Russell Bromage

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

Russell Bromage
Personal information
Full name Russell Bromage[1]
Date of birth (1959-11-09) 9 November 1959
Place of birth Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, England[2]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3]
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1976–1977 Port Vale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (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)
Southwick
Littlehampton Town
2007–2008 Whitehawk 8 (0)
Total 407+ (14+)
Teams managed
Littlehampton Town
2007–2008 Whitehawk
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He 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 a total of 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 non-league football with Southwick and Littlehampton Town, also managing Whitehawk.

Playing career

Bromage graduated from the Port Vale youth team to sign professional forms in October 1977, with the club in the Third Division and under the management of Bobby Smith. He made eight appearances in 1977–78 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, and 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. Moved from midfield to left full-back, his performances there he was voted Player of the Year by the club's supporters.[4][5]

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.[6] He served as club captain and was rated as an excellent captain by teammate Robbie Earle.[7]

However he refused to sign a new contract for the 1983–84 season, as did teammates Geoff Hunter, Barry Siddall, and Terry Armstrong.[6] He eventually walked out on the club, and played two Second Division games for Oldham Athletic in October.[6] However he returned to Vale Park in November, and agreed to sign a new contract.[6] 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 a total of 402 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 15 goals.

He was sold to Terry Cooper's Bristol City for £25,000 (and Lawrie Pearson) in August 1987.[8] His Port Vale testimonial match was held against rivals Stoke on 13 April 1986, Vale lost the game 1–0.[9] 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. In all he played 46 league games for the club, scoring one goal.

Bromage joined Barry Lloyd's Second Division Brighton & Hove Albion for the 1990–91 season, but played only one game in their run to the play-off final. He instead joined Fourth Division Maidstone United on loan, playing three games.[10] He later served Southwick as a player-coach and Littlehampton Town as player-manager.

Later life

After retiring from football Bromage moved to Shoreham-by-Sea and set up a window cleaning business.[2] He also worked for Opta Sports providing reports on match-days.[2] He managed Whitehawk to a second-place finish in the Sussex County League in the 2007–08 season.[11]

Statistics

Source:[12][13]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale 1977–78 Third Division 60000060
1978–79 Fourth Division 2020010212
1979–80 Fourth Division 2910010301
1980–81 Fourth Division 4545021525
1981–82 Fourth Division 4505040540
1982–83 Fourth Division 4621020492
1983–84 Third Division 3810010391
1984–85 Third Division 3713160462
1985–86 Fourth Division 4014070511
1986–87 Third Division 4112080511
Total 3471320135140215
Oldham Athletic (loan) 1983–84 Second Division 20000020
Bristol City 1987–88 Third Division 3002050370
1988–89 Third Division 1310030161
1989–90 Third Division 30000030
Total 4612080561
Brighton & Hove Albion 1990–91 Second Division 10001020
Maidstone United (loan) 1990–91 Fourth Division 30000030
Whitehawk 2007–08 Sussex County League Division One 80000080
Career total 4071422144147316

Honours
Individual
Port Vale
Bristol City

References
  1. "Russell Bromage". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. 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. Kent, Jeff (1990). The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. p. 305. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  5. Sentinel Football Annual 1981–82. p. 19.
  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.
  7. Earle, Robbie (13 May 2020). "'You were shaking in your boots' - Robbie Earle on what makes good captain". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  8. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 43. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  9. Kent, Jeff (November 1998). The Potteries Derbies. Witan Books. p. 177. ISBN 0-9529152-3-5.
  10. "Stats". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  11. "Whitehawk". non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  12. Russell Bromage at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  13. Whitehawk match day programme v Shoreham 12 April 2008
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