Kris Bright
Encyclopedia
Kris Bright is a New Zealand
association football player who plays for Balzan Youths
in Malta
as a striker
. Bright has represented New Zealand
at U15, U16, U-17
, U-20
, and All Whites level.
, New Zealand
, the son of New Zealand
1982 World Cup
representative Dave Bright
. Bright joined Waitakere City
in late April 2004 after playing for the Youth Teams of North Shore United
. Whilst with Waitakere, Bright was the 2004 top scorer in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier
as a 17-year-old, and played in the club's 0-1 loss to Miramar Rangers
in the final of the 2004 Chatham Cup
. Over two seasons, as a Semi-Professional
with Waitakere City
, Bright scored a total of 29 goals before heading to England
to trial for Gillingham FC
. The trial was unsuccessful, and Bright returned home to play for Canterbury United
in the ASB Premiership during 2005.
In mid-2005, Bright was named as one of three players in the New Zealand Knights' apprenticeship scheme. Shortly after the start of the season, though, Knights player Neil Emblen
suffered a knee
injury and was forced onto the injured list, which would allow the club to sign Bright as a replacement for four weeks. Bright was rushed into the squad to play the Central Coast Mariners
at North Harbour Stadium
, and produced a Man of the Match performance as he played the full 90 minutes on debut as the New Zealand side went down 1-3. Bright's performance in his first match earned praise from Knights manager John Adshead
, and he was rewarded with a starting place in the following match against the Newcastle United Jets
. Again Bright played the full match, and received an early yellow card in the 2-4 loss. Bright appeared in the Knights's following four games up until Emblen's return from injury, but had done enough to retain his position in the squad, having signed another short-term contract, this time to cover for Joshua Rose
. By the end of the 2005–06 season
, Bright had made a total of 12 appearances, three from the substitutes bench.
In mid-2006, Bright left for the United Kingdom again, this time to trial at Scottish side Kilmarnock, where he was for a month, playing three games & scoring 2 goals. Although he was not signed by Kilmarnock, Bright remained in Europe, and in late August began trialling with Dutch
Eerste Divisie
club Fortuna Sittard
, including a match against FC Geleen-Zuid scoring 1 goal. Bright subsequently landed a one year contract with the club, with the option of a further year; despite earlier reports, the deal was only finalised as the transfer window closed.
Bright managed to gain a spot in the starting line-up for the struggling Dutch side. He played in eleven league games, in which he scored one goal, against HFC Haarlem
. After interest from Norway, he signed a six month contract until the end of the Norwegian season with Norwegian club Kristiansund BK. There he scored 11 goals in seven games, against Levanger (1), Lillestrom (2), Hodd (1), Baerum (1), Valarenga (2) & Steinkjer (4).
With two games remaining in the season and several Norwegian Tippeligaen & Addecoligaen clubs following his progress, Bright suffered a broken leg. Bright then renewed his contract with Kristiansund BK until July 2009.
After 6 months of recovery, Bright then made his return in the 2008 season opener against Strindheim. He continued his goal scoring form with 2 goals including a 25 metre free-kick to help Kristiansund to a 3-1 win. After playing 12 games, he was top goal-scorer in the league with 10 goals. Also, in the 3rd round of the Norwegian Cup, Bright scored KBK's only goal against Tippeligaen
club & close rivals Molde F.K.
in a 2-1 extra-time loss.
In January 2009 Bright signed a 1 and a 1/2 year contract with Greek Super League side Panserraikos F.C.
, he was given the #32 shirt. He left the Club in July 2009 by mutual consent with a year remaining on his contract, and joined English League Two side Shrewsbury Town on 3 August 2009.
In November 2009 Bright scored the winner in a 2-1 win over AFC Telford United in the Shropshire Senior Cup
final. He scored his first Football League
goal against Lincoln City
, then scored another on the final day of the season against Port Vale
. He made a total of 26 league appearances in the 2009-10 season, including 22 from the interchange bench, scoring two goals.
On 3 October 2011 Bright joined Maltese outfit Balzan Youths on a short-term deal. Bright has linked up Balzan until December before he makes the move to Bryne FK in Norway in January. Bright has accepted the offer of joining Balzan so that he can maintain his match fitness prior to the move to Bryne. The 25-year-old has agreed a pre-contract with Bryne and will join the Norwegian second division side in the New Year.
at U15, U16, U17 and U20 levels. He played in all of New Zealand's matches during their failed qualifying campaign for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
, scoring four goals, including a hat-trick in a 13-0 win over Tonga
. In 2005, Bright was selected for the under-20 squad to compete in the OFC
qualifying tournament for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
, but again the country were unable to make the finals, finishing third in their group behind the Solomon Islands
and Fiji
. His senior international debut for the All whites was a substitute appearance in 2008 for a 2010 FIFA World Cup
qualifier against Fiji, and his first senior international goal was against Thailand
on 28 March 2009. He was included in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
squad, making a single appearance as a substitute against European champions, Spain
. He missed out on the final 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, but was named as one of seven non-travelling reserves.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
association football player who plays for Balzan Youths
Balzan Youths
Balzan Youths Football Club is a Maltese football club from the village of Balzan, which currently plays in the Maltese Premier League. The club were founded in 1937, and have never won any major honours.-History:...
in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. Bright has represented New Zealand
New Zealand national soccer team
The New Zealand national football team, nicknamed the All Whites, is the national association football team of New Zealand and is governed by New Zealand Football . The team plays in an all-white strip rather than the traditional New Zealand sporting black due to a former FIFA regulation that...
at U15, U16, U-17
New Zealand national under-17 football team
The New Zealand Under 17's football team, more commonly known as the Young All Whites, is controlled by New Zealand Football and represents New Zealand in international Under 17 or youth football competitions....
, U-20
New Zealand national under-20 football team
The New Zealand Under 20's football team, more commonly known as the Junior All Whites, is controlled by New Zealand Football and represents New Zealand in international Under 20 or youth football competitions.-OFC:...
, and All Whites level.
Career
Born in South AucklandSouth Auckland
South Auckland is an imprecisely defined area of Auckland, New Zealand, often stereotyped as a socio-economically disadvantaged, and sometimes rough, urban area with a relatively large Polynesian and Māori population. The name South Auckland is not an official place name but is in common use by New...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the son of New Zealand
New Zealand national soccer team
The New Zealand national football team, nicknamed the All Whites, is the national association football team of New Zealand and is governed by New Zealand Football . The team plays in an all-white strip rather than the traditional New Zealand sporting black due to a former FIFA regulation that...
1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
representative Dave Bright
Dave Bright
David "Dave" J. Bright was an association football player who represented New Zealand gaining 8 A-international caps from 1979 to 1982....
. Bright joined Waitakere City
Waitakere City F.C.
Waitakere City F.C. is a professional New Zealand football club. They currently compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier.-History:It was formed in 1989 with the purpose of representing West Auckland in the National Soccer League....
in late April 2004 after playing for the Youth Teams of North Shore United
North Shore United
North Shore United is a semi-professional football club based in North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2.Their home ground, Allen Hill Stadium, is located in the suburb of Devonport.-History:...
. Whilst with Waitakere, Bright was the 2004 top scorer in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier
Northern League (New Zealand)
The Northern Region Football League, or Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier for sponsorship reasons, is a professional/semi-professional New Zealand association football league competition that is run by the...
as a 17-year-old, and played in the club's 0-1 loss to Miramar Rangers
Miramar Rangers
Miramar Rangers AFC is a semi-professional New Zealand association football club in the Wellington suburb of Miramar. They are current holders of the Chatham Cup, the fourth time they have won the trophy...
in the final of the 2004 Chatham Cup
Chatham Cup
The Chatham Cup, currently known as the ASB Chatham Cup for sponsorship purposes, is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's football...
. Over two seasons, as a Semi-Professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
with Waitakere City
Waitakere City F.C.
Waitakere City F.C. is a professional New Zealand football club. They currently compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier.-History:It was formed in 1989 with the purpose of representing West Auckland in the National Soccer League....
, Bright scored a total of 29 goals before heading to 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...
to trial for Gillingham FC
Gillingham 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...
. The trial was unsuccessful, and Bright returned home to play for Canterbury United
Canterbury United
Canterbury United FC is an association football club from Christchurch, New Zealand. The club plays most of its matches at English Park in Christchurch, though they occasionally play in Nelson...
in the ASB Premiership during 2005.
In mid-2005, Bright was named as one of three players in the New Zealand Knights' apprenticeship scheme. Shortly after the start of the season, though, Knights player Neil Emblen
Neil Emblen
Neil Emblen is an English football player who plays for and is coach of New Zealand club Waitakere United.Emblen had spent the majority of his career in English football with Millwall, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Walsall.-Career:Emblen started his career as a youth...
suffered a knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury and was forced onto the injured list, which would allow the club to sign Bright as a replacement for four weeks. Bright was rushed into the squad to play the Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Mariners FC
Central Coast Mariners Football Club is a professional football club based on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They participate in the A-League and are one of three teams from the state of New South Wales playing in the competition...
at North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium
North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape....
, and produced a Man of the Match performance as he played the full 90 minutes on debut as the New Zealand side went down 1-3. Bright's performance in his first match earned praise from Knights manager John Adshead
John Adshead
John Adshead is an England-born former head coach of New Zealand's national football team the All Whites, whom he led to their first FIFA World Cup appearance in the 1982 tournament...
, and he was rewarded with a starting place in the following match against the Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets Football Club is a professional football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The club competes in the A-League and plays its home games at Ausgrid Stadium . The Jets have won one A-League championship, defeating arch rivals the 1–0 in the 2007–08 Grand Final...
. Again Bright played the full match, and received an early yellow card in the 2-4 loss. Bright appeared in the Knights's following four games up until Emblen's return from injury, but had done enough to retain his position in the squad, having signed another short-term contract, this time to cover for Joshua Rose
Joshua Rose
Joshua Rose is an Australian football player who currently plays for the Central Coast Mariners.-Club career:...
. By the end of the 2005–06 season
A-League 2005-06
The 2005-06 season was the first season of the A-League, a domestic club competition for football in Australia. After over 12 months without a national professional club competition, the first match in the A-League was played on 26 August 2005...
, Bright had made a total of 12 appearances, three from the substitutes bench.
In mid-2006, Bright left for the United Kingdom again, this time to trial at Scottish side Kilmarnock, where he was for a month, playing three games & scoring 2 goals. Although he was not signed by Kilmarnock, Bright remained in Europe, and in late August began trialling with Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
club Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard
Fortuna Sittard is a football club in Sittard, Netherlands. The club currently plays its football in the 12,500 capacity Trendwork Arena and features in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. The club was a merger of former clubs 'Fortuna 54' and 'Sittardia' to merge as the Fortuna Sittard Combinatie on July 1,...
, including a match against FC Geleen-Zuid scoring 1 goal. Bright subsequently landed a one year contract with the club, with the option of a further year; despite earlier reports, the deal was only finalised as the transfer window closed.
Bright managed to gain a spot in the starting line-up for the struggling Dutch side. He played in eleven league games, in which he scored one goal, against HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889. The club won the Dutch national title in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912...
. After interest from Norway, he signed a six month contract until the end of the Norwegian season with Norwegian club Kristiansund BK. There he scored 11 goals in seven games, against Levanger (1), Lillestrom (2), Hodd (1), Baerum (1), Valarenga (2) & Steinkjer (4).
With two games remaining in the season and several Norwegian Tippeligaen & Addecoligaen clubs following his progress, Bright suffered a broken leg. Bright then renewed his contract with Kristiansund BK until July 2009.
After 6 months of recovery, Bright then made his return in the 2008 season opener against Strindheim. He continued his goal scoring form with 2 goals including a 25 metre free-kick to help Kristiansund to a 3-1 win. After playing 12 games, he was top goal-scorer in the league with 10 goals. Also, in the 3rd round of the Norwegian Cup, Bright scored KBK's only goal against Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
club & close rivals Molde F.K.
Molde F.K.
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was founded on 19 June 1911.They currently play in Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top division. Molde's home matches are played at Aker Stadion , which holds a record attendance of 13,308 . Aker Stadion's maximum capacity now is 11,800...
in a 2-1 extra-time loss.
In January 2009 Bright signed a 1 and a 1/2 year contract with Greek Super League side Panserraikos F.C.
Panserraikos F.C.
Panserraikos F.C. , the All-Serran Football Club, is the football club of Serres in Macedonia, Greece. Panserraikos was formed in 1964 when two local clubs, Iraklis and Apollon, merged. Their current home ground is Serres Municipal Stadium, built in 1926...
, he was given the #32 shirt. He left the Club in July 2009 by mutual consent with a year remaining on his contract, and joined English League Two side Shrewsbury Town on 3 August 2009.
In November 2009 Bright scored the winner in a 2-1 win over AFC Telford United in the Shropshire Senior Cup
Shropshire Senior Cup
The Shropshire Senior Cup is a county cup football competition that is open for professional and non-professional senior football teams in the county of Shropshire....
final. He scored his first 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...
goal against Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
, then scored another on the final day of the season against 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...
. He made a total of 26 league appearances in the 2009-10 season, including 22 from the interchange bench, scoring two goals.
On 3 October 2011 Bright joined Maltese outfit Balzan Youths on a short-term deal. Bright has linked up Balzan until December before he makes the move to Bryne FK in Norway in January. Bright has accepted the offer of joining Balzan so that he can maintain his match fitness prior to the move to Bryne. The 25-year-old has agreed a pre-contract with Bryne and will join the Norwegian second division side in the New Year.
International career
Bright has represented New ZealandNew Zealand national soccer team
The New Zealand national football team, nicknamed the All Whites, is the national association football team of New Zealand and is governed by New Zealand Football . The team plays in an all-white strip rather than the traditional New Zealand sporting black due to a former FIFA regulation that...
at U15, U16, U17 and U20 levels. He played in all of New Zealand's matches during their failed qualifying campaign for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
, scoring four goals, including a hat-trick in a 13-0 win over Tonga
Tonga national football team
The Tonga national football team is the national team of Tonga and is controlled by the Tonga Football Association.-Football in Tonga:Tonga's greatest football triumph to date was their triumph in the first ever Polynesian Cup held in 1993 over Samoa and the Cook Islands...
. In 2005, Bright was selected for the under-20 squad to compete in the OFC
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
qualifying tournament for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
, but again the country were unable to make the finals, finishing third in their group behind the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands national football team
The Solomon Islands national football team is the national team of the Solomon Islands and is controlled by Solomon Islands Football Federation. The team shocked the football world in the 2004 Oceania Nations Cup , tying Australia 2–2 to nip heavily-favored New Zealand for second place and a spot...
and Fiji
Fiji national football team
The Fiji national football team is the national team of Fiji and is controlled by the Fiji Football Association. Their best finish in the OFC Nations Cup was third in 1998 and 2008.-World Cup record:*1930 to 1978 - Did not enter...
. His senior international debut for the All whites was a substitute appearance in 2008 for a 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
qualifier against Fiji, and his first senior international goal was against Thailand
Thailand national football team
The Thailand national football team represents Thailand in international football competition and is governed by the Football Association of Thailand. The team has a history of success in Southeast Asian competition, with three ASEAN Football Championship titles and nine senior-level Southeast...
on 28 March 2009. He was included in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
squad, making a single appearance as a substitute against European champions, Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. He missed out on the final 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, but was named as one of seven non-travelling reserves.
| # | Date | Opponent | Final Result | Result | Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2009 | 3-1 | Loss | Friendly | |||||||
| Last updated 7 April 2010 | |||||||||||
Football League Statistics
| Club | Season |  Football League TwoFootball League Two Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system.... |
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... |
FA Trophy FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams... |
Carling Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Shrewsbury Town F.C. Shrewsbury Town F.C. Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football... (Football League Two Football League Two Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system.... ) |
2009–10 2009–10 Football League Two The Football League 2009–10 , was the seventeenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2009 and ended on 8 May 2010.... |
26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Football League Two The 2010–11 Football League Two season, , was the lowest division of the Football League for that season... |
|||||||||||
| Club Total | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| Career totals | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| Last updated 19 August 2010 | |||||||||||