Bernie Wright
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Bernard Peter Wright[1] | ||
Date of birth | 17 September 1952 | ||
Place of birth | Birmingham, England[2] | ||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Centre-forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1970–1971 | Birmingham City | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1971 | Paget Rangers | ||
1971–1972 | Walsall | 15 | (2) |
1972–1973 | Everton | 11 | (2) |
1973–1976 | Walsall | 152 | (38) |
1976–1978 | Bradford City | 66 | (13) |
1978–1980 | Port Vale | 76 | (23) |
Kidderminster Harriers | |||
Trowbridge Town | |||
Cheltenham Town | |||
Worcester City | |||
Gloucester City | |||
Burton Albion | |||
Total | 320+ | (78+) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Bernard Peter Wright (born 17 September 1952), nicknamed Bernie the Bolt,[4] is an English former footballer. A tough centre-forward, he scored 78 goals in 320 league games in a nine-year career in the Football League.
A youth team player at Birmingham City, he joined Paget Rangers of the Midland Combination, before having a successful trial at Walsall in 1971. He moved on to Everton in 1972. After one season with the "Toffees" he moved back to Walsall. In 1976, he transferred to Bradford City, winning promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1976–77, before signing for Port Vale two years later for a £9,000 fee. In 1980, he went into non-League football with Kidderminster Harriers, later playing for Trowbridge Town, Cheltenham Town, Worcester City, Gloucester City and Burton Albion.
Career
Born in
Wright returned to Walsall in 1973 for a fee of £10,000,[10] and scored 38 goals in 152 league games during his four years at Fellows Park. After struggling in the lower half of the table in 1972–73 and 1973–74 under John Smith and then Ronnie Allen, the "Saddlers" came close to promotion in 1974–75 and 1975–76 under Doug Fraser's stewardship. He joined Bobby Kennedy's Bradford City in 1976, where he scored 13 goals in 66 league games. Bradford won promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1976–77, but suffered relegation in 1977–78 under John Napier. Wright and Don Hutchins were joint-top scorer in 1977–78 with ten goals. Wright decided to leave the club and return to the Midlands as his wife failed to settle in the area.[6]
In June 1978,
Style of play
Wright was a strong and tough centre-forward whose long hair and beard combination helped to intimidate opposition defenders.[15] He had a reputation as a 'hard man'.[16]
Post-retirement
Wright later became a forklift truck supervisor and part-time referee in the Central Warwickshire Sunday Leagues.[8]
Career statistics
Source:[17]
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Walsall | 1971–72 | Third Division | 15 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 5 |
Everton | 1971–72 | First Division | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
1972–73 | First Division | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
Total | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | ||
Walsall | 1972–73 | Third Division | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
1973–74 | Third Division | 28 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 7 | |
1974–75 | Third Division | 41 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 10 | |
1975–76 | Third Division | 44 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 12 | |
1976–77 | Third Division | 23 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 8 | |
Total | 152 | 38 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 176 | 43 | ||
Bradford City | 1976–77 | Fourth Division | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 |
1977–78 | Third Division | 46 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 10 | |
Total | 66 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 69 | 13 | ||
Port Vale | 1978–79 | Fourth Division | 46 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 15 |
1979–80 | Fourth Division | 30 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 9 | |
Total | 76 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 81 | 24 | ||
Career total | 320 | 78 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 357 | 87 |
Honours
Bradford City
- Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1976–77
References
- ^ "Bernie Wright". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ "Sting Ray Answers Your Everton Quiz Questions". bluekipper.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ^ "Make or Break for me says Bernard Wright". Birmingham Daily Post. 9 October 1971 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Bernie Wright Interview". The Vale Park Beano. 73.
- ^ a b "Bernie Wright". evertonresults.com. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Bernie Wright: February 1972 – January 1973". evertonfc.com. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
- ^ "Transfer agreement for B. P. Wright between Everton F.C. and Walsall F.C." The Everton Collection. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
- ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
- ^ "Clipping Heroes #8: The 1970's". onevalefan.co.uk. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ "Cult Hero 31: Bernie Wright". onevalefan.co.uk. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ "A collection of Port Vale hard men from yesteryear - onevalefan.co.uk". onevalefan.co.uk. 28 August 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Bernie Wright at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)