Harry Bruce (footballer, born 1905) explained

Harry Bruce
Fullname:Henry Bruce
Birth Date:May 1905
Birth Place:Coundon, Bishop Auckland, England
Death Place:Durham, England
Height:[1]
Position:Defender
Youthyears1:
Years1:1922–192?
Clubs1:Durham City
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:
Years3:1925–1928
Caps3:8
Goals3:0
Years4:1928–1929
Clubs4:Gillingham
Caps4:30
Goals4:0
Years5:1929–1930
Caps5:28
Goals5:0
Years6:1930–1931
Years7:
Clubs7:Bankhead Albion
Years8:1931
Clubs8:Rochdale
Caps8:2
Goals8:0
Years9:1931
Clubs9:Darlington
Caps9:0
Goals9:0
Years10:1931
Clubs10:Bankhead Albion
Years11:1931–19??
Clubs11:Reading
Caps11:7
Goals11:0
Years12:1934–1935
Caps12:90
Goals12:2
Manageryears1:1937–1939
Managerclubs1:Halmstads BK

Henry Bruce (May 1905 – after 1939) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Birmingham, Gillingham, Torquay United, Rochdale and Reading.[2] He went on to manage Swedish club Halmstads BK.

Football career

Bruce was born in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland in County Durham.[2] He played for Durham City, though not in the Football League, and for Bishop Auckland before joining Birmingham in January 1925.[3] He made his debut in the First Division on 2 February 1925, deputising at right half for George Liddell in an away game at Burnley which Birmingham lost 3–2.[4] He spent three and a half years at the club, providing cover for all the defensive positions, before moving on to Gillingham of the Third Division South at the end of the 1927–28 season.[3] He spent one season at Gillingham, playing 30 league games, followed by a season at Torquay United where he appeared 28 times in the league.[2] [3]

From July 1930 for the next 18 months or so, Bruce spent brief spells with a variety of clubs: Colwyn Bay United, Bankhead Albion back in his native north-east, Rochdale, where he played twice in the Third Division North in the 1930–31 season, Darlington, without appearing in the Football League, Bankhead Albion again, and finally Reading, where he played seven games in the Third Division South in 1931.[2]

In 1937, he became the first non-Swedish manager of Halmstads BK, a post which he held until 1939.[5] He retired from the game in 1939 or 1940.[3]

Bruce died in Durham.[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Birmingham . Athletic News . Manchester . 23 August 1926 . 10.
  2. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . SoccerData . Nottingham . 2004 . 40 . 978-1-899468-67-6.
  3. Book: Matthews, Tony . Birmingham City: A Complete Record . 1995 . Breedon Books . Derby . 76 . 978-1-85983-010-9.
  4. Matthews, p. 167.
  5. Web site: Tränarna . Swedish . Managers . Halmstads BK . 10 May 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090220022935/http://www.hbk.se/extra/pod/?id=40&module_instance=1&action=pod_show . 20 February 2009 .
    Web site: Historia 1930–1939 . Halmstads BK . Swedish . 10 May 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100823135617/http://www.hbk.se//extra/pod/?action=pod_show&id=115&module_instance=1 . 23 August 2010 . Förre engelske proffsspelaren Harry Bruce var tränare. (Former English professional player Harry Bruce was manager.) .