in Hayes, in Greater London. The club started out as Botwell Mission in 1909 taking its present name in 1929. The team nickname, The Missioners was a salute to the history of the team. The club played in the Conference South for their last few seasons...
on loan in December 2000. His one-man heroics in the 1–0 win away to Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
on 2 December ended a run of seven consecutive defeats. However, in the process Bossu broke a finger and returned to Barnet to recuperate.
He joined Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds F.C.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992, the club played in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of...
on loan in March 2001, but failed to make a first team appearance for them and was released by Barnet at the end of the season. He rejoined Hayes in August 2001, but lost his place as Hayes were relegated from the Conference. Although he began the following season as second-choice, he regained his place in the side and went on to win the Hayes Supporters' Player of the Year Award in 2003. In the midst of this he had also become the first Hayes goalkeeper to score a goal, with a last-minute header in the game away to St Albans City
St Albans City F.C.
St Albans City Football Club is a football club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1908 and plays its home matches at Clarence Park, about 800 yards from the city centre. The club is in the Premier Division of the Southern League...
.
Gillingham
Bossu joined GillinghamGillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
in September 2003 and made his debut later that month away to 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...
. He played just five more times that season, including the victory at home to Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
side Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
in the 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...
.
In August 2004 he joined Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
on a three-month loan deal playing in the first two games of the season away to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
and at home to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
the same month. However, he was sent back to Gillingham by Torquay with a knee injury, prompting a row over who should pay his wages. He joined Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
in late October 2004, but failed to make their first team.
Darlington and Walsall
He was released by GillinghamGillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
at the end of the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season, joining Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
in August 2005. The same month he joined Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
on loan, playing one Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
game away to Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
before returning to Darlington where he played 10 times before being released at the end of the season. He then 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 September 2006, but was released in May 2008.
Aberdeen
After being released by WalsallWalsall 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...
, Bossu then went on trial with Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
. After impressing goalkeeping coach Jim Leighton
Jim Leighton
James "Jim" Leighton MBE is a Scottish former football goalkeeper. Among the clubs he played for are Aberdeen , Manchester United, Arsenal, Dundee and Hibernian.-Club:...
, he was offered a contract with the Scottish club. Bossu left Aberdeen in August 2009 after only three appearances for the club.
He signed for 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...
on a two-month contract on 28 October following a successful trial. However, he left six days later after asking for his contract to be cancelled.
As a player
WalsallWalsall 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...
- League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
winner: 2006–072006-07 in English footballThe 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...