Steve Bruce has been sacked by Blackpool after a dismal start to the League One season – ending the ex-Sunderland and Newcastle boss’ 13th managerial spell

Steve Bruce has been sacked by Blackpool after just one year in charge, with the veteran manager paying the price for a torrid start to the new League One campaign.

The 64-year-old, who has managed over 1,000 games in English football, leaves Bloomfield Road with the Seasiders sitting 23rd in the table, having lost seven of their opening 11 fixtures. Saturday’s 2–0 defeat at home to AFC Wimbledon proved the final straw, with Bruce admitting afterwards that his side were “nowhere near what’s required.”

“I can try and make as many excuses as I want, but it’s not in my nature to do it,” Bruce told BBC Radio Lancashire. “Today we were nowhere near what’s required of what we need to be, and for that I need to take responsibility.”

His assistants, Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence, have also departed, with Stephen Dobbie and Steve Banks placed in interim charge while the club searches for a permanent replacement. Bruce had taken over from Neil Critchley in September 2024 and guided Blackpool to a respectable ninth-place finish last season, raising expectations of a promotion push this term.

However, despite a busy summer window – which included the arrivals of experienced defenders Fraser Horsfall and Michael Ihiekwe, and former Sunderland captain George Honeyman – results quickly unravelled. The club’s campaign began with defeats to Stevenage and Exeter City before a brief upturn saw them edge past Huddersfield 3–2. Since then, however, performances have been inconsistent and points hard to come by.

Steve Bruce’s history at Sunderland and Newcastle United

Bruce’s dismissal brings an end to his 13th managerial spell, one that adds another chapter to one of English football’s longest coaching careers. He first took charge of Sheffield United in 1998 and went on to win four promotions to the Premier League, managing clubs such as Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Hull City, Sunderland and Newcastle United.

Appointed in June 2009 to succeed Ricky Sbragia at Sunderland, the former Manchester United defender initially stabilised the Black Cats in the Premier League, finishing 13th in his first season. He oversaw major squad changes, signing players such as Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck, and was rewarded with a contract extension in early 2011 after reshaping the side with what then-chairman Niall Quinn described as “fantastic spirit and togetherness.”

However, results would dip dramatically, and after a poor run that left Sunderland hovering near the relegation zone, Bruce was dismissed in November 2011 – just days after a home defeat to bottom club Wigan Athletic. Bruce later suggested that his ties to Newcastle United, the club he supported as a boy, contributed to the hostility that surrounded his exit.

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Eight years later, Bruce’s connection to the North East would again dominate headlines when he was appointed manager of Newcastle United in 2019. The move drew a mixed reaction from fans, with many sceptical due to his previous Sunderland links and the shadow of Rafa Benítez’s successful tenure. Despite the scrutiny, Bruce guided Newcastle to mid-table finishes in both of his first two seasons before departing by mutual consent shortly after the Saudi-led takeover in October 2021.

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