CCFPA Signs Up Ex Sky Blue Bermudan International. Welcome Kyle!

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Kyle Lightborne

Following on from yesterday’s revelation that former Sky Blues Maltese International Michael Mifsud has recently signed for this Association we can reveal that an ex CCFC Bermudan International has also signed up for CCFPA! We teased you in an earlier post with guessing his identity. Welcome to Kyle Lightbourne who has sent his contact details to the Association’s new Recruitment Officer Ed Blackaby and now joins our roster of over 260 former CCFC player and manager members!

Born in Hamilton the capital of Bermuda Kyle first played for local side PHC Zebras from 1986. He was first capped for his country in 1989 representing them right through to 2004 including in their FIFA Word Cup Qualification games. He moved to England to join Scarborough in 1992 at the age of 23 pulling on their shirt 21 times and netting three times before moving to the Midlands joining Walsall in September 1993. With the Saddlers Kyle became a prolific marksman over four seasons finding the net 85 times in nearly 200 appearances between 1993-97.

Kyle Lightbourne in Sky Blue action

Sky Blues manager Gordon Strachan signed Kyle for half a million pounds hoping he would make the grade in the top flight. However his chances at Highfield Road were limited given the quality of the existing strikers and so Kyle was only able to pull on the first team shirt ten times (three in the League Cup) but, sadly, without scoring. He did much better on a loan spell at Fulam scoring three goals in his five games. 

Kyle in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues allowed Kyle to move to Stoke City in February 1998 but initially ill health and poor form hampered his progress in a team relegated form Div. One at the end of the 1997/98 season. Things got better in subsequent seasons with the Potteries club and Kyle finished with a haul of 25 goals in 130 first team appearnaces over four seasons with Stoke.  He was also in Stoke‘s winning side (beating Bristol City 2-1) in the 2000 Football League Trophy Wembley Final! 

After unproductive brief loan spells with both Swindon Town and Cardiff City in season 2000/01 Kyle was evetually released by the Potters. Following a brief attachment with Swedish club IFK Norkopping he spent 2001-03 playing with Third Division Macclesfield Town (17 goals in 80 appearances) and spent a short time out on loan with Hull City (4 appearances). Returning to Bermuda, in 2007 Kyle teamed up with (now fellow CCFPA member) Shaun Goater as a player and part of the management team of USL side Bermuda Hogges making a dozen appearances before officially retiring from playing football in 2009.

Kyle Lightbourne

Kyle then moved over to club management at Bermuda Hogges and his first club PHC Zebras between 2007-11 and local side Robin Hood in 2012. Most recently (from September 2017) Kyle was apponted manager of the Bermuda national squad, the team for whom he had himself scored 16 times in 40 international games for his country between 1989-2004. He has also represented his country at cricket in the late 1980s and early 90s!

COVID19 restrictions has thus far prevented any personal contact with our new member so communication has to date been necessarily done electronically. We have sent Kyle his official membership badge and Association tie and hope to be able to share with you a requested photo of our latest recruit with his CCFPA membership material! We are sure Kyle is a busy man what with his current resposibities as Bermudan national team manager but hope he will come and see us in Coventry, perhaps at a Sky Blue game, next time he is over in the UK. We will be delighted to entertain him at a CCFPA event. Welcome Kyle!

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