Stuckey, Bruce
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Biographical Text
After appearing in just 39 games for Exeter City between 1965 and 1967 Torquay-born former apprentice Bruce Stuckey signed for Sunderland in a £15,000 deal. He later played for Torquay United and Reading as well as having a spell in the United States.
Having played youth football for Newton Abbot Spurs, Bruce signed as an apprentice in May 1962 ahead of becoming a full professional in February 1965. Making his league debut for the Grecians against Brentford at Griffin Park in November 1965, he scored his first goal for the club on New Years Day 1966 at home to Workington as he featured in fourteen league games during 1965/66.
Kept in reserve for most of the following campaign, Bruce mainly played towards the end of the season as he totalled 13 league games with goals against Wrexham and Notts County. Subsequently starting 1967/68 in the side, Bruce made a strong start as he scored three times in the opening twelve games and started to attract the attention of bigger clubs. With Sunderland showing the most interest, he moved to Roker Park in a £15,000 deal in November 1967.
Spending most of his time in the reserves, Bruce appeared in 26 league games for Sunderland (scoring twice) before moving to Torquay United - his hometown team where his father was chairman of the supporters club - and adding 88 league games and eight goals to his career total. He then signed for Reading in November 1973 and featured in 97 league games netting seven times - with loan spells with Torquay United in January 1975 and AFC Bournemouth in March 1977 - before a stint in the United States with Connecticut Bicentennials.
After retiring from playing, Bruce worked in child care in Dawlish alongside becoming a well-known entertainer in pubs and clubs around South Devon together with playing cricket for Barton.
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Christopher P Johns
Played with Bruce Stuckey at Barton junior school, light and dark blue strip.
Then onto Audley Park where he seems to go up a notch and stood head and shoulders above the rest went to his house in Hele Village on a number of occasions.
I joined the Army and got stationed in Aldershot I was there on a cold night when I next saw Bruce for the first time playing since School team many years ago, I'm in my seventies now but still, remember my time playing football. as a footnote when I joined the Army stopped playing football went to the oval ball, funny old world isn't
Mike Craig
Bruce was an old mate of mine.i wish I could get in touch with him again.he owned a big old jaguar which I had a drive .Bruce said I used a lot of petrol just for a few minutes.drunk so much fuel.i live in Philippines now.his father was a taxi driver. He once played on tv for Sunderland against George best and fouled him .he formed a partnership with dick Edwards another Torquay player they played in lots of clubs.i hope Bruce your alive and kicking
Nick House
I've been helping with A to Z updates and amendments and this was my last one with respect to (very) past players. Bruce left Barton Junior School before I arrived although Gladys Stuckey - who was in my year - may have been his cousin. Saw Bruce make a substitute appearance for Sunderland at Liverpool in 1968 when we were on holiday in Colwyn Bay as well as many of his games at Plainmoor. Never thought the naming of the Dick Edwards Duo gave Bruce enough credit.
Nick House
I've been helping update and revise sections of the A to Z and, in a very roundabout way, Bruce's was the last entry with which I tinkered. He'd left Barton Junior School in Torquay before I had arrived although there was a Gladys Stuckey in my year group who may have been a relative.
As well as watching Bruce play for Torquay United many times - and also feeling that the naming of the Dick Edwards Duo didn't really give Bruce sufficient credit - I also saw him make a substitute appearance for Saunderland at Anfield when we were on holiday in Colwyn Bay in August 1968.
Looking at the lineups, was I really there? Bruce certainly was.
Saturday, August 24 1968
Liverpool – Sunderland 4-1 (3-0).
Attendance: 46,547.
Referee: Mr. L. Callaghan (Merthyr Tydfil); linesmen: Messrs. J.C. Bancroft and D. Richardson.
Liverpool: Tommy Lawrence, Chris Lawler, Peter Wall, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Tony Hateley, Ian St John, Peter Thompson.
Sunderland: Jim Montgomery, Martin Harvey, Len Ashurst, Charlie Hurley, Colin Todd, Ian Porterfield, George Herd, Gordon Harris, Billy Hughes, Colin Suggett, George Mulhall. Substitution: Bruce Stuckey for Herd.
Goals: 1-0 Smith (1 min.), 2-0 Lawler (16 min.), 3-0 Callaghan (44 min.), 4-0 Hateley (66 min.), 4-1 Suggett.