Daniel Bruce (footballer)

Daniel Bruce
Personal information
Full nameDaniel Bruce
Date of birth20 October 1870
Place of birthBonhill, Scotland
Date of death6 February 1931 (aged 60)
Playing positionForward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
–1891Vale of Leven
1891–1892Rangers4(5)
1892–1895Notts County89(47)
1895–1896Small Heath9(2)
1896–1897Perth
1897Vale of Leven
1897–1xxxSt. Mirren
National team
1890Scotland1(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Daniel Bruce (20 October 1870 – 6 February 1931) was a Scotland international footballer who played on the losing side in the 1890 Scottish Cup Final for Vale of Leven and on the winning side in the 1894 FA Cup Final for Notts County. He scored 49 goals in 98 appearances in the Football League playing for Notts County and Small Heath.[1] He played as a left-sided or centre forward.

Career

Bruce was born in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire.[2] He played for Vale of Leven, with whom he appeared in the 1890 Scottish Cup Final against Queen's Park. The final as scheduled finished as a 1–1 draw; in the replay, Bruce opened the scoring for Vale of Leven but Queen's came back to win 2–1.[3] Soon afterwards, and while still a teenager, Bruce was capped for Scotland. His first and what turned out to be only international appearance came on 22 March 1890 against Wales in the British Home Championship; Scotland won 5–0.[2] He moved to Rangers in 1891 and played four games in the Scottish Football League at the start of the 1892–93 season, scoring five goals.[4]

Bruce came to England later that year to join Football League First Division club Notts County.[5] Though relegated at the end of his first season, and failing to win promotion the next despite Bruce's 18-goal contribution, they did become the first Second Division club to win the FA Cup.[6][7] County beat four First Division sides to reach the 1894 FA Cup Final; Bruce scored once in the quarter-final, "scraping" a draw against local rivals Nottingham Forest, and twice more in the 4–1 replay win.[6][7] Bruce had several chances to open the scoring in the final, but was foiled both by the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper and by the woodwork; nevertheless, County went on to win 4–1.[7] In three years with the club, Bruce played 89 league games and scored at better than a goal every two games.[1]

In November 1895, Bruce moved to First Division Small Heath. The transfer fee of £100 made him the first player for whom Small Heath had paid a three-figure fee, but he failed to settle. He scored twice in the ten games he played for the club before he returned to Scotland, turning out for Perth and Vale of Leven before signing for St. Mirren.[5]

Bruce died in 1931 at the age of 60.[2]

Honours

with Vale of Leven

with Notts County

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 40. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Daniel Bruce – A Squad". Scottish Football Association. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011.
  3. ↑ "1889/90 season". International Federation of Football History & Statistics. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  4. ↑ "Season 1892/93 – Match Stats". The Rangers Archive. GersnetOnline. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "1893/94". Up The Maggies. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "FA Cup Glory". Notts County F.C. 23 April 2008. Archived from the original on 9 March 2009.

External links