- Mark Bright
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For the American comic book artist, see M. D. Bright.
Mark Bright Personal information Full name Mark Abraham Bright Date of birth 6 June 1962 Place of birth Stoke-on-Trent, England Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Playing position Forward Youth career Leek Town Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1980–1981 Leek Town 1981–1984 Port Vale 29 (10) 1984–1986 Leicester City 42 (6) 1986–1992 Crystal Palace 227 (92) 1992–1997 Sheffield Wednesday 135 (48) 1996 → Millwall (loan) 3 (1) 1997 FC Sion 1997–1999 Charlton Athletic 27 (10) Total 463+ (167+) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Mark Abraham Bright (born 6 June 1962) is a former English footballer who is now a sports pundit and BBC London's sport presenter, as well as a coach at Crystal Palace.
He made the move from non-league Leek Town to Port Vale in 1981, where he remained for three years before he signed with Leicester City. In 1986 he transferred to Crystal Palace, where he would score 92 league goals over the next six years. Joining Sheffield Wednesday in 1992, he stayed with the club for five years before moving to Swiss side FC Sion in 1997, following a short loan stay at Millwall. He returned to England later in 1997 to play for Charlton Athletic, before he announced his retirement in 1999. A forward, he scored 167 goals in 463 league games throughout an eighteen year career in the Football League.
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Football career
After a spell at Leek Town, Bright moved to Port Vale in October 1981. He made his full debut in a 2–0 home win over Torquay United, two weeks after coming on as a substitute in a goalless home draw with York City on 1 May 1982. He had earned a regular first team spot by April 1984 and scored in five successive matches, which brought him to the attention of bigger clubs. Graham Barnett advised him to reject John Rudge's offer of a two year contract, and in June 1984 Bright was sold to Leicester City for £33,333.[1] This fee was later doubled due to a top-up clause.[2]
He was then signed on loan to Crystal Palace by manager Steve Coppell, where he made his name as a striker throughout the most successful years the club has ever known. It was Bright's goals, along with those of strike partner Ian Wright that took Palace back into the top flight at the end of the decade.
'Brighty' earned the Golden Boot for the highest scorer in the Second Division in 1987–88 with 24 goals.[3] His efforts in the following season, in which he played every match, took him past his half century of league goals for the club. His 12 goals in the First Division in 1989–90 were an important part of Palace's creditable showing, it was Bright's crashing drive at the start of the second-half that began Palace's recovery against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final and ultimately helped them to get to the final.
As Palace impressed in Division One throughout 1990–91 Bright proved his supreme predatory skills at the highest level with a sequence of seven top-flight goals in just ten midwinter games as the Eagles secured their highest ever league finish. Even after Ian Wright had left the club Bright continued his great form for Palace, and his 17 Division One goals in 1991–92 was, at the time, a record return for a Palace striker in the top-flight.
Bright left Palace for Sheffield Wednesday in September 1992 in a cash plus player exchange deal involving fellow striker Paul Williams. He eventually became the Owls' highest goalscorer in the Premier League to date, scoring 48 goals between 1992 and 1996.[3] One of his notable goals came in the All-Sheffield FA Cup semi-final in 1993, Bright's extra-time header sealing a place in the Final. Bright fared far less well in the final itself, controversially elbowing Arsenal defender Andy Linighan in the face, causing a broken nose. Later, with the scores level in the last minute of extra time, a heavily bandaged Linighan outjumped Bright from a corner to score the winning goal, securing the Cup Double for Arsenal.[4][5]
He was later loaned to Millwall before joining Swiss club FC Sion in January 1997. He finished his career with Charlton Athletic in 1999 after helping the club reach the Premier League the previous year, playing in their dramatic win over Sunderland in the 1998 play off final,[3] which was won 7–6 on penalties after a 4–4 draw.
After football
After retiring, Bright became a football correspondent on The Big Breakfast. He currently works on the BBC show Football Focus.[6] He also commentates on some international matches, often alongside Jonathan Pearce and Steve Wilson on Match of the Day.[3] He is also the sports correspondent for BBC London News.[3] In summer 2009 he joined the Crystal Palace academy set-up, along with his former teammate John Salako.[7]
Bright has completed six half marathons since his retirement in 1999, all of them in the Great North Run.[3] He is also a regular competitor in the London Marathon, raising funds for cancer research in 2000, the Willow Foundation in 2005 and The Rhys Daniels Trust in 2006.[3] In 2006 he starred in Cirque de Celebrité, only to be the first person to be voted off. He also scored the first goal at the new Wembley Stadium for a "Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity XI", in aid of his captain at Palace, Geoff Thomas a match which his team won 2–0 (Simon Jordan scoring the second goal) in March 2007.[3]
Personal life
Bright's father was Gambian and his mother was English, he was raised in his mother's hometown of Stoke-on-Trent.[8]
He met British singer and actress Michelle Gayle in 1995, the couple later married in Vegas and in 2001 had a son they named Isiah. They separated in 2007, though remain on good terms.[9]
In his spare time he enjoys playing golf (a common feature of ex-footballers[10]) and riding motorbikes.[3]
Honours
- Individual
- PFA Second Division Team of the Year: 1987–88
- Crystal Palace Player of The Year: 1990
- with Crystal Palace
- with Sheffield Wednesday
- with Charlton Athletic
- Football League First Division play-off winner: 1998
References
- ^ Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. pp. 30. ISBN 0950898163.
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 41. ISBN 0952915200. http://www.amazon.ca/Port-Vale-Personalities-Jeff-Kent/dp/0952915200.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Mark Bright". BBC Press Office. April 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/sport/markbright.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "New season will begin again minus a Linighan". The Northern Echo. 11 May 2001. http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/archive/2001/05/11/The+North+East+Archive/7109931.New_season_will_begin_again_minus_a_Linighan/. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ Francis, Dan; Alford, Mark (2009-04-30). "VIDEO SPECIAL: Unlikely heroes - John O'Shea and other defenders who became strikers when it mattered most". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1087809/VIDEO-SPECIAL-Unlikely-heroes--John-OShea-defenders-strikers-mattered-most.html.
- ^ "Mark Bright". BBC Sport. 25 March 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/football_focus/3569255.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "Palace Legends Join Academy Set Up". cpfc.co.uk. 11 September 2009. http://www.cpfc.co.uk/page/News/0,,10323~1790306,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ^ "Former Port Vale star returns to school to help African children". The Sentinel. June 11, 2009. http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Pupils-Bright-idea-African-aid-mission/article-1068527-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ "Ex-EastEnder Michelle love split". The Sun. 24 Feb 2007. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article19531.ece. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ Rookwood, Dan (4 July 2003). "Mark Bright". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2003/jul/04/newsstory.sport3. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
1987–88 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year GK: Nigel Spink · DF: Chris Price · DF: Gary Pallister · DF: Tony Mowbray · DF: Andy Hinchcliffe · MF: Stuart McCall · MF: Andy Gray · MF: John Sheridan · FW: Paul Stewart · FW: Mark Bright · FW: John HendrieCrystal Palace F.C. – Player of the Year 1972: McCormick • 1973: T. Taylor • 1974: P. Taylor • 1975: Jeffries • 1976: P. Taylor • 1977: Sansom • 1978: Cannon • 1979: Sansom • 1980: Hinshelwood • 1981: Hinshelwood • 1982: Barron • 1983: Murphy • 1984: Gilbert • 1985: Cannon • 1986: Wood • 1987: Cannon • 1988: Thomas • 1989: Wright • 1990: Bright • 1991: Thomas • 1992: McGoldrick • 1993: Thorn • 1994: Coleman • 1995: Shaw • 1996: Roberts • 1997: Hopkin • 1998: Edworthy • 1999: Mullins • 2000: Linighan • 2001: Fan • 2002: Freedman • 2003: Mullins • 2004: Johnson • 2005: Johnson • 2006: Boyce • 2007: Cort • 2008: Speroni • 2009: Speroni • 2010: Speroni • 2011: Clyne
Categories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Stoke-on-Trent
- Charlton Athletic F.C. players
- Crystal Palace F.C. players
- Leicester City F.C. players
- Millwall F.C. players
- Port Vale F.C. players
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players
- Leek Town F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in Switzerland
- FC Sion players
- English people of Gambian descent
- English footballers
- English expatriate footballers
- English television presenters
- British association football commentators
- Premier League players
- The Football League players
- Swiss Super League players
- Black British sportspeople
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