The game was not something Broadis took seriously and at 17 he joined the RAF and rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant in Bomber Command, being stationed in Carlisle, where he played as a war-time guest for the local club. In 1946, he was appointed as player-manager at the age of 23, playing 91 games and scoring 52 goals in his three year stay. He was the youngest Football League player-manager at the time (1946).
As manager, he negotiated his own move and plumped for Sunderland, costing the Roker Park side £19,000 in February 1949, which was a record for a Third Division player at the time.
After two years, he dropped out of the first team, being transfer listed and joining Manchester City on 5th October 1951 for £25,000. His debut the next day was against Spurs and the 1-2 defeat for Tottenham ended their unbeaten run that season.
Won his first England cap v Austria a month after his move to Maine Road and won seven more caps while a City player.
He did not really settle at Maine Road and after two seasons asked to move, with his request being refused until he threatened to quit the game at the end of the 1953-54 season. Reluctantly, City allowed him to move on to Notts. County, but he rejected the move and Newcastle United came in to rescue his departure on 29th November 1953 for £18,000.
At St. James Park, his form returned and he won six more England caps, but after a couple of years, he moved on again, this time back to his previous haunt of Brunton Park for £3,500.
His second spell with the Cumbrians lasted four years, before he made another shock move ... joining Queen of the South for a two year spell as the captain of the side and assisting on the coaching side before finally retiring from playing at the age of 38, having a varied career scoring 136 goals in 442 appearances.
Broadis then spent a time in his new career on leaving the game, as a sports writer for the Newcastle Journal and the Sunday Sun.