Glory Glory Rebels

Chapter 12 Turned Down

Later in the evening, Rudy accompanied Wolf to Steve Bruce’s place.

“Tell me, how well do you know him?” Rudy asked Wolf.

Wolf shook his head;

“Not very well, I have only met him a few times at fan meet ups. He was with Manchester for nine years, there are quite a few die hard fans that know his address. Remember when he had all those fans knocking on his door for autographs?” Wolf asked.

Rudy suddenly remembered the incident and nodded. Tony the cab driver quickly glanced over his shoulder;

“Hey are you guys talking about Steve Bruce? I heard the news today about him.” Tony said.

“We are, do you know him too?” Wolf asked Tony with a smile.

“Oh not really, I have heard of him and seen him in the news. I think he is still in extremely good shape. I think it would be fantastic if you could get him to join FC United. You know I think he would even still be able to play! What a great deal you would get!!” Tony laughed.

Rudy and Wolf laughed along with the can driver, they had to agree it would indeed make a wonderful addition to FC United. Rudy felt even more sure about what he was doing now, he felt more confident than before.

After Bruce had left Manchester, he had never sold his house there, instead his family had lived there while he had worked for Birmingham. He often came back to Manchester to visit his wife and son whenever he could, instead of going to his place in Newcastle.

Tony had driven through the neighborhood where Bruce. Lived before and he was able to find the house easily, it was a quiet estate in a nice residential area. Although it was not overly luxurious, there were security cameras and guards watched surreptitiously from the perimeter.

They were stopped at the front gate by the uniformed guard there, Wolf introduced himself to the guard and the guard picked up the intercom. As soon as the guard had received permission from Bruce to let them through, he opened the gate for them.

The cab pulled up outside a spacious house, it was large and looked comfortable but it was not at all extravagant. Standing out the front waiting for them was Bruce and his 14 year old son, they were both dressed casually and smiled warmly at the visitors.

Rudy had heard that Bruce’s son was also a professional football player as well, however he was not as talented as his father and played for a good lower level team. It wasn’t uncommon for star athletes to have their children follow in their footsteps and not meet the standards of their parent.

Rudy stepped forward, with a huge smile on his face.

“Hi, Mr. Bruce. It’s nice to meet you.” Rudy greeted Bruce politely.

“Hi there Mr. Silver, it’s nice to meet you too!” Bruce replied as he ushered them into his house.

The interior of the house was homey, it was a simple home with a few luxuries. The fittings and furniture were of excellent quality but not outlandish, it was a warm home with an understated richness. Rudy couldn’t help but think about the football players from his time.

Once they had become famous, they lived the high life. They would go over the top, drive expensive sport cars and live the life of a superstar. Rudy questioned whether all that was really necessary, he had never really understood it. Rudy wasn’t thinking of anyone in particular, just sports in general seemed to have this opulent mind set.

It also seemed to Rudy that players from Bruce’s generation were more approachable, less egotistical and generally happier to interact with fans and the general public, they didn’t let their ego get in the way. This was evident now because Bruce had even invited the cab driver in to his home.

Rudy struggled to reconcile the man in front of him with the memories he had, this man in front of him was warm and gentle. On the field Bruce was not someone you wanted to mess with, Rudy almost doubted that Bruce was even capable of yelling at someone.

“Mr. Bruce, I am sorry to come to your home and disturb you like this…” Rudy started apologetically.

Bruce smiled and shook his head.

“Hey! It’s no trouble at all, don’t worry Mr. Silver. To be honest I have always wanted to meet you, you have gained yourself a reputation especially lately you have become very popular!” Bruce said, genuinely.

Bruce pointed to the coffee table in the living room, laying open there was a copy of The Times, showing a full page article about FC United including a photo of Rudy in the center.

“I like the name Rebels, it has meaning and it resonates with the fans, it’s also very catchy!” Bruce complimented Rudy.

“I thank you for the compliment Mr. Bruce, but we are here for a reason. I will it to the chase and not waste anymore of your time. I am here to ask if you would do me the honor of coming and coaching FC United?” Rudy asked politely.

A look of surprise crossed Bruce’s face but he recovered quickly and shook his head with a sad smile.

“I am flattered by your offer Mr. Silver, as you know I have just terminated my contract with Birmingham this afternoon. I made this decision because I would like to spend more time with my wife and son. They have been so good supporting me through my football career, I need to give back to them now. Besides, life in the football world can be very tiring.” Bruce explained.

Rudy had to admit that he was disappointed but he understood what Bruce was saying, he just nodded and wondered what he was going to do now.