George Bradburn (footballer)
Encyclopedia
George Bradburn was an English footballer who played as a centre-half for Southampton
and Walsall
in the years immediately after World War I
.
and was on the books of Walsall
in the immediate pre-war period. During the war, he moved to Southern England
and was employed at the Whitehead Torpedo Works in Weymouth, Dorset. He played in the Garrison League throughout the war and also made one guest appearance for Southampton
in 1917.
At the end of the war, he returned to Walsall before signing for Southampton in May 1919. Described as a "strong, rugged centre-half", Bradburn displaced Alec Campbell
at centre-half on the restart of League football in 1919
, making 28 appearances in the Southern League
, before Campbell regained his place in March. Under manager Jimmy McIntyre
Saints were admitted into Division 3 of the Football League in 1920; Campbell had by now been re-established as the first choice centre-half, with George Moorhead in reserve, and Bradburn spent the next two seasons mainly playing reserve-team football, only making six appearances for Southampton in the Football League.
In 1922, Bradburn was given a free transfer back to Walsall
, for whom he made 12 appearances in the Football League Third Division North
before his career came to an end.
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 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 the years immediately after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Football career
Bradburn was born in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and was on the books of 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 the immediate pre-war period. During the war, he moved to Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
and was employed at the Whitehead Torpedo Works in Weymouth, Dorset. He played in the Garrison League throughout the war and also made one guest appearance for 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...
in 1917.
At the end of the war, he returned to Walsall before signing for Southampton in May 1919. Described as a "strong, rugged centre-half", Bradburn displaced Alec Campbell
Alec Campbell (footballer)
Alistair Kenyon Campbell was a professional footballer who played nearly 200 games for Southampton in the first quarter of the twentieth century, before briefly becoming manager at Chesterfield....
at centre-half on the restart of League football in 1919
1919-20 in English football
The 1919–1920 season was the 45th season of competitive football in England, and the first following the end of World War I.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition...
, making 28 appearances 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...
, before Campbell regained his place in March. Under manager Jimmy McIntyre
Jimmy McIntyre
James Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...
Saints were admitted into Division 3 of the Football League in 1920; Campbell had by now been re-established as the first choice centre-half, with George Moorhead in reserve, and Bradburn spent the next two seasons mainly playing reserve-team football, only making six appearances for Southampton in the Football League.
In 1922, Bradburn was given a free transfer back 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...
, for whom he made 12 appearances in the Football League Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
before his career came to an end.