Conor Bradley’s late father saw him make his Liverpool debut in 2021 after a touching act of selflessness from a fan – years after he had organised a fundraiser for Parkinson’s Disease research and sponsored local youth football trophies

Conor Bradley’s father was able to see his son make his Liverpool debut in 2021 after a kind intervention from another disabled fan – in the spirit of his own selflessness. 

Joe Bradley’s death at the age of 58 was confirmed by Liverpool on Saturday after a long battle with illness. 

He lived to see his son, 20, become a Kop favourite after a run of games this season, including Liverpool’s 4-1 midweek demolition of Chelsea, in which Conor scored. 

And it turns out he was present for Conor’s debut in the EFL Cup against Norwich in 2021 – after a fellow fan kindly gifted their wheelchair bay.  

A tweet from the Liverpool Disabled Supporters’ Association said: ‘In 2021, LFC at late notice needed a wheelchair bay at Norwich. I gave my bay up and thought no more of it.

Joe Bradley, who ran a business called Derg Commercials, was able to see his son’s debut after a fellow disabled supporter gifted their wheelchair bay

‘Soon after, LFC arranged a video call with Jurgen Klopp who thanked me for giving my bay up. The bay was for Conor’s dad so he could watch his son make his LFC debut! YNWA.’

It was a touching act that allowed a devoted father to see his son on the big stage – the stuff of dreams for parents who sacrifice so much for their children to make it in professional football. 

As it turns out, Joe had invested in his own community and helping others in the past. 

A post from 2014 in a Facebook group called ‘The Dergian’ – local to Castlederg in County Tyrone, Conor’s place of birth – details how Joe once set up a charity fundraiser for Parkinson’s Disease, which he had. 

Joe set up a golf classic at Strabane Golf Club through his business Derg Commercials. 

The post reads: ‘As I am sure you are all aware, Joe suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and is most affected in his speech so finds it hard to communicate. 

‘This is the reason for our campaign to help raise awareness (and some much needed money) for this charity in the hope that a cure may be found or and improved quality of life for those who suffer from the condition.’

The post continued: ‘Anyone interested in sponsoring a hole at the Golf Classic or would like to take part in the competition, please feel free to get in touch with us. The sponsorship for the holes are £25 and £50 per hole. Any other donations would be very welcomed.

Joe sponsored multiple youth trophies for St. Patrick’s Football Club in Castlederg, Northern Ireland

Conor made his debut against Norwich in the EFL Cup in 2021. Jurgen Klopp thanked the fan who gifted their wheelchair bay to his father 

‘Thank you for taking time to read this appeal for a charity that is extremely close to our hearts and if you can help in any way, your donation will go towards helping to raise awareness of Parkinson’s and towards research which hopefully, one day will find a cure.’

Further posts detail how Joe sponsored individual award trophies for local youth football players. 

In 2014, he sponsored multiple trophies for St. Patrick’s Football Club in Castlederg in his capacity as a local business leader.

His land on his business premises on Learmore Road, Killen, Castlederg, was also used for a rally championship in 2017. 

The sky is the limit for his son, Conor, who has won over Liverpool fans with a string of confident, stylish performances. 

He put in a man-of-the-match performance during Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The 20-year-old became the first Northern Irish-born player to score a top flight goal for Liverpool in 70 years when he got on the scoresheet, and he also registered two assists during a dominant display by the Reds.

After scoring his goal, Bradley told TNT Sports: ‘It’s a very proud moment obviously. It’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time. I just feel like I’m in a dream. It’s unbelievable. I’m very happy!

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‘I just couldn’t believe it went in. I just thought, ‘I’m going to hit it here’ and it went in the bottom corner. I didn’t know what to do, I just went into the corner and did a knee slide. It was brilliant!

‘It’s unfortunate the way Trent [Alexander-Arnold] got injured but that’s what happens in football and I’ve just got to try and take my chance. Over the last couple of games I feel like I’ve done pretty well, so I just want to keep up this form and keep working hard.’

Alexander-Arnold, the Liverpool vice captain, picked up a knee injury at the start of January – with some fans wanting Bradley to keep his place.

He also registered a couple of assists against Norwich in the FA Cup on January 28.