Community

Bruno dusts off his boots to support Albion in the Community

Albion legend Bruno returned to action recently after dusting off his boots to take part in a football tournament organised by the club’s official charity.

By Richard Morris • 25 October 2019

By Stuart Butcher
Bruno at an Albion in the Community football tournament.

Since retiring from first-team duty at the end of last season, the popular former club captain has combined his non-playing position at the club with a new role as Albion in the Community’s first-ever official patron.

Keen to visit as many Albion in the Community sessions as possible, Bruno went along to a tournament for adults taking part in the charity’s Albion Goals inclusion and employability programme. Bruno had previously met participants at a jobs workshop in the city centre and was eager to re-visit the project, which combines free weekly football sessions, with a chance to gain qualifications. 

Not only did he spend time meeting the participants, he also joined one of the teams for a game – helping the players to their first win of the day.

Dave Newbery was among the players who had the chance to meet Bruno at the tournament and is attending this weekend’s Premier League game with Everton as a guest of Albion in the Community.

By Stuart Butcher
Bruno gets on the ball during the charity's tournament.

Dave, who will share his story with supporters at half-time on Saturday, is a regular at Albion Goals and credits Albion in the Community with not only helping him become more active and recapture his life-long love of football, but also sustain his recovery from addiction.

When he first engaged with Albion in the Community, Dave was recovering from heroin addiction, had experienced periods of homelessness and was looking for a way to become more physically active and expand his support network. He now encourages others to sign up for the course. 

He explained, “A couple of years ago I nearly lost my legs as a result of my historic heroin use and without Albion Goals, I definitely wouldn’t be playing football or have the support network that I do.

“Just stepping onto a pitch is amazing but it isn’t just about playing, it is about being part of a team and everything that brings. That’s so important.” 

Fans attending the game with Everton on Saturday are being encouraged to bring £1 – or whatever they can afford – to donate to Albion in the Community’s bucket collection.

Supporters can also find out more about Mr Newbery and Albion Goals in Saturday’s matchday magazine.