Prestwich Cricket, Tennis & Bowling Club member Phil Bradley, who also umpires in the Lancashire County Cricket league, had to give up his match last weekend to attend a rather more pressing engagement.
He should have been officiating at Stand’s Hamilton Road ground where Bury rivals Woodbank were the visitors but received a call a few days earlier from the Football Association to say he was required to attend the FA Cup Final at Wembley to be presented by HRH Prince William with one of the FA’s inaugural Respect and Fair Play awards.
When not cricketing Phil is employed full time in football as Secretary of the UniBond Football League and his nomination of the League took the first ever Respect award for the semi-professional game.
The citation that accompanied the award said “Even before the FA’s Respect campaign the League was providing cash incentives for Fair Play and over £50,000 has been awarded in eleven years to the best behaved teams. The League was one of the first to introduce the Respect handshake and has also made huge strides in ensuring touchline bans are no longer flouted”.
HRH Prince William said “Unfashionable as the word may seem, sportsmanship underpins everything good and worthwhile about our national game. What is so important about these Respect and Fair Play awards is that they acknowledge those who play fair and encourage fair play – true sportsmen and women. Everything about why I wanted to become President of the Football Association is encapsulated by what the winners this afternoon represent. Whilst I remain President of the FA, promoting sportsmanship will be my goal”.
Amongst the judges were Stephanie Moore MBE, widow of World Cup captain Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking with Arsenal winning the Premiership award whilst Rochdale were recognised as one of the leaders in Fair Play within the Coca Cola League.
Phil, 66 years of age, has worked for the League since 1992 becoming Secretary ten years later. He said “I was incredibly proud walking up to receive the award from Prince William on behalf of the League. It was a truly fantastic day and it was a privilege to share a table at the pre-match lunch with Stephanie Moore as her late husband was one of my favourite players of all time. He would have graced any era. Whilst others will go on to win these awards in the future nobody can take it away from the League that we were amongst the inaugural winners.
“Sport has been my life and I have been incredibly lucky to have been able to have earned my living from. I have had many highs and lows in both my playing days and also in my time as an administrator in football but Saturday capped everything I have ever achieved previously”, said Bradley.
From the highs of Wembley on Saturday it was back to earth with a bump on Sunday when Phil was umpiring a Lancashire Knock Out tie between Darcy Lever and Little Hulton.
