Who's Who in Cheongju: Bradley Poley

Next up in Who's Who in Cheongju is the fearless leader of our fair city's football (soccer) team. He's passionate about the community, getting people out and around, and having fun.

This is Brad!

-Brad- 


How long have you been in Cheongju? What do you do here?

I have been in Cheongju for two and a half years, and I teach at Daeseong Elementary School. My coworkers are great, and the kids are great. I'm the oldest of four, so working with kids comes naturally. It keeps you on your toes.



What did you do pre-Cheongju, and what brought you here?
Before I came to Cheongju, I worked as a videographer for the soccer team, the Philadelphia Union. I filmed press conferences and interviews. During games, I controlled the Jumbotron, doing instant replay on the screen and the LEDs around the stadium.

After that, I taught for a year in Prague. But in Europe I was living paycheck to paycheck, and I need to push myself. People I met there planted the idea of going to Asia, and now here I am!

What do you do for fun?
I like to hang out with my friends and of course, play football. At one point, I was in a band, but it's disbanded now. I also enjoy going to the movies and studying Korean!

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-Football/Soccer-

You sound like you're from the States, but we're talking football, not soccer.
All my friends are English and Irish, and being the captain of the team, if I call it soccer, I get the dirtiest looks.

We know you for keeping football up in Cheongju. How did that happen?
About two weeks into being in Korea, someone at one of the bars told me about the football club. I started going to the weekly trainings, where I met my core friends here, and where I really felt like I belonged here.

Then I started playing for the Sunday team--we're the one non-Seoul team in the Seoul Sunday football league. Now I'm captain.

What were your first impressions of football in Cheongju, and has that changed?
I was really intimidated. I just showed up and heard them talking, and thought, they're from England and Ireland and Scotland... they must be good. 

You get to realize though, you get out of it what you put into it. We don't have money, or a coach. What we get is from our own blood, sweat, and tears, the sacrifices people make to give up their weekends and weeknights, training late, traveling to Seoul to play. We accept it and we embrace it. It's definitely the most positive aspect of my time here.
 

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What are your hopes for the football in the future?
The captain before me was here for ten years, James Cranshaw. He did a lot, and I have big shoes to fill. I feel like it's my duty to keep it going. As long as I'm here, I'm going to go for it, help it grow.

I would love for it to grow into something bigger and more positive for the community: for instance, developing our relationship with the third division Cheongju football team. We watch their games, we know their players, and I'd love to keep building that bridge between us. Do some events together. Volunteering, supporting each other at games. The ultimate goal is to be more community-based, and to keep it fun.

(Right now, everything is run through Facebook. Look for Cheongju Tigers Football club!)  https://www.facebook.com/groups/261750357240352/


-Cheongju-

What's your favorite time and place in Cheongju?
My favorite time was the time our team won the league last spring. That whole three-month period led up to it, we came back to Cheongju and had our awards ceremony--not all those guys are still in Cheongju now, but it was a special day.

What's something in Cheongju that everyone should do at least once?
Late-night haejangguk. It's literally across from MJs. And a picnic at the fortress in the fall or spring.

Any advice for Cheongju-ers?
Get involved! Don't be a hermit. This community is really special. Whatever you want to do, you have a chance to do it. Get involved in something, or create what's not here yet. People will contact you and join you, and you'll make cool friends in ways you didn't think you would.