interview
Island Life - April/May 2011
Lee (above)
became
Manchester
City's new
£3million
signing
Main Photo: Lee directs operations from the touchline
By Peter White
of his latest challenge to reflect on his
played up front as a striker and also on
early days on the Island, and reveal how
the right wing. I always liked to be an
Following a successful career as a
he finally made the breakthrough into
attacking player, scoring goals.”
professional footballer that spanned
the professional game after initially
nearly 16 years, Islander Lee Bradbury
joining the Army after leaving school.
has now taken the big step into
Football League management.
While at Cowes High School he
was playing alongside team mates a
He spent his early years living in
year older than himself, such was his
Arnold Road, Cowes with his family
goalscoring prowess, and it was as part
and attended Love Lane and Somerton
of that team that he had his first real
Cowes, was recently appointed the
Schools before moving on to Cowes
taste of the ‘big time’.
manager of AFC Bournemouth, a
High School. His first real taste of
club currently in the ascendancy after
football came when he began playing
National Schools finals, which was quite
several years in the doldrums. As the
for Gurnard Youth team, and his talents
an achievement for an Island side, and
current season draws to a close Lee
were quickly spotted, enabling him to
we played against a Liverpool Schools
is attempting to begin his managerial
play for the Island team through all the
team at Goodison Park, the home of
career in the best possible way by
different age groups.
Everton. Gary Rowett, who also lived on
Lee, who was born and raised in
leading Bournemouth – nicknamed The
He also had a season at Binstead
He recalls: “We got through to the
the Island at the time, was in the same
Cherries – into the Championship, the
when he was 15, and later played for
team, and by coincidence many years
second tier of English football.
Cowes Sports. He recalls: “I started off
later Gary and I both played together at
playing on the left wing, but then also
Birmingham City, and were room mates
Lee took time out from the rigours
50
Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com