Jon Brady arrived at Boro’ in December 2003 on an 18-month deal; the Australian winger made available by Arsenal (of all teams) to train and play with us. The ex-Chester City and Woking player had only just departed the Deva Stadium to join the Gunners’ coaching team. Yet, in came Graham Westley with the desire to make him a Boro’ player under a week later. And so it became. With him, too, came an extra dimension to our wide play as we sought to establish ourselves at the top end of the Conference.

Using his wealth of Conference know-how, Brady helped to push us towards the promotion picture during the 2004-5 campaign. Indeed, it was Brady’s cross to Dino Maamria in our playoff semi-final against Hereford United at Broadhall Way that was our launchpad to reaching the final. Alas, it wasn’t to be for Boro’ – and nor would Brady get a chance to repeat the feat the following year. The winger’s services were deemed to be no longer needed at the end of his deal. If we were going to avenge our playoff heartbreak in 2006, it’d be without the Australian wing wizard.

Jon Brady: After Boro’

Brady’s playing career still had plenty of time to run after leaving us. To start with, he’d enjoy spells at Hereford United and Cambridge United – before turning out for Kettering Town and Brackley Town. It was at the latter where Brady took his first step into management in 2009. His time in charge over more than six years was a relatively successful one; the 2011-2 Southern League Premier Division title being the main highlight. He also took the Saints to the Conference North playoffs – only to lose out to Altrincham.

Form then subsided and Brady ultimately stepped down in September 2015. Not that it was the end of his career in the dugout. He joined Northampton Town‘s coaching staff in 2016 and rose to the position of first team manager in 2021.