E12 | Kris Bright
Episode Summary | Kris Bright
His incredible professional football odyssey spanned 12 years across 13 clubs and 11 countries, but don’t call him a journeyman, football gypsy, or football nomad.
Kris Bright has had one of New Zealand's most incredible football careers, all starting when he missed a penalty for North Shore United against Seamus. Naturally, he has a lot of stories and potentially needs a part two in the future!
Show notes | Kris Bright
1.43 How Seamus and Steve know Brighty and Steve attempts to list his 13 professional clubs, including the one in Hung-Gary?!
5.13 That time Brighty trained with Melville United after hiding out in Pirongia and trying his luck with Te Awamutu. Steve talks 4-a-side success and schoolyard picks
10.40 What was it like for Brighty coming back to New Zealand and no one really knowing who he was?
12.40 We go right back to the beginning of the journey at the New Zealand Knights
15.21 Did having an ’82 All White as a dad help?
16.02 Was there any pressure back being viewed as Chris Turner’s stepson?
18.11 How did Brighty avoid ever getting on the booze when he hung around with such a party crew in his youth? Answer: He started doing lines aged 13 at the Weir Rosebowl
21.32 Steve and Brighty reminisce about burning games onto CDs
22.47 We uncover the “truth” about what really happened by the swimming pool at an under 20 tournament in the Solomon Islands
25.40 We stay in the Solomon Islands and hear how Brighty thought he was the real no. 9 of that under 20s and how his goal celebration got him dropped from the team
27.54 How did the overseas journey start? A promising trial at Racing Genk in Belgium leads to a contract at Fortuna Sittard. Steve gets his first money question in
31.36 Is Fred de Jong a legend at Fortuna Sittard?
32.39 What sort of a player was Kris Bright?
33.28 How many trials vs contracts did he have over his career? What’s it like in the early years being in a foreign country?
36.46 Brighty arrives in Norway and makes an immediate impact, but misses out on a big break due to a big break
39.00 How Brighty met his wife and how much of a support has she been over the years? Seamus has to sit the next few plays out after the beers creep up on him
42.35 What do you do in your downtime when you’re a professional footballer? Brighty opens up on having a bit of money and dipping his toe into gambling
45.35 We hear about the South African experience, Jeremy Brockie, race in football, and Brighty being told he was the wrong colour for a club even though he was scoring freely on trial
53.03 The turning point in Brighty’s career
58.52 Back to New Zealand with Auckland City
1.00.15 The last push at Northern Ireland
1.01.21 Did Brighty retire from football or did Auckland City retire him from football?
1.03.22 Brighty on coaching, life after football, and trying to make it in New Zealand as a full-time coach
1.06.55 A professional footballer and an international, but he never played for the Auckland Grammar 1st XI. We try and get a bite out of Stu Hogg by talking school football v club football but Brighty goes all in
1.10.15 Brighty’s international career, being in camp with the All Whites, cream eggs, the Confederations Cup and Andy Boyens’ defending against Spain
1.13.40 Missing out on the World Cup squad
1.16.16 Ricki Herbert, dead rubbers, infamous or famous? Greg Draper, Kayne Vincent, PC answers and All Whites opportunities
1.19.10 A “journeyman”, a “football gypsy” or a “football nomad”: How do those descriptions sit with Brighty?
1.21.34 Steve goes off on one of his monologues
1.22.50 Brighty comes back with a monologue of his own reminiscing about stories of bear attacks, writing a book, coaching philosophies, high intensity and work ethic at Auckland Grammar
1.24.53 How would Brighty’s wife describe the journey? Travelling to Europe with a footballer at 18, getting married, adjusting to fatherhood, and his son’s poor sleeping habits and terrible swimming technique
1.27.17 Is Brighty making a comeback for Central United? Or is there a future in 7-a-side football?
1.30.42 What stories stand out from the overseas journey? Being told he had two weeks to live. Steve talks percentages (hint: never lock in 100% and don’t say 110%) and gets a second bite at a money question
1.39.53 A chance to play in Russia. HIV tests and visa payments. Cameroonian dog fighting syndicates
1.43.41 The shot from halfway crowd promotion at a Kingz match in 2002
1.49.05 Pyramid schemes, Herbalife, ice packs, Lincoln City and Allan Pearce
1.51.33 “Speaking of big units”: Seamus delivers the worst segue about India and follows it up with a good pornstar reference, then terrible obscure footballer reference
1.53.36 What’s next? Brighty’s pitch to New Zealand Football for the upcoming under 17 or under 20 cycles. Would Brighty consider leaving Auckland to coach at the next level?
1.57.29 Final thoughts from Seamus and Steve. Is there a Kris Bright part 2 in the future?
