Sadness of Bruce at Toon
ALEX BRUCE smiles at the memory of his grandad refusing every request to visit the Stadium of Light when Steve Bruce was manager of Sunderland.
“While my gran went to every game because, to her, it didn’t matter who he was managing, my grandad was stuck in his ways. He was black and white, Newcastle United, through and through,”he said. “He never went once to Sunderland.”
It’s why there is a tinge of sadness that neither grandad Joe nor grandma Sheenagh are around to witness Steve Bruce’s impressive first season in charge of the Toon.
Both died within three months of each other two years ago when Bruce was manager of Aston Villa.
“It was a really tough time for my dad that year and it was quite ironic that the next year he was appointed boss of Newcastle,”said Alex.
“I just wish his mum and dad were still alive because they would have been the proudest parents in the world seeing him manage his hometown club. It’s always been his dream job.”
As an accomplished defender who played under his dad at Birmingham and Hull, Alex has seen first-hand the vitriol which can come a manager’s way.
“As his son, I’ve had to have a thick skin because you’ve also now got the influence of social media,” he said. “When it’s your family under attack, it’s not nice and you can’t help yourself sometimes. We are all guilty at times of acting on impulse.
“We’ve had the Eric Dier incident at Tottenham – these things can happen.
“In the end the Geordie thing – admitting that he had supported Newcastle as a boy – did for him when the Sunderland results took a turn for the worse and it was, ‘You fat Geordie b ***** d, get out of our club’ ringing around the stadium. He knew then it was time to go!”
For 35-year-old Alex it’s now a case of seeing what turns up after leaving his last club Kilmarnock in January.
“I’m at a crossroads. We’ll see if I get an opportunity to play. But if it’s the end, it’s been a good ride,” he added.