Not 12 hours ago our world collapsed around our ears like a cheap paper mache set at the end of a school play.
Steve Bruce, we were told, was NOT a football manager-cum-novelist and had NOT in fact, penned a series of books about a football manager-cum-amateur detective.
That the former Manchester United defender wrote the three mystery novels – Striker, Sweeper and Defender – has always been, by far and away, the greatest fact about Steve Bruce, or indeed any football personality, living or dead.
But then came his son Alex to dash everything that is good a pure in the world with this simple appearance on BBC Radio 5Live.
It had been revealed that Steve Bruce was a budding novelist.
However, @AlexBruce84's revelation will break hearts: https://t.co/Jd79vzlNtO
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) October 21, 2016
The casual way he tossed it out there: “He can’t take credit for writing anything”. Come on, Alex – tread carefully, for you tread on our dreams, mate.
Obviously, fans of Brucie’s writing were devastated.
noooooo! Another illusion shattered.
— Jeremy Nash (@jezznash) October 21, 2016
(Not watched it yet) Presume this is the news I was dreading. Alongside Santa not being real and Lance Armstrong doping
— Sam Richards (@vivaricardo) October 21, 2016
But then. On a crisp, foggy October morning, came a wonderful, wonderful tweet from young Alex. A tweet that, in less than 140 characters, put some magic back into this heartless, unforgiving world.
https://twitter.com/AlexBruce84/status/789748190606155776
So it IS true! Either that, or he is now joking – but we would infinitely prefer to live in a world where Brucie really did spend hours hammering away at his typewriter to produce these important works, rather than one in which a nameless novelist decided to write three books clearly based on Steve Bruce, and then approach the man himself to put his name to them (come to think of it – who would ever do that?!).
Plus, Alex’s 5Live mates Darren Fletcher and Jermaine Jenas were quick to claim they knew it all along.
Confirmation of Brucey the novelist!! @5liveSport @jjenas8 😂 https://t.co/HJEmuQPWw3
— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) October 22, 2016
😂😂😂 knew you were defending him!! Looking forward to the next one 📖📖 @jjenas8 https://t.co/HJEmuQPWw3
— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) October 22, 2016
Hahaha i knew it! Wow the guilt of lying to us obviously stopped you sleeping last night pal @AlexBruce84 https://t.co/eicRSmr57G
— Jermaine Jenas (@jjenas8) October 22, 2016
Our feeling are probably best summed up by good old Paulie B here:
https://twitter.com/paulbennett83/status/789751831534723072
And the world feels right again. Ahhhh.
You can catch up on the latest episode of JOE’s Football Friday Live right here…
