Lee Bullen
Encyclopedia
Lee Bullen is a Scottish football player and coach. In a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Bullen has played football professionally in Scotland, England
, Australia
, Greece
and Hong Kong
. Having started his career as a striker, Bullen converted to defence
midway through his career, and has also been used in various other positions.
, but failed to make an appearance before moving to Penicuik Athletic
, a Junior Football
team. Bullen then spent time at Meadowbank Thistle, Stenhousemuir
and Whitburn
. After failing to become an established player at a professional club in Scotland, Bullen moved to Australia to pursue his footballing career, playing for CYC Stanmore and Wollongong Wolves.
During his time in Australia, Bullen was scouted by Chinese club Kui Tan, and he made the switch to China. Once playing in China, he played for Golden for 3 years followed by a year at South China in the Hong Kong Football League
. On 26 May 1996, Bullen played for a Hong Kong XI side in an unofficial friendly against England
in their build up to Euro 96. Bullen played for Instant-Dict during the 1997-98 season during which the team were champions of the Hong Kong First Division.
In 1998 Bullen moved to Greece and spent 2 years at Kalamata in the Greek Football League.
In 2000 at the age of 29, Bullen returned to Scotland
, signing for Dunfermline Athletic
. Bullen spent five years at the Scottish
club.
After leading Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup
Final, Bullen moved to English
club Sheffield Wednesday
on a free transfer in the summer of 2004. He immediately became an integral part of their Play-Off push after making his debut on 7 August in a 3–0 defeat on the opening day of the season at Hillsborough
against Colchester United
and scoring his first goal the next game on 10 August, away at Blackpool
to lead the team to a 2–1 victory. In November 2005 the Captain's armband was passed onto him by Chris Marsden
who was forced into retirement by injury. Bullen finished his first season in Sheffield with seven league goals.
During his time at Sheffield Wednesday he played in all eleven positions for the Owls, including memorably in goal away at Millwall
, and received The Wash & Go good sport award for his efforts.
In January 2008 Bullen was informed by Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws
that he would not have his contract renewed upon its expiry at the end of the 2007–08
season.
Bullen's final appearance for Sheffield Wednesday came in a crucial relegation battle against Leicester City
on the penultimate game of the season which the Owls won 3–1, sadly an injury sustained in this game denied him an appearance for the last match of the season versus Norwich City
on 4 May 2008 and a chance to play at Hillsborough for the last time. He did however appear in the end of season lap-of-honour and received a spectacular reception from the fans. Bullen was given a Guard of honour
by his Wednesday team mates as he left the pitch for the final time.
In May 2008, Bullen joined Scottish Premier League
side Falkirk
on a two-year deal. Bullen later became an assistant coach at Falkirk. He left Falkirk in October 2011 to move to Sheffield, where his wife runs an estate agency
business.
Sheffield Wednesday:
Individual:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Having started his career as a striker, Bullen converted to defence
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
midway through his career, and has also been used in various other positions.
Career
Bullen started his career in Scotland with Dunfermline AthleticDunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
, but failed to make an appearance before moving to Penicuik Athletic
Penicuik Athletic F.C.
Penicuik Athletic Football Club are a Scottish junior football club. They were formed in 1888 and are based in Penicuik. Penicuik Park is ten miles south west of Edinburgh on the A702...
, a Junior Football
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
team. Bullen then spent time at Meadowbank Thistle, Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
and Whitburn
Whitburn F.C.
Whitburn Junior F.C. are a Scottish junior football club from Whitburn, West Lothian. Formed in 1933, they play their home games at Central Park.Nicknamed Burnie, the club's colours are claret and amber...
. After failing to become an established player at a professional club in Scotland, Bullen moved to Australia to pursue his footballing career, playing for CYC Stanmore and Wollongong Wolves.
During his time in Australia, Bullen was scouted by Chinese club Kui Tan, and he made the switch to China. Once playing in China, he played for Golden for 3 years followed by a year at South China in the Hong Kong Football League
Hong Kong First Division League
Hong Kong First Division League is the top division football league in Hong Kong which was established in 1908, the oldest in Asia. It does not affiliate to any football leagues in the People's Republic of China.-Competition format:...
. On 26 May 1996, Bullen played for a Hong Kong XI side in an unofficial friendly against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in their build up to Euro 96. Bullen played for Instant-Dict during the 1997-98 season during which the team were champions of the Hong Kong First Division.
In 1998 Bullen moved to Greece and spent 2 years at Kalamata in the Greek Football League.
In 2000 at the age of 29, Bullen returned to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, signing for Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
. Bullen spent five years at the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
club.
After leading Dunfermline to the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
Final, Bullen moved to English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
on a free transfer in the summer of 2004. He immediately became an integral part of their Play-Off push after making his debut on 7 August in a 3–0 defeat on the opening day of the season at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
against Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
and scoring his first goal the next game on 10 August, away at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
to lead the team to a 2–1 victory. In November 2005 the Captain's armband was passed onto him by Chris Marsden
Chris Marsden
Christopher "Chris" Marsden is an English former footballer who played in the Football League and Premier League for Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Notts County, Stockport County, Birmingham City, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday, and in the Korean...
who was forced into retirement by injury. Bullen finished his first season in Sheffield with seven league goals.
During his time at Sheffield Wednesday he played in all eleven positions for the Owls, including memorably in goal away at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, and received The Wash & Go good sport award for his efforts.
In January 2008 Bullen was informed by Sheffield Wednesday manager Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
that he would not have his contract renewed upon its expiry at the end of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season.
Bullen's final appearance for Sheffield Wednesday came in a crucial relegation battle against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on the penultimate game of the season which the Owls won 3–1, sadly an injury sustained in this game denied him an appearance for the last match of the season versus Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
on 4 May 2008 and a chance to play at Hillsborough for the last time. He did however appear in the end of season lap-of-honour and received a spectacular reception from the fans. Bullen was given a Guard of honour
Guard of honour
A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...
by his Wednesday team mates as he left the pitch for the final time.
In May 2008, Bullen joined Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
on a two-year deal. Bullen later became an assistant coach at Falkirk. He left Falkirk in October 2011 to move to Sheffield, where his wife runs an estate agency
Estate agent
An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent...
business.
Career statistics
- (Correct as of 22 November 2009)
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dunfermline Dunfermline Athletic F.C. Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League.... |
1999–00 1999-00 in Scottish football The 1999–2000 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:-Scottish First Division:-Scottish Second Division:... |
13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 |
| 2000–01 2000-01 in Scottish football The 2000–01 season was the 104th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, 15 points clear of Rangers who finished second. Both teams earned a place in the UEFA Champions League. Hibernian and Kilmarnock... |
24 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 4 | |
| 2001–02 2001-02 in Scottish football The 2001–02 season was the 105th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Key events:Celtic, domestic treble winners a year earlier, retain their Premier League title.... |
27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 4 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in Scottish football The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and... |
35 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 6 | |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in Scottish football The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA... |
27 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| Total | 126 | 22 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 147 | 24 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League... |
46 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 7 |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... |
28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
38 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |
| Total | 134 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 148 | 9 | |
| Falkirk Falkirk F.C. Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire... |
2008–09 2008-09 in Scottish football The 2008–09 season was the 112th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Hamilton Academical competed in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first season in the top-flight since the 1988–89 season, after being promoted as First Division champions the... |
32 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Recent career totals | 260 | 30 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 295 | 33 | |
Honours
Instant-Dict- 1997-98 Hong Kong Football LeagueHong Kong First Division LeagueHong Kong First Division League is the top division football league in Hong Kong which was established in 1908, the oldest in Asia. It does not affiliate to any football leagues in the People's Republic of China.-Competition format:...
Champions
Sheffield Wednesday:
- 2004–05 League One Play Off Final Winner
Individual:
- 2006 Good Sport Award Winner