Dartford FC award testimonials to Lee Noble and Elliot Bradbrook
Published: 06:38, 26 February 2019
Updated: 06:49, 26 February 2019
Dartford have awarded two of their longest-serving players with testimonials.
Lee Noble and Elliot Bradbrook have given the club a combined 20 years service, playing 900 games between them.
The midfield duo have scored a total of 186 goals and are now set to be honoured for their outstanding contribution to the Darts.
Co-chairman Steve Irving said: "It's something we've been talking about for while and with Elliot being in his 10th season and Lee in his 11th, we thought we'd recognise the two guys together.
"They have been such an integral part of the club for such a long time.
"It's not just two players in the same side, they've been the powerhouse of the midfield for all of those years.
"They know each other so well, working together for that period of time and it's just instinctive the way they play together.
"We've seen, when one of them's not been fit, that we do miss something when they're not together."
Noble signed for Dartford in the summer of 2008 with Bradbrook joining a year later.
They won the Ryman League Premier Division title in 2009/10 and went up again through the Conference South play-offs in 2011/12.
The following season Noble and Bradbrook were part of the Darts side which reached the FA Trophy semi-finals and finished eighth in Conference Premier.
They stayed loyal following Dartford's relegation in 2014/15 and again when manager Tony Burman stepped down last summer.
Irving said: "The courage and determination of the two of them to get the very best out of what they do and therefore get the very best out of the club has come through so many times over the years.
"Elliot joined us when we were starting to head for the Ryman Premier championship and they've been such a big part of everything that's come in the meantime."
Bradbrook, 34, captained the side for many years and is second on the club's all-time goalscoring list with 141 from 438 appearances.
Only five players in Dartford's history have made more appearances than Noble, 31, who's turned out 462 times, scoring 45 goals.
Irving said: "Elliot's a Dartford boy, born and bred, and has had a responsibility as captain in the past to lead the club forward and to make a statement about what Dartford's all about.
"Lee Noble's courage and athleticism has been paramount and he's only improved over the years.
"He's calmed his game down a little bit and put all of his efforts into the right part of the game.
"The two of them together are just outstanding."
The pair remain Dartford's first-choice midfield partnership and proved their enduring quality in Saturday's 2-0 win over then leaders Woking.
Noble and Bradbrook ran the show and Cards boss Alan Dowson had to admit: "The main thing was their midfield two were very good against our midfield two - they battered them to tell you the truth."
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Steve Tervet