Obituary: Warren Bradley
Warren Bradley's name may not be instantly recognisable to modern
followers of Manchester United but the popular figure who died this
week, aged 73, nevertheless held a very special niche in the
history of the club.
Born in Hyde, Cheshire (now Greater Manchester), on Tuesday 20 June
1933, Warren started playing football as a schoolboy representing
amongst others Hyde Grammar School, where he was educated, and
Cheshire Boys.
As a young man, Warren studied at Hatfield College, Durham
University, but continued to pursue his sporting ambitions by
playing for local club Durham City. He later played for Bolton
Wanderers as an amateur without making a senior appearance.
As a player he first came to prominence playing for the famous
non-league club Bishop Auckland. He collected two FA Amateur Cup
winners' medals after playing in the finals of 1956 against
Corinthian Casuals (he appeared in the replay at Middlesbrough's
Ayresome Park, which Bishop Auckland won 4-1) and the following
year when the club completed a hat-trick of victories in the
competition after they had beaten Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 in front of
90,000 fans at Wembley. Warren scored one of the goals in that
triumph. He also won 11 caps playing for England's amateur
international side.
Warren joined Manchester United, along with Bishop Auckland
team-mates Derek Lewin and Bob Hardisty, in the wake of the Munich
air disaster. His colleagues' activity at Old Trafford was to be
limited to playing in the reserves, but Warren proceeded to become
established, at least in the short term, as a member of the
post-Munich first team.
An accomplished crosser of the ball, Warren could also locate the
net himself. He bagged a highly respectable 12 goals during the
emotional 1958/59 season when United finished second behind Wolves.
His contribution to the club's remarkable campaign led to him being
selected for the full England team against Italy and collecting a
further two caps on the national team's tour of South
America.
Warren again played regularly in the first team the following
season, but after that he slowly faded from the picture and in
March 1962 he was transferred, for a substantial fee, to nearby
Bury. He later played with non-league Northwich Victoria,
Macclesfield Town - where he was recently selected in the club's
all-time best XI - and Bangor City.
On retiring from football, Warren was able to concentrate on his
teaching career, which saw him rise to the position of
headmaster.
Diminutive in stature, Warren was a busy winger who could leave the
most robust of defenders trailing in his wake. And in the event of
the more ruthless full-backs catching him, he was ready - he used
to protect his ankles with bundles of cotton wool.
Warren was a familiar figure around Old Trafford in recent years in
his work for the Association of Former Manchester United Players
(AFMUP). As one of the organisation's chief administrators, he
spent countless hours answering queries, writing letters and
helping to arrange AFMUP's popular golf days and dinners. The
Association will find his enthusiasm and dedication hard to
replace.
A thoroughly decent and likeable figure, Warren will be missed
greatly by everyone who knew him. Everyone at Manchester United
sends their sincere condolences to his family, friends and
colleagues at this very sad time.
