Gordon Bradley facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 November 1933 | ||
| Place of birth | Sunderland, England | ||
| Date of death | 29 April 2008 (aged 74) | ||
| Place of death | Manassas, Virginia, United States | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1950–1952 | Sunderland | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1955–1956 | Bradford Park Avenue | 18 | (1) |
| 1957–1960 | Carlisle United | 130 | (3) |
| 1962–1964 | Toronto Roma | ||
| 1962 | Toronto Ukrainia | ||
| 1965 | Toronto City | ||
| 1968 | New York Generals | 27 | (0) |
| 1969 | Baltimore Bays | 14 | (0) |
| 1971–1975 | New York Cosmos | 52 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1973 | United States | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1964–1965 | New York Ukrainians | ||
| 1967 | New York Generals (assistant) | ||
| 1969–1970 | St. Bernard's School | ||
| 1971–1975 | New York Cosmos | ||
| 1973 | United States | ||
| 1976–1977 | New York Cosmos | ||
| 1978–1980 | Washington Diplomats | ||
| 1985–2000 | George Mason Patriots | ||
|
|||
Gordon Bradley (born November 23, 1933 – died April 29, 2008) was a talented soccer player and coach. He was born in England and later became an American citizen. Gordon Bradley played as a midfielder for many years.
He started his career playing for clubs in England. Later, he moved to Canada to play soccer. In 1971, he became a player and head coach for the New York Cosmos. Besides coaching the Cosmos, he also coached the U.S. national team. He also coached at college and high school levels. Bradley played one game for the U.S. national team in 1973. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Contents
Playing Career
Playing in England
Gordon Bradley grew up in Sunderland, England. He became a professional player for the local Sunderland club when he was sixteen. However, his career almost ended very early. During a training session, he badly injured his right kneecap. It took him over two years to recover and be able to play again.
In 1950, a law in England made young men choose between working in coal mines or joining the military. When he turned nineteen, Bradley chose to work in the coal mines at Easington Colliery. He continued to play soccer while working in the mine. He started as a forward, but his injury made him slower. So, he moved to play in defense. In 1955, Bradley signed with Bradford Park Avenue. Then, in 1957, he joined Carlisle United. He played 130 games for Carlisle United and scored 3 goals.
Playing in Canada
Gordon Bradley spent five seasons playing soccer in Canada. He played in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League. In 1962, he helped his team, Toronto Roma, win the league title. After the 1962 season, he also played for Toronto Ukrainia in the National Soccer League. After three seasons with Toronto Roma, he moved to Toronto City for the 1965 season. In 1966, he played for Toronto Inter Roma.
Playing in the United States
German American Soccer League
While playing in Canada during the summer, Bradley would move to the United States in the fall and winter. In 1963 and 1964, he played and coached for the New York Ukrainians. This team was part of the German American Soccer League (GASL). In 1965, his team, the New York Ukrainians, won the US Open Cup. Later in 1965, he joined the New York Americans, another GASL team. This team played in the International Soccer League.
National Professional Soccer League
In 1967, two new national soccer leagues started in the United States. These were the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the United Soccer Association (USA). Bradley signed with the New York Generals of the NPSL. At the end of that season, the two leagues combined. They formed the North American Soccer League (NASL).
North American Soccer League
Bradley stayed with the Generals when they joined the NASL. He was both a player and an assistant coach during the 1968 season. The Generals team stopped playing after that season. Bradley then moved to the Baltimore Bays for the 1969 NASL season. The Bays also stopped playing at the end of 1969. Bradley did not play for any NASL team in 1970.
He returned to the NASL in 1971. The new team, the New York Cosmos, hired Bradley. He became their first coach and also their first player. He played and coached the Cosmos until the end of the 1975 season. He retired from playing professionally after playing only one game in 1975.
Playing for the National Team
Gordon Bradley played one game for the U.S. national team. This game was a 2–0 loss to Israel on November 15, 1973. At that time, he was also the coach for the national team. It is interesting that he did not become a U.S. citizen until 1974.
Coaching Career
Coaching in the GASL
Bradley started his coaching career with the New York Ukrainians. This team was part of the German-American Soccer League in 1963. Later, in 1968, he was an assistant coach for the New York Generals. This team played in the North American Soccer League.
Coaching at School
After the Generals team stopped playing, Bradley coached a boys' soccer team. This team was from St. Bernard's School in Manhattan. His team had a great season and was undefeated until the very last game. They lost that game 1-0 to their main rival, St. David's School.
Coaching in the NASL
In 1971, the New York Cosmos hired Bradley as their first coach. He led the Cosmos to win the 1972 NASL championship. However, the team had two losing seasons in 1974 and 1975. He was replaced as coach at the end of the 1975 season.
In 1976, the Cosmos changed coaches again. Bradley returned to coach the team briefly. He coached until July 7, 1977. Then, the team moved him to a different role in the front office. He became the Vice President of Player Personnel. The Cosmos won the Soccer Bowl in 1977.
In 1978, the Washington Diplomats hired Bradley as their head coach. The Washington Diplomats team stopped playing in 1980. A new team with the same name started playing in the American Soccer League. This new team kept Bradley as coach for a short time.
Coaching the National Team
In October 1973, the United States Soccer Federation needed a new national team coach. They called Bradley, who was on vacation, and asked him to coach the team. Bradley coached the U.S. team in six games, but they lost all of them. He was replaced as head coach at the end of that year.
Coaching in College
In 1985, George Mason University hired Bradley. He became the head coach for their men's soccer team. He coached the Patriots for sixteen years. He retired on December 4, 2000. During his time there, his teams had a record of 183 wins, 113 losses, and 35 ties. In May 2006, Bradley was honored and added to the George Mason Hall of Fame.
Soccer Leadership Roles
Besides playing and coaching for the New York Cosmos, Gordon Bradley also held leadership roles. He served as the team's vice president from 1971 to 1977. After leaving the Cosmos, he joined the Washington Diplomats. While coaching the Diplomats, he also worked as the team's vice president.
Television Work
Bradley also worked in television. In 1983, he was a commentator for NASL games. He explained the game alongside Bob Carpenter. He also worked as a commentator for Home Team Sports. He covered local broadcasts of MLS' DC United games.
Hall of Fame Honors
In 1996, Gordon Bradley was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor in soccer. The next year, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Hall of Fame also welcomed Bradley as a new member.
Later Life and Passing
In his later years, Gordon Bradley suffered from Alzheimer's disease. He spent his last month in a care facility in Manassas, Virginia. When a fan group of D.C. United heard about his health, they made a special banner to honor him. He passed away a few days later on April 29, 2008.
