Biography
Experienced and occasionally combustible goalkeeper Lee Bracey joined Hull City in July 1999 as part of Warren Joyce’s squad rebuilding exercise following the Great Escape season and subsequent sale of Andy Oakes. Selected as first choice goalkeeper at the start of the season, Lee was initially a secure and capable presence but his stock fell when he received two red cards in quick succession, the second for handling outside the area in a fabulous League Cup tie at Anfield that saw City’s ten men fight back to 2-2 against a Liverpool scratch reserves squad. By early October 1999 Warren Joyce had dropped Bracey and was testing the loan market, using locally-born keeper Steve Wilson and giving a debut to youth team product Matt Baker – during the remainder of the season Bracey made just five more first team starts. Lee had a fresh start in the 2000/01 season under new manager Brian Little and started the first ten games, but the September 2000 signing of Scunthorpe’s Paul Musselwhite consigned Bracey to the sidelines once more and left the Tigers in the 2001 close season.
Lee Michael Ian Bracey was born in Barking, where London’s East End and Essex’s commuter belt merge, but grew up in Ashford, a Kent commuter town located on the way to the Channel ports. Lee attended Towers School in Ashford and played for his local Southern League side Ashford Town at the age of 16. In January 1985 he signed apprentice terms with Division One side West Ham United, seeing out the 1984/85 season before teaming up with the Hammers full time in July 1985. He progressed through the ranks at West Ham and signed a first professional contract in July 1987, but by the 1988 close season he had not broken into the first team squad.
In August 1988 Bracey signed for Division Three side Swansea City, at Vetch Field the young netminder got a regular starting place for three seasons and by October 1991 he had made 128 first team appearances for the Swans, including two starts in the 1989/90 European Cup Winners’ Cup against Greek giants Panathinaikos. In October 1991 Lee moved to Division Four side Halifax Town where he was first choice keeper for two seasons, making 78 appearances.
In August 1993 Bracey switched to League Division 3 rivals Bury, he was first choice at Gigg Lane in his first season but was often sidelined for the next three seasons, making a total of 76 appearances. In March 1997 he joined Ipswich Town – initially on loan then moving permanently in the 1997 close season. Bracey stayed at Ipswich for two seasons without making a first team appearance prior to his move to Hull City. In total, including his Hull City starts, Bracey made 312 senior appearances in his thirteen year Football League career.
In the 2001 close season Bracey moved to the North West and for the next seven years he played for a variety of non-league sides around Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. He also began his second career as a police officer for the Greater Manchester Police, working mostly as a neighbourhood beat officer.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 11 September 1968, Barking
Hull City First Game: 7 August 1999, Exeter City A (League Division 3), 30 years, 330 days old
Hull City Final Game: 13 March 2001, Plymouth Argyle A (League Division 3), 32 years, 183 days old
Clubs
Ashford United (1984-1985), West Ham United (1985-1988), Swansea City (1988-1991), Halifax Town (1991-1993), Bury (1993-1996), Ipswich Town (1996-1999), Hull City (1999-2001), Chorley (2001-2002), Ossett Town (2002-2004), Mossley (2004-2006), Ashton United (2006-2007), Rossendale United (2007-2008)
Hull City Record
Career: 30 apps, 0 goals
Lee Bracey| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999/00 | 10 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | 4 (0) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
| 2000/01 | 9 (1) | 0 | – | – | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
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