Russell Bromage

Last updated

Russell Bromage
Personal information
Full name Russell Bromage [1]
Date of birth (1959-11-09) 9 November 1959 (age 65)
Place of birth Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, England [2]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) [3]
Position(s) Wing-back
Youth career
1976–1977 Port Vale
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1977–1987 Port Vale 347 (13)
1983 → Oldham Athletic (loan) 2 (0)
1987–1990 Bristol City 46 (1)
1990–1991 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (0)
1990–1991 → Maidstone United (loan) 3 (0)
1994–1995 Southwick
1995–1996 Littlehampton Town
1996–1999 Shoreham
2007–2008 Whitehawk 8 (0)
Total407+(14+)
Managerial career
1994–1995 Southwick [4]
1995–1996 Littlehampton Town [5]
1997–1999 Shoreham (joint)
2007–2008 Whitehawk
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Russell Bromage (born 9 November 1959) is an English former footballer who played as a wing-back. In a fourteen-year career in the Football League he made 400 league appearances, scoring 14 goals.

Contents

Bromage spent ten years with Port Vale from 1977 to 1987, winning the club's Player of the Year award in 1980–81, and being named on the PFA Team of the Year (Fourth Division) in 1982–83 and 1984–85, as the club were promoted out of the Fourth Division in 1982–83 and 1985–86. He played 402 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 15 goals. He also spent a brief part of 1983 on loan at Oldham Athletic. He was sold on to Bristol City for £25,000 in August 1987, helping the club to win promotion out of the Third Division in 1989–90. He moved on to Brighton & Hove Albion for a one-season spell in 1990–91, in which he was loaned out to Maidstone United. He later entered Sussex non-League football with Southwick, Littlehampton Town, Shoreham and Whitehawk.

Career

Port Vale

Bromage joined the Port Vale youth team on account of his father, who supported the club. [6] He joined as an apprentice after leaving school and was named on the substitute's bench in the Debenhams Cup of the 1976–77 season, but was not played by manager Roy Sproson. [6] Bromage signed professional forms in October 1977, with the club in the Third Division and under the management of Bobby Smith. Bromage made his first-team debut in a 1–1 draw at Bradford City on 8 March 1978. [6] He made eight appearances in the 1977–78 season as the club were relegated into the Fourth Division. He then scored on the first day of the 1978–79 season in a 2–2 draw with Scunthorpe United and then found the net again in a 3–1 win at Doncaster Rovers on 12 September. He finished 1978–79 with two goals in twenty games.

Bromage made thirty appearances in 1979–80. After being a fringe player under Dennis Butler and Alan Bloor, he established himself in the first team under John McGrath. He again scored past Doncaster Rovers, adding the third of a 3–0 win at Vale Park in the last match of the season. He went on to score five goals in 52 appearances in 1980–81, finding the net in a League Cup clash with Tranmere Rovers, before bagging a brace in the league against Tranmere, and adding to his tally with strikes against Bradford City and Hartlepool United. He moved from midfield to left full-back, and with his performances there, he was voted Player of the Year by the club's supporters. [7] [8] He sued the £300 prize money to take himself and teammates Phil Sproson, Neville Chamberlain, Mark Chamberlain and Andy Higgins on holiday to Corfu. [6]

He made another 54 appearances in 1981–82, before he helped the "Valiants" to promotion in 1982–83 with 2 goals in 49 games. He was selected in the PFA Team of the Year for 1982–83, along with teammates Phil Sproson, Geoff Hunter, and Steve Fox. [9] He served as club captain and was rated as an excellent captain by teammate Robbie Earle. [10]

However, he refused to sign a new contract for the 1983–84 season, as did teammates Geoff Hunter, Barry Siddall, and Terry Armstrong. [9] He eventually walked out on the club. He played two Second Division games for Oldham Athletic in October. [9] However, he returned to Vale Park in November and agreed to sign a new contract. [9] He went on to finish the campaign with 42 appearances, scoring one goal against Wigan Athletic, as the club were relegated under new manager John Rudge.

Bromage posted 46 appearances in 1984–85, finding the net in a league win over Stockport County and an FA Cup victory over Scunthorpe United. His consistency won him a place on the PFA Team of the Year for a second time. He won his second promotion with the club in 1985–86, posting 51 appearances and scoring one goal, again against Scunthorpe. The 1986–87 campaign would be his last with the club, and he played 51 games, scoring one goal in a defeat at Walsall. He played 402 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 15 goals. His ten-year testimonial match was held against rivals Stoke City on 13 April 1986, Vale lost the game 1–0. [11]

Bristol City

Bromage was sold to Terry Cooper's Bristol City for £25,000 (and Lawrie Pearson) in August 1987. [12] City reached the Third Division play-offs in 1987–88, however, lost out to Walsall in the final. An eleventh-place finish followed in 1988–89, before promotion was finally won under Joe Jordan in 1989–90, as City finished in second place, two points behind rivals Bristol Rovers. However, Bromage was sidelined for 13 months after undergoing surgery on both of his Achilles heels. [13] In all he played 46 league games for the club, scoring one goal.

Later career

Bromage joined Barry Lloyd's Second Division Brighton & Hove Albion for the 1990–91 season, having been offered a two-year contract despite his long lay-off with injury. [13] He played only one game in the club's run to the play-off final. He instead joined Fourth Division Maidstone United on loan, playing three games. [14]

Bromage later served Southwick as a player-manager and Littlehampton Town as player-manager. He also played for Shoreham, [15] before being appointed joint manager with John Byrne in August 1997. [16] The pair managed the Sussex County League side for two seasons. [17] Bromage was appointed player-manager of Whitehawk for the 2007–08 season [18] and oversaw a second-place finish in the Sussex County League. [19]

Style of play

Bromage was a left-footed attacking wing-back. [20]

Later life

After retiring from football, Bromage moved to Shoreham-by-Sea and briefly worked as a financial adviser before he set up a window cleaning business. [2] [13] He also worked for Opta Sports providing reports on match-days. [2] He is married with two adult sons, both of whom spent time at the Brighton & Hove Albion Academy. [20] [13]

Career statistics

Source: [21]

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale 1977–78 Third Division 60000060
1978–79 Fourth Division 2020010212
1979–80 Fourth Division2910010301
1980–81 Fourth Division4545021525
1981–82 Fourth Division4505040540
1982–83 Fourth Division4621020492
1983–84 Third Division3810010391
1984–85 Third Division3713160462
1985–86 Fourth Division4014070511
1986–87 Third Division4112080511
Total3471320135140215
Oldham Athletic (loan) 1983–84 Second Division 20000020
Bristol City 1987–88 Third Division3002050370
1988–89 Third Division1310030161
1989–90 Third Division30000030
Total4612080561
Brighton & Hove Albion 1990–91 Second Division10001020
Maidstone United (loan) 1990–91 Fourth Division30000030
Whitehawk 2007–08 Sussex County League
Division One		80000080
Career total4071422144147316

Honours

Individual

Port Vale

Bristol City

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Sproson</span> English footballer (1930–1997)

Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957. He is also sixteenth on the all-time Football League appearance list.

John Frederick Byrne is a former professional footballer who played for the Republic of Ireland and various clubs in England and France in the 1980s and 1990s.

John Alan Martin was an English footballer who played as a half-back and inside-forward. A pacey and intelligent player, he scored 94 goals in 292 league appearances in eleven years in the Football League.

Terence Armstrong is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Huddersfield Town and Port Vale in a nine-year career in the Football League. He helped Port Vale to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1982–83. He later played non-League football for Nuneaton Borough and Northwich Victoria.

Raymond Walker is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played 440 games for Port Vale in all competitions between 1986 and 1997, ensuring himself a place in the club's history. He was twice the club's player of the season. He was named on the PFA Team of the Year three times. He was promoted twice with the club and also played a part in the club's highest-ever post-war finish in the English Football League. With Aston Villa in the early '80s, he joined Port Vale in 1986, after a short loan spell in 1984. After eleven years at Vale Park, he went into non-League football with Leek Town and Newcastle Town.

Thomas McLaren was a Scottish footballer who played as a midfielder.

Ronald Wilson is a Scottish former footballer who played as a left-back. He played 300 games in an eleven-year career in the Football League, scoring five goals.

Alan Richard Webb is an English former footballer who played as a right-back. He played 225 league games in an eleven-year career in the Football League. He spent 1981 to 1984 with West Bromwich Albion, and also played on loan at Lincoln City, but spent most of his career at Port Vale. He was voted Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year in 1984–85, helped the club to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86, and won the Third Division play-off final with the club in 1989. He was forced into early retirement in June 1992 following a broken leg sustained in October 1989.

Henry Poole was an English professional footballer noted for his swerving free kicks. Primarily a half back, he had the third highest number of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen-year association from 1953 to 1968. Whilst Poole was at the club, the "Valiants" won the Fourth Division title in 1958–59.

Kenneth Beech is an English former footballer. A midfielder, he played for Port Vale between 1976 and 1981, picking up the club's Player of the Year award in 1980, also playing on loan at American club Cleveland Cobras in 1978. In 1981, he was sold to Walsall before he moved on to Peterborough United two years later. He dropped into non-League football with Stafford Rangers in 1985, with whom he won the Conference League Cup, before he retired in 1988. He played 314 league games in the Football League, scoring 28 goals.

Phillip Jess Sproson is an English former footballer who played as a central defender. He played in 500 matches for Port Vale and scored 41 goals ; this places him second in the list of appearances for Port Vale. He was the nephew of Port Vale defender Roy Sproson and son of Jess Sproson, who played for Vale between 1940 and 1947.

Geoffrey Hunter was an English footballer who played as a midfielder. In a twelve-year career in the Football League, he played 507 league and cup games, scoring 40 goals.

Anthony John Lacey is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Stoke City, Port Vale, Rochdale, and Stafford Rangers. He made 288 league appearances in a ten-year career in the Football League. He won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Port Vale in 1969–70. He later went into coaching with Stoke City and served as caretaker manager for eight games in 1985. He began coaching at the Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy in 1996.

The 1974–75 season was Port Vale's 63rd season of football in the Football League, and their fifth-successive season in the Third Division. It was Roy Sproson's first full season in charge. With cross-town rivals Stoke City competing in Europe and running close for the First Division title, Vale's attendances waned, as they were the third least-supported club in the division. This was despite a promotion challenging season that eventually ended with a sixth-place finish. Vale exited both cup competitions in the opening rounds.

The 1975–76 season was Port Vale's 64th season of football in the Football League, and their sixth-successive season in the Third Division. Manager Roy Sproson brought Mick Cullerton back to Vale Park. Cullerton was to become the top-scorer for the season with 21 goals. However, the ongoing success of rivals Stoke City in winning the League Cup, playing in Europe, and competing at the top of the First Division caused Vale's support to suffer. The loyal support of a few thousand fans was not enough to balance the books, and so Brian Horton was controversially sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £30,000.

The 1982–83 season was Port Vale's 71st season of football in the English Football League, and their fifth-successive season in the Fourth Division. John McGrath led the Vale to a club-record 88 points, which saw them win promotion in third place. This was some achievement considering McGrath had sold both the Chamberlain brothers and goalkeeper Mark Harrison to rivals Stoke City at the start of the season. Receiving £240,000 for these three players, he spent only £15,000 to bring top-scorer Bob Newton to Vale Park, and signed Player of the Year Wayne Cegielski for free.

The 1983–84 season was Port Vale's 72nd season of football in the English Football League, and first back in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division. The club suffered a horrendous start, and John McGrath lost his job before Christmas; he was replaced by his assistant John Rudge. Rudge instigated an immense turnaround in results, but Vale still ended up relegated, six points shy of safety. Ireland international Eamonn O'Keefe was top-scorer and Player of the Year, and young Mark Bright showed his potential, though left at the end of the season.

The 1985–86 season was Port Vale's 74th season of football in the English Football League, and second-successive season in the Fourth Division. John Rudge achieved his first success as manager, leading Vale to promotion into the Third Division with a fourth-place finish. The club also reached the Second Round in both the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as the Northern Section Semi-finals of the Associate Members' Cup. Rudge signing Andy Jones excelled to become the club's top-scorer, whilst Robbie Earle had another impressive season. However, the promotion campaign was built on the strength of the Vale defence, and goalkeeper Jim Arnold was made Player of the Year.

The 1987–88 season was Port Vale's 76th season of football in the English Football League, and second-successive season in the Third Division. John Rudge's side started the season well, but then suffered following the sale of star striker Andy Jones. Just as Rudge seemed to be struggling, the Vale earned a memorable 2–1 victory over top-flight Tottenham Hotspur at Vale Park in the FA Cup Fourth Round. They exited the competition at the next stage at the hands of Watford, following a replay. Vale's league form also improved, as they finished in eleventh place, helped by midfielders Ray Walker and Robbie Earle, defenders Phil Sproson and Bob Hazell, and goalkeeper Mark Grew. Darren Beckford and David Riley were joint-top-scorers with ten goals each. Vale exited the League Cup and the Associate Members' Cup at the first round.

References

  1. ↑ "Russell Bromage". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Baggaley, Michael (26 October 2013). "Rampant Vale shine for window-cleaner Russ". The Sentinel .
  3. ↑ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook . London: Queen Anne Press. p.  299. ISBN   0362020175 . Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Matchday programme Whitehawk v Southwick, Sussex County League Division 1, 8 March 1995
  5. ↑ Matchday programme Littlehampton Town v Whitehawk, FA Vase, 28 October 1995
  6. 1 2 3 4 "The Russell Bromage Interview (Part 1)". The Vale Park Beano. 67.
  7. 1 2 Kent, Jeff (1990). The Valiants' Years: The Story of Port Vale. Witan Books. p. 305. ISBN   0-9508981-4-7.
  8. ↑ Sentinel Football Annual 1981–82. p. 19.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN   0-9508981-4-7.
  10. ↑ Earle, Robbie (13 May 2020). "'You were shaking in your boots' – Robbie Earle on what makes good captain". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  11. ↑ Kent, Jeff (November 1998). The Potteries Derbies. Witan Books. p. 177. ISBN   0-9529152-3-5.
  12. ↑ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 43. ISBN   0-9529152-0-0.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "The Russell Bromage Interview (Part 1)". The Vale Park Beano. 69.
  14. ↑ "Stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Official match day programme, Shoreham v Whitehawk 15 March 1997
  16. ↑ Official match day programme, Shoreham v Whitehawk 19 August 1997
  17. ↑ Official match day programme, Whitehawk v Shoreham 13 February 1999
  18. ↑ Whitehawk match day programme v Shoreham 12 April 2008
  19. ↑ "Whitehawk". non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  20. 1 2 official matchday programme Port Vale v Cambridge United (PDF). 27 February 2021. p. 47. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  21. ↑ Russell Bromage at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.