Today Steve Bruce has been sacked by West Brom after a poor start to the season that has left the club in the relegation zone.
Steve Bruce : West brom | Sacked | Manager stats
Stephen Roger Bruce is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back. He most recently managed West Bromwich Albion.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stephen Roger Bruce | ||
| Date of birth | 31 December 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Corbridge, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Bruce, a boyhood fan of Newcastle United, said that he sneaked into St James’ Park without paying to watch the team play, saying “I have always been a Newcastle lad and when I was a kid, I crawled under the turnstiles to get in to try and save a bob or whatever it was.
They were my team, I went to support them as a boy and being a Geordie it’s in-bred, you follow the club still the same today.”
Like several other future professionals from the area, he played football for Wallsend Boys Club.
Steve Bruce west brom
In his first season as a manager, Bruce guided Sheffield United to eighth place in the First Division, nine points away from a place in the play-offs.
He caused controversy when he attempted to take his team off the pitch during an FA Cup match against Arsenal.
Bruce felt that the Gunners had broken an unwritten rule of sportsmanship by scoring the winning goal from a throw-in instead of returning the ball to United, who had intentionally kicked it out of play to allow an injured player to be attended to.
Although the game eventually continued to a finish, following a gesture by Arsenal the match was declared void and replayed.
In May 1999, Bruce resigned from his post after just one season in charge, citing turmoil in the club’s boardroom and a shortage of funds for transfers.
He contemplated leaving football for a job in television, but was persuaded by Huddersfield Town owner Barry Rubery to become the club’s manager.
Upon his arrival, the Blues were in a mid-table position in the First Division, but a lengthy unbeaten run saw the team qualify for the play-offs.
Steve Bruce Sacked
Steve Bruce has been sacked by West Brom after a poor start to the season that has left the club in the relegation zone.
The decision follows a 0-0 draw at home against Luton Town, which extended the Baggies’ winless run in the Championship to eight matches.
A club statement said: “West Bromwich Albion have today parted company with Manager Steve Bruce. Backroom staff Steve Agnew, Stephen Clemence and Alex Bruce have also left The Hawthorns.
“The club would like to place on record its thanks to Steve Bruce and his coaching staff for their efforts since arriving in February. Under-21s coach Richard Beale will oversee first-team affairs on an interim basis, assisted by James Morrison and Gary Walsh.
The process of recruiting a new Manager is now under way and an appointment will be confirmed in due course.”
Bruce departs with a 25% win ratio, having won eight, drawn 12 and lost 12 of his 32 games since taking charge in February with West Brom sixth in the table.
It has been a dismal spell for a club with ambitions of returning to the Premier League, leaving supporters increasingly vocal in their anger.
Manager stats
Bruce began his managerial career with Sheffield United, and spent short periods of time managing Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace before joining Birmingham City in 2001.
| Senior career | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1984 | Gillingham | 205 | (29) |
| 1984–1987 | Norwich City | 141 | (14) |
| 1987–1996 | Manchester United | 309 | (36) |
| 1996–1998 | Birmingham City | 72 | (2) |
| 1998–1999 | Sheffield United | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 737 | (81) | |
| National team | |||
| 1979–1980 | England Youth | 8 | (0) |
| 1987 | England B | 1 | (0) |
He twice led Birmingham to promotion to the Premier League during his tenure of nearly six years, but resigned in 2007 to begin a second spell as manager of Wigan.
At the end of the 2008–09 season he resigned to take over as manager of Sunderland, a post he held until he was dismissed in November 2011.
Seven months later, he was appointed manager of Hull City and led the club to two promotions to the Premier League, as well as the 2014 FA Cup Final, before leaving in July 2016.
He took over at Aston Villa four months later but was dismissed in October 2018 as he took over as manager of Sheffield Wednesday in February 2019, and left in July that year to take over at Newcastle United.
He managed the club through the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping them in the Premier League, and left in November 2021 following the club’s takeover by the Public Investment Fund.
His final match in charge was his 1,000th in club management. In February 2022, Bruce took over as manager of West Bromwich Albion.