Blackpool boss Steve Bruce has given his seal of approval to Gillingham’s rebuilding project, praising the ambition of the club’s American owners and recalling his own emotional ties to the Kent outfit.
Bruce, now 64, made over 200 appearances for the Gills in the early 1980s and says the club gave him his first real opportunity in professional football. He has remained an admirer ever since and is watching developments at Priestfield with interest.
Bruce Encouraged by Gillingham’s Progress Under Galinson Ownership
With the Galinson family now at the helm, Gillingham are hoping to climb out of League Two, where they have remained since relegation in 2022. The owners have spoken openly about ‘waking the sleeping giant’—a sentiment Bruce shares.
“They are the only professional club in Kent, so they have got a big catchment area,” said Bruce. “I will always be intrigued to see what sort of fanbase it would muster if it ever got up to the Championship. I can understand where the owners are coming from. It has been sleeping for a long time. Let’s hope they can get somewhere higher up the pyramid.”
Bruce, who ended the 2024/25 season with Blackpool in League One, began his career as a midfielder before Gillingham’s then-head of youth converted him into a central defender. The change sparked a rapid rise, with Bruce earning England youth caps and a move to Norwich City in 1984. A switch to Manchester United followed in 1987, where he won multiple Premier League titles and captained the club.
“Gillingham gave me a chance when I was a schoolboy – I ended up signing for them, 330 miles away from Newcastle, where I lived,” he said. “It was a special little club, which will always mean something to me. Bill Collins was an inspiration. He was terrific with me, and I keep in touch with his family now. These are great memories and they’ll always be special to me.”
Writer’s View
Steve Bruce’s comments are a timely endorsement of Gillingham’s long-term potential. With League status secure and the Galinsons providing ambition off the pitch, there’s a sense the foundations are finally in place.
Bruce’s loyalty to the club adds a welcome thread of continuity with its past, and his question—just how big could Gills become if they ever reached the Championship?—remains one the club would love to answer. With sensible recruitment and stability, the path back up the pyramid feels more realistic now than at any time in the past decade.
