Lincoln City defender Sonny Bradley has been unveiled by Derringham United, although thankfully their recruitment drive involves coaching the under-eights rather than dismantling our defence.
There are some announcements you would rather came with the job description at the beginning. Seeing another club declare that Sonny has “joined” them might briefly raise an eyebrow, but we can all stand down: this is a lovely story about our centre-half helping youngsters in his home city.
The newly formed West Hull club have announced that Sonny will support their under-eights coaching team, working alongside Head of Football Alex Lee. In their Facebook announcement, they said his experience and knowledge would be available weekly as they develop their academy pathway.
“We are delighted to announce that Lincoln City’s Sonny Bradley has joined Derringham United to help with our coaching team U8s.”
“Born and raised in Hull, Sonny has had a fantastic career playing for Hull, Portsmouth, Derby, Luton and Plymouth and will support Alex with our football academy pathway and coaching!”
For a club only founded this year, that is quite an addition to the coaching team. Most new junior clubs would be delighted to find another willing volunteer; Derringham have managed to find one with a rather substantial Football League CV.
Sonny came through the ranks at Hull City before building a career that has also included Crawley Town and a loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers. His time at Luton included their rise from League One to the Premier League, giving those youngsters access to someone who knows a fair bit about progressing through the game.
Derringham themselves are at the very beginning of their journey. Led by chairman and local councillor George Grozav, alongside Alex Lee, the club was established to give children in West Hull a welcoming and supportive place to play football, with Grozav thanking Tina Edwards of the East Riding FA for helping get the project off the ground.
Their club website places enjoyment, confidence and friendship at the centre of what they do. The intention is to expand their age groups steadily over the first five years, allowing children to develop at their own pace and protecting the supportive atmosphere as the club grows.
That sounds like a hugely worthwhile project for Sonny to be involved in, particularly given his own roots in Hull. Having an experienced professional around to offer encouragement and advice is a real coup for a young club, and it is good to see him putting something back into the game where he grew up. I have a massive respect for footballers who put back into the community, and it’s no surprise to see Sonny doing it, given the personality that he is.
We will still be needing him for Championship forwards, of course, so hopefully the under-eights will share. For now, Derringham can enjoy an excellent addition to their coaching team, and we can enjoy a “Sonny Bradley joins” announcement without having to worry about a replacement.
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