Gordon Bradley was an English-American soccermidfielderborn and raised on Wearside who played several seasons with lower division English clubs before moving to play in Canada at the age of 30. During the Canadian off-season, he played and coached in the U.S.-based German American Soccer League. In 1971, he became a player and head coach for the New York Cosmos. In addition to coaching the Cosmos, he has coached the U.S. national team and at the collegiate and high school levels. Bradley also earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1973. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Player
England
Bradley grew up in Sunderland, England where he turned professional with the local Sunderland club at age sixteen. However, his career nearly ended just as it was beginning. During a training session, he shattered his right kneecap kicking a ball and it took over two years before he was fit to play again. In 1950, English conscription laws forced Bradley to choose between working in the government coal mines or entering the military when he turned nineteen. Bradley chose to work in the coal mines at Easington Colliery. In addition to working in the mine, Bradley continued to play soccer. While he began his career as a forward with Sunderland, the injury slowed Bradley and he moved into defense. Bradley signed with Bradford Park Avenue in 1955 then in 1957, he moved to Carlisle United where he eventually played 130 games, scoring 3 goals.
Bradley remained with the Generals as they entered the NASL, serving as both player and assistant coach during the 1968 season. The Generals folded at the end of the season and Bradley moved to the Baltimore Bays for the 1969 NASL season. The Bays folded at the end of the 1969 season and Bradley was not associated with any NASL team for the 1970 season. He returned to the NASL in 1971 when the expansion New York Cosmos signed Bradley as both its first coach and first player. He both played and coached the Cosmos through the end of the 1975 season when he was fired after a 10–12 season and replaced by Ken Furphy. Having only played in one game in 1975, Bradley retired from playing professionally.
National team
Bradley earned one cap with the U.S. national team in a 2–0 loss to Israel on 15 November 1973. At the time, he was serving as the national team coach and ironically, he did not gain his U.S. citizenship until 1974.
Coach
GASL
Bradley gained his start in coaching with the New York Ukrainians of the German-American Soccer League in 1963. He later served as an assistant coach with the New York Generals of the North American Soccer League in 1968.
School
When the Generals folded, Bradley coached the boys soccer team of Manhattan's St. Bernard's School.. His team went undefeated until the final game, which it lost,, to arch-rival, .
NASL
In 1971, the New York Cosmos hired Bradley as the team's first coach. While he took the Cosmos to the 1972 NASL championship, he had two losing seasons in 1974 and 1975 and was fired at the end of the season and replaced by Ken Furphy. In 1976, the Cosmos fired Furphy after the team began the season 8-6 briefly. Bradley lasted until 7 July 1977 when the team moved him to the front office as Vice President of Player personnel during the season and replaced him as coach with Eddie Firmani. The Cosmos won the Soccer Bowl in 1977. In 1978, the Washington Diplomats hired Bradley as head coach. While the Washington Diplomats folded in 1980, they were replaced that by a new franchise with the same name which played in the American Soccer League. The new team retained Bradley as coach, but fired him during the preseason and replaced him with Ken Furphy.
National team
In October 1973, the United States Soccer Federation replaced Eugene Chyzowych as national team coach when he suggested the federation should hire a full-time coach. USSF called Bradley, who was on vacation, and asked him to coach the team. Bradley coached the U.S. to six straight losses and was dropped as head coach at the end of the year.
College
In 1985, George Mason University hired Bradley as its men's soccer team head coach. He coached the Patriots for sixteen years until retiring on 4 December 2000. During those sixteen seasons, Bradley compiled a 183-113-35 record. In May 2006, Bradley was inducted into the George Mason Hall of Fame.
Soccer administration
In addition to playing and coaching the New York Cosmos, Bradley also served as the team's vice president from 1971 to 1977 when he left the team to join the Washington Diplomats. While coaching the Dips, he also served as the team's vice president.
Television broadcaster
Bradley worked as a color analyst alongside Bob Carpenter on NASL games in 1983. He was also featured as a television commentator on Home Team Sports during local broadcasts of MLS' DC United games. In 1996, the NationalSoccer Hall of Fame inducted Bradley. The next year, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Hall of Fame also selected Bradley for induction.
Death
He spent his last years out of the public eye, suffering from Alzheimer's disease and spending his last month in a full-care facility in Manassas, Virginia. Upon hearing of his declining health, one of D.C. United's supporter groups, Screaming Eagles, created a banner in Bradley's honor for display at the next home game. He died a few days later.
