*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Bruce Walker
Appearances: 191+3 Goals: 60
Date / Year of birth: 27th August 1946
Position: Left winger / Left-back
Season of first appearance: 1971/72
Season of last appearance: 1974/75
Also played for: Hungerford Town, Swindon Town (38+3,7), Bradford City (28+1,1), Exeter City (24+3,2), Hereford United, Nuneaton Borough, Newbury Town and Kintbury Rangers
Pacy player with a powerful left foot shot born in West Woodhay who began his career with Hungerford as a 15 year-old but was then picked up by Swindon in 1963.
Bruce was in the Swindon side that reached the FA Youth Cup final in 1964 and he eventually progressed to the first team, making 41 sporadic senior appearances spanning the 1965/66-1967/68 seasons.
In March 1968 Bruce was signed by Bradford City and made a further 29 first team appearances for them during a 15 month stay in Yorkshire. He then moved to Exeter in June 1969.
Bruce played 27 senior games during 1969/70 before joining Hereford. He played almost 50 games for them and then had a two month loan spell at Nuneaton early in the 1971/72 season before signing for Margate in December 1971.
He initially joined the club on a month's trial and made his debut on 18.12.71 as Margate entertained Guildford at Hartsdown Park. Bruce played on the left wing and scored in a 2-1 win. The Thanet Times said that he "looked a good capture". His strong, incisive wing play ensured that his transfer became permanent in January 1972 and very early in his Margate career Bruce's shooting prowess led the local press to say that he had "a deadly left foot".
He scored nine goals in the 19 appearances he made before the end of the season and they included three penalties and a direct free-kick in a 2-2 draw with Dartford on 1.1.72. Bruce also scored with a cannonball shot from 25 yards as Margate crushed Ramsgate 5-1 on 17.4.72. That was shortly after he'd returned from a double fracture of the jaw suffered in a game against Merthyr on 4.3.72. The injury was expected to have ended Bruce's season but he surprised everybody by coming back after just over a month on the sidelines and featuring in the last few games of the campaign.
During the 1972/73 season Bruce really established himself on Margate's left wing and he made 56 appearances (one as sub). His powerful long-range shooting again came to the fore and was responsible for many of his 20 goals. The local press said that Bruce had "an explosive left foot" and described the shots it invariably delivered as his "redoubtable Long Toms", a phrase previously reserved for Margate legend Bryan Clifton.
On 9.12.72 Bruce featured in a 1-0 win at Walton & Hersham in the FA Cup 2nd Round and he then played in perhaps Margate's biggest ever match - a 6-0 defeat against visitors Tottenham in the 3rd Round on 13.1.73.
His best goal of the campaign was a dipping 25-yarder to clinch a 1-0 home win over Waterlooville on 27.1.73 and on 12.3.73 Bruce scored direct from a corner when his low in-swinger found the net in a 2-0 win over Hillingdon at Hartsdown Park. He also got what the local press called "a gem of a goal" from a position way out on the left wing during a 2-1 home defeat against Nuneaton on 17.3.73 and cracked home a stunning volley in a 4-0 win over visitors Canterbury in the Kent Floodlight Cup on 26.3.73. Bruce then scored twice in a 3-1 win at Hillingdon on 21.4.73 and one of his goals was another fine volley.
The 1973/74 season was another good one for Bruce, he began the campaign on the left wing as usual but also had spells playing at left-back. He performed admirably in that role but it was as an attacker that he made the most impact.
Bruce scored 18 goals in his 61 appearances and many of his strikes were memorable. On 29.9.73 he blasted home a shot in a 2-2 draw with Hillingdon having "steamed in like an express train" according to the Thanet Times and on 2.10.73 Bruce scored twice in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Ashford at Hartsdown Park. One of his goals was a 25 yard effort and the other was a 30 yard free-kick, backing up Bruce's reputation as a dead ball expert. He fired in another direct free-kick in a 2-0 win over Dover on 12.1.74 and on 2.5.74 he scored both goals in a 2-0 win at Barnet, a game in which the Thanet Times said Bruce unleashed "a frightening barrage of shots". On 13.4.74 he was in the side that won the Kent Senior Cup with a 2-0 win at Maidstone.
During the summer of 1974 one of Bruce's vicious shots broke team-mate Dave Rouse's hand in training and the 1974/75 season saw him again divide his appearances between left-back and the left wing. He also helped with the coaching of the club's juniors. He made 58 appearances and scored 13 goals, an impressive tally considering he spent much of the season in defence. Bruce scored twice from direct free-kicks during the campaign and found the net with a trademark 25-yarder in a 5-1 over Poole on 11.1.75. He also scored a brilliant solo goal in the 2nd Leg of the Southern League Cup Final at Kettering, beating three defenders before walking the ball into the net. It was Bruce's 60th goal for Margate and turned out to be his last.
At the end of the season he left the club and joined Newbury. Margate manager Les Riggs said at the time "he was an excellent servant to the club and I am sorry to lose him."
Bruce later finished his career with Kintbury Rangers.
In 2003 he was living in Hampshire and by 2011 Bruce had moved to Wareham in Dorset.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC | |
|
1971/72 (MFC) |
19 (69) |
0 |
9 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22) |
1R |
1R |
SF |
2R |
GR |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC | |
|
1972/73 (MFC) |
55 (64) |
1 |
20 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22) |
3R |
3QR |
1R |
2R |
GR |
| Played in FA Cup
2nd Round (09.12.72 - won 1-0 at Walton & Hersham).
Played in FA Cup 3rd Round (13.01.73 - lost 6-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KMT | |
|
1973/74 (MFC) |
60 (65) |
1 |
18 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
SF |
W |
GR |
| Played in Kent Senior Cup Final (13.04.74 - beat Maidstone United 2-0). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KMT | |
|
1974/75 (MFC) |
57 (66) |
1 |
13 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
RU |
2R |
GR |
| Played in Southern
League Cup Final 1st Leg (05.04.75 - lost 2-0 at home to Kettering
Town). Played and scored in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (12.04.75 - drew 1-1 at Kettering Town). | |||||||||