Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Kenny Bruce reacts to Larne title win and 'money money money' jibe

Proud owner Kenny Bruce hailed Larne's historic title win as "remarkable" as he praised everyone at the club for their professionalism over the past six years.

Friday night's 2-0 win over Crusaders saw the Invermen crowned champions for the first time ever.

Bruce has been a driving force behind the rise of Larne, with the club progressing from the Championship to win a hat-trick of County Antrim Shields and now the Premiership title.

Read more: Larne crowned champions after win over Crusaders

It also confirms Champions League football will be coming to Inver Park, one of the major targets in Larne FC's five-year strategy.

Bruce tweeted on Friday night: "Well, what a season. Larne hould be proud with the way the whole club have conducted themselves over the last six years.

"You have been remarkable and I can’t thank enough every player and staff member who has played a part over those 6 years. Thanks for believing in us. Xx."

Bruce arrived at Inver Park in 2017 with the initial intention of donating a "couple of hundred thousand pounds" to support his hometown club.

At the time Larne were languishing at the bottom end of the Championship, their stadium was need of major redevelopment, and barely 100 fans were coming through the turnstiles each match day.

Half a decade on - and several million pounds' investment later - Bruce continues to spearhead the club's meteoric rise in Irish League football - and now they have reaped the biggest reward.

Bruce's investment has led to some criticism from rival fans, with some unfairly claiming the club 'bought the title'.

It has been a cheap shot fired at Larne in recent years, despite other clubs also investing heavily in players.

One Irish League supporter fired out such an accusation on Twitter on Friday night, claiming: "Larne should let Kenny Bruce lift the Gibson cup. It’s all his work after all. Money money money. FTG."

Bruce - who often engages followers on social media - fired back, replying: "Class costs nothing. Be gracious in defeat."

The majority of Irish League fans praised the performance of Larne this season, who showed their class and mettle to seal the title with two games to spare.

With the pressure mounting, Tiernan Lynch's side showed few nerves post-split as they beat Glentoran, Cliftonville and Crusaders all by a 2-0 scoreline.

It leaves them 12 points clear, with their rivals only having three games left.

Outgoing champions Linfield currently sit second in the table, three points ahead of Cliftonville in third.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.