STEVE
BRUCESteve Bruce managed the Mags’ arch
rivals Sunderland and fought off rogue
cabbages at Aston Villa before living
out his boyhood dream at St James’
Park – but the reality was rather more
haunting. The man himself tells FFT
he has no regrets... even if he wishes
some things had finished differentlyWords Ian Murtagh
U
ps and downs. Highs and lows. Joy
and despair. Few in football have felt
every jolt of the managerial ride quite
like Steve Bruce.
Sunday, October 17, 2021 marked
a major milestone in his career,
as the 61-year-old joined grandees
including Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger,
Sir Bobby Robson, Harry Redknapp and Roy
Hodgson in taking charge of 1,000 matches
in club football. He marked the achievement
in front of a sell-out crowd at St James’ Park
too, managing Newcastle United, the team
he’d grown up supporting as a kid.
But if ever a day encapsulated the career of
Bruce the boss, this was it. Pride, satisfaction
and momentary euphoria preceded ultimate
heartache, grief and anguish. He’d spent theFourFourTwo July 2022 67