Mark Bright

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Mark Bright (born June 6, 1962 in Stoke-on-Trent) is a former footballer, who is now a sports pundit and BBC London's sport presenter.

Contents

[edit] Biography

After a spell at Leek Town in 1986, Bright moved to Port Vale, and then sold to Leicester City for £33,333.

He was then signed on loan to Crystal Palace by manager Steve Coppell, where he made his name as a supreme goalscorer and sophisticated 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 Division Two in 1987/88 with 24 goals and his efforts in the following term, in which he played every match, took him past his half century of league goals for the club. His 12 goals in Division One in 1989/90 were an important part of Palace's creditable showing, while fans will always remember that it was Mark's crashing drive at the start of the second-half that began Palace's recovery against Liverpool F.C. in the FA Cup semi-final and ultimately helped them to get to the final.

As Palace impressed in Division One throughout 1990/91 Mark proved his supreme predatory skills at the highest level with a sequence of seven top-flight goals in just 10 midwinter games as the Eagles secured their highest ever league finish. Even after Ian Wright had left the club Brightie 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.

Mark left Palace for Sheffield Wednesday in September 1992 in a cash plus player exchange deal involving former Charlton Athletic striker Paul Williams. He eventually became the Owls' highest goalscorer in the FA Premier League to date, scoring 48 goals between 1992 and 1996. 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 for the Owls. 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 Premiership.

[edit] Playing career summary

[edit] After football

He is presently BBC London's sport presenter.

Bright has completed six half marathons since his retirement in 1999, all of them in the Great North Run. Mark is also a regular competitor in the Flora London Marathon, raising funds for Cancer research in 2000, the Willow Foundation in 2005 and The Rhys Daniels Trust in 2006. In 2006 he starred in Cirque de Celebrite, only to be the first person to be voted off.

[edit] Personal life

He is married to British singer and actress Michelle Gayle (of EastEnders), and they have one child together, a boy named Isaiah.

[edit] Trivia

He has appeared in two FA Cup finals, for Crystal Palace against Manchester United in 1990, and in 1993 he faced Arsenal in both the FA Cup and the League Cup for Sheffield Wednesday.

Preceded by
Ian Wright		 Crystal Palace F.C. Player of The Year
1990		 Succeeded by
Geoff Thomas
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