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James Bradley (footballer)
Encyclopedia
James Bradley was a footballer who played for Liverpool Football Club in the early 20th century, helping them to the Football League
Championship in 1905.
, Staffordshire
, England
, Bradley played for Stoke
before being signed by Liverpool manager Tom Watson
in September 1905. Making his debut in a Football League Division One match against Birmingham
at Anfield
on the 23 September 1905 a game that the Reds won 2-0, he scored his first goal, the opening goal of the 4–1 home victory over Newcastle
, 18 months later on the 23 March 1907. Bradley, a left half-back, played 31 matches in his first season which saw him gain a championship
medal as the Liverpool took the title by 4 points beating Preston
into second spot. Bradley had an eventful Christmas Day in 1909, regular goalkeeper Sam Hardy
's absence saw Bradley take on the role, Bolton
were the opposition and they had a shock as Bradley kept a clean sheet as Liverpool went on to hit the net three times.
James remained a regular member of the Liverpool starting line-up over the next four years missing just 18 matches. Bradley lost his place during the 1910–11 season and left the club at the end of the season joining Reading
in the Southern League
.
He went on to rejoin his first club Stoke and even returned to Liverpool as a wartime guest, before retiring from the game, briefly serving as a coach back at Stoke City.
for Grimsby Town
, Sheffield Wednesday
and Bristol Rovers
between 1907 and 1914.
Martin's son Jack
(1916–2002) played at inside forward
for various clubs in the 1930s and 1940s, including Swindon Town
, Southampton
and Bolton Wanderers
.
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...
Championship in 1905.
Life and playing career
Born in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Bradley played for Stoke
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
before being signed by Liverpool manager Tom Watson
Tom Watson (football)
Tom Watson was an English football manager who managed Sunderland A.F.C. and Liverpool F.C. around the turn of the 20th century....
in September 1905. Making his debut in a Football League Division One match against Birmingham
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...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on the 23 September 1905 a game that the Reds won 2-0, he scored his first goal, the opening goal of the 4–1 home victory over Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, 18 months later on the 23 March 1907. Bradley, a left half-back, played 31 matches in his first season which saw him gain a championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
medal as the Liverpool took the title by 4 points beating Preston
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
into second spot. Bradley had an eventful Christmas Day in 1909, regular goalkeeper Sam Hardy
Sam Hardy
Samuel Hardy was a former England-international goalkeeper.In 1902, Chesterfield manager Jack Hoskin beat Derby County to sign Hardy, doing so under a lamp post in Newbold. Hardy, something of a shrewd character, wouldn't sign the forms until Hoskin promised to pay him 18 shillings when the...
's absence saw Bradley take on the role, Bolton
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
were the opposition and they had a shock as Bradley kept a clean sheet as Liverpool went on to hit the net three times.
James remained a regular member of the Liverpool starting line-up over the next four years missing just 18 matches. Bradley lost his place during the 1910–11 season and left the club at the end of the season joining Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
in the Southern 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...
.
He went on to rejoin his first club Stoke and even returned to Liverpool as a wartime guest, before retiring from the game, briefly serving as a coach back at Stoke City.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stoke Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1898–99 | 26 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| 1899–1900 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| 1900–01 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 1901–02 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| 1902–03 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
| 1903–04 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 | |
| 1904–05 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| Total | 199 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 219 | 4 | |
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
1905–06 | 32 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 1906–07 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| 1907–08 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 38 | 6 | |
| 1908–09 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| 1909–10 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 1910–11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 169 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 184 | 8 | |
| Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
1910–11 | | | |||||
| 1911–12 | | | ||||||
| 1912–13 | | | ||||||
| Total | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Stoke Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1913–14 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| 1914–15 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| Total | 30 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| Career Total | 398 | 11 | 42 | 3 | 440 | 14 | |
As a player
LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
- Football League Championship winner's medal: 1905–06
Family
His brother, Martin (1886–1958) played at inside forwardInside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
for Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
between 1907 and 1914.
Martin's son Jack
Jack Bradley (footballer)
John "Jack" Bradley was an English footballer who played as an inside forward for various clubs in the 1930s and 1940s, including Swindon Town, Southampton and Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:...
(1916–2002) played at inside forward
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
for various clubs in the 1930s and 1940s, including Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
.