Don Bradley

Who was Don Bradley?

Donald "Don" Bradley was an English footballer who played for Mansfield Town as a left-back. Bradley, a native of Annesley in Nottinghamshire, began his career at West Bromwich Albion in 1945, but never made any league appearances for them. In 1949, he joined Mansfield Town, and made his debut on 20 August 1949 in a Division Three North match against Southport.

Bradley is one of Mansfield's longest-serving players of all time, and during a 13-year spell at the club, he played a total of 413 matches for the Stags, scoring six goals. His last game for the club came on 23 October 1961 in a League Cup tie against Cardiff City at Ninian Park that Mansfield lost 2-1. He left Mansfield at the end of the 1961-62 season, and subsequently played a couple of seasons for non-league Ilkeston Town before retiring from playing the game.

He did continue to work in football into his 60s working and amongst other roles worked as a boys football coach at Oldswinford Hospital School in the West Midlands.

He died in June 1997, at the age of 72.