James Arthur Bradford (3 July 1902 – 13 April 1944) was an English footballer who played his entire professional career (from 1922 to 1936) as a half back with Southampton.
[2] Bradford was born in Walsall and played his youth football with Bloxwich All Saints, before joining the Talbot Stead Tube works team[1] (from which Ted Hough was signed in October 1921)[3] where he was spotted by scouts from Southampton and offered a trial.
After a successful trial he signed a professional contract in September 1922 but didn't make his first team debut until 18 April 1924 in a Second Division match at Crystal Palace, replacing Bill Turner at centre half.
Following the departure of manager Chadwick in April 1931, his replacement George Kay signed Frank Campbell from Scotland who was generally preferred to Bradford, who played in only about half the matches in 1931–32.
By the following season, with Johnny McIlwaine taking a year out to play in the Welsh League, Bradford was team captain, missing only four matches as Saints again finished in Second Division mid-table obscurity.