Career
He was named Ulster Football player of the Year for the 1966-1967 season. Bruce joined Glentoran as a sixteen-year-old in 1954, breaking into the first team towards the end of the 1955-1956 season. The only blip on the season was an Irish Cup final defeat, this time at the hands of Crusaders.
The summer of 1967 found the Glentoran squad travelling to North America, playing for Detroit Cougars in the inaugural United Soccer Association season.
The 1967-1968 season brought Bruce another league title. Glentoran were eliminated from the European Cup by Benfica, losing on away goals after 1–1 home and 0–0 away results.
Once again the 1968 summer months brought another trip to the United States of America as Bruce, along with Glens team-mate Barry Brown, re-signed for the Cougars then plying their trade in the new North American Soccer League. From then on, Bruce’s Irish League career began to slow down.
He did claim another Irish League title in 1970 before retiring in 1971.
His total of 529 appearances puts him third in the all-time Glentoran standings, and his 140 goals has only been bettered by ten others at the Oval. A fitter with Society for Technical Communication throughout his playing days, Bruce later opened a newsagent"s on the Holywood Road in Belfast and settled in Bangor, County Down.
