Lee Bullock

Lee Bullock (born 22 May 1981 in Thornaby-on-Tees, England) is an England football (soccer), who plays for Bradford City A.F.C.. He started his career with York City F.C., with whom he played 171 league games and scored 24 goals, before he moved to Football League First Division side Cardiff City F.C. in 2004 after a loan spell. He spent just one season with Cardiff before he returned to north east England with Hartlepool United F.C.. He won promotion from Football League Two with Hartlepool, but after he lost his place in the side, he had loan spells with Mansfield Town F.C., Bury F.C. and Bradford City, before signing permanently for Bradford in January 2008.

Career

York City

Bullock started his career with York City F.C. in August 1998, making his debut on 5 December 1998 in a 2–1 FA Cup defeat to Wrexham F.C.. He signed a new two-year contract by the end of the 1998-99 in English football season, which he finished with the young player of the year award. He made 17 starts during his first full season and played 24 league games in total, but never managed more than six succssive appearances. His season had been ended early because of an ankle injury he picked up in a reserve game, but he extended his contract during the summer to three years, keeping him at Bootham Crescent until at least 2003. His first goal came nearly two years after his debut when he scored a header in a 3–1 victory over Halifax Town A.F.C. at The Shay on 24 October 2000. He scored another three goals that season, including another goal against Halifax Town in a 2–1 relegation battle on 14 April 2001. In the 2001-02 in English football season, he more than doubled the number of goals to nine. He underwent an ankle operation in April 2002, which ended his season early after playing 40 games. He scored another seven the following season, but at the end of the season, he was one of just eight players to be kept on at the club, because of financial problems. Once again he scored seven goals in 2003-04 in English football. His form earned him interest from other clubs, including Cardiff City F.C..

Cardiff City

Bullock had a trial with Cardiff City in February 2004, before he signed on loan until the end of the season the following month. He scored three goals in ten games during his loan spell, including one on his debut in a 3–2 defeat to Reading F.C., and in a 1–1 draw with Ipswich Town F.C. on the final day of the season. Bullock's form linked him with a move to Ipswich in June 2004, but he joined Cardiff later that month on a permanent deal, which would make York £100,000 if he made 25 appearances for Cardiff.

He scored five goals, including two in the Football League Cup in 2004-05 in English football but he was released during the summer having made just eight league starts. Bullock joined Hartlepool United F.C. from Cardiff City F.C. on a free transfer in June 2005.

Hartlepool United

Bullock made his Hartlepool debut on the opening day of the 2005-06 in English football season in a 2–0 loss to Bradford City A.F.C., before he scored three days later in a 1–1 draw with A.F.C. Bournemouth. He scored four goals in his first season, but missed two months from November to January 2006 because of a thigh strain and then a hand injury. He had his lowest scoring season in 2006-07 in English football netting just twice, but helped Hartlepool to promotion from Football League Two.



Bullock signed for Mansfield Town F.C. on an initial one-month loan on 30 August, 2007 in order to get regular first-team football. He returned to Hartlepool in September 2007. He signed for Bury F.C. on a month's loan in October 2007. This loan was extended for a second month in November 2007, but he returned to Hartlepool in December after he turned down a permanent deal with Bury.

Bradford City

He joined Bradford City A.F.C. on a month's loan in December, which started in January 2008. He made his Bradford debut in a 2–0 victory against Accrington Stanley F.C. on 1 January 2008. Three games into his loan spell at Bradford, he was transfer listed by Hartlepool United. Bradford were unbeaten during Bullock's five game loan period, winning three and drawing two, and they signed Bullock on an 18-month contract before the end of the transfer window. His first goal for Bradford was the side's third in a 3–2 victory over Rotherham United F.C. on 26 February 2008. Bullock played for a month with a groin injury, and after playing 12 consecutive games since he first joined Bradford, he was rested for a game at Chester City F.C. on 12 March 2008 before undergoing a hernia operation, which kept him out for the rest of the 2007-08 in English football season. Having played in a number of pre-season games, Bullock returned to the Bradford side on the opening day of the 2008-09 in English football season against Notts County F.C., which Bradford won 2–1.

Personal life

Born in Thornaby-on-Tees, Bullock is a Middlesbrough F.C. supporter and attended the club's Football League Cup final appearance in 2004 Football League Cup Final when they defeated Bolton Wanderers F.C. 2–1.