Born in Shildon, Bushby began his career with Southend United in 1934, and later played for a number of Hampshire-based teams including Portsmouth and Southampton, before retiring from professional football in 1947.
He remained with Southend for five seasons, making 40 League, 4 FA Cup and 2 Third Division South Cup appearances after which he moved to Portsmouth (then in the First Division) in June 1939 as a replacement for regular half back Jimmy Guthrie, who had been injured in a car accident earlier that year.
Following the end of the conflicts, Bushby moved permanently to Southampton in September 1946, appearing twice for the club at right half in games against West Bromwich Albion on 5 October 1946 and Birmingham City on 1 February 1947.
Ultimately he could not retain his position in the team ahead of players like Bill Stroud and George Smith though, and left near the end of the season to join Cowes.
Bushby did remain with Cowes for seven years however, making 232 consecutive appearances between 1947 and 1954, and he later went on to manage the football team of Sarisbury, a village near the Hampshire town of Fareham.