‘Perfect’ move for striker Harvey Bradbury as he targets National League South return with Gosport Borough

At the third time of asking, Privett Park boss Shaun Gale this summer managed to persuade the striker - the son of his close friend and former Havant & Waterlooville colleague Lee Bradbury - to come home. Well, give or take a few miles.

For after travelling to Oxford and south east London to train and play, Fareham-based Harvey’s third club of 2022 means a lot less travelling (and a huge saving on fuel costs!)

Not that long ago, Bradbury was a National League South regular for Oxford City and Welling. Now he is preparing for his first taste of step 3 football in the Southern League Premier Division.

The 23-year-old was in superb form when the 2020/21 NLS campaign was rudely halted by clubs deciding to scrap the season due to a funding crisis amid the third national lockdown. In his last three league games he had scored twice apiece against Hemel, Hungerford and Chelmsford.

Paired up front with ex-Hawk Joe Iaciofano, Bradbury was again a regular up front for City in the first half of last season - both men scoring in a 2-1 league win at Westleigh Park in September.

But City boss David Oldfield’s departure to Weymouth in January of this year was a catalyst in his career. Ross Jenkins, appointed as Oldfield’s successor, didn’t fancy Bradbury. Different managers, as ever, have different opinions.

Bradbury subsequently joined Welling in early April, with the Wings rooted to the foot of the NLS table. The two goals he scored were crucial, both coming in the 3-2 success against lofty Maidstone - including a last-minute winner - which kept Welling up.

Though Bradbury had initially signed until the end of 2022/23, he asked to leave due to the travelling - Welling train full-time and Fareham to south east London on a daily basis wasn’t ideal.

‘Galey tried to get me to sign last season and the one before,’ Bradbury told The News. ‘But I was doing well at Oxford at the time and I didn’t want to ruin that.

‘The travelling (at Welling) wasn’t really what I wanted. It’s too far. I was getting up at silly o'clock to drive to training. And all that driving’s not really suitable - you can pick up injuries.

‘I did what I had to do at Welling, helping them to stay up. Scoring the late winner to keep them up will always live with me, it was brilliant.

‘Gosport is perfect for me, it’s only 10 minutes away. You can enjoy your life more without all that travelling.

‘I’ve never played at this level before. It’s not ideal (dropping down a division) but Gosport are an ambitious club and they’re having a real go to get promotion.’

Bradbury is one of a number of close season signings recruited from a higher division as Gale aims to build on last season’s 10th placed finish. In the play-off zone for much of the season, Borough fell away late on to end up 15 points off the top six.

Also new in at Privett Park is ex-Pompey midfielder Danny Hollands, released by Bradbury’s dad Lee at Eastleigh and a veteran of 394 EFL and Championship appearances – plus another 157 for Eastleigh in the top tier of non-league football since the start of 2017/18.

Former Hawks title-winner Andreas Robinson was also playing in the National League last season, for Weymouth, while winger Abdulai Baggie turned out for Hawks in the NL South last term prior to ending the campaign at Gosport’s league rivals Salisbury.

‘We’ve got a really strong squad,’ said Bradbury. ‘It’s going to be a tough ask to pick a team.

‘It’s exciting, I think there’ll be a hype around us but we’ve just got to keep our heads.

‘I’d love to score 20-25 goals, I’d be chuffed if I could do that, but the main thing is the team do well. If the team are winning, everything takes care of itself.’

Bradbury will provide Gale with a physical attacking presence. Last season, Dan Wooden was the club’s 15-goal top scorer in the league but was often asked to plough a lone furrow up front with Matt Paterson spending a large chunk of the campaign recovering from injury.

Apart from Wooden, Boro lacked a regular marksman - Paterson was the second highest league scorer with six - so it is clear Bradbury has been signed for a purpose.