Player From the Past! Alan Hudson

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Alan Hudson

It might sound cliched now, but Tony Waddington really did shake the football world when he tempted Chelsea's young and gifted superstar midfielder away from London and to the Potteries for £240,000 in January 1974. Rumour has it he left the bright lights of the capital behind him and pulled in to Stoke by train on a winter's evening with the city plunged into darkness by a power cut. True or not, he soon set about illuminating the Victoria Ground with his talent. 'Huddy' was one of the last pieces in the Waddington jigsaw which turned the club into genuine championship challengers in 1975. After a title medal eluded him he was sold to Arsenal for financial reasons in December 1976.



But the story didn't end there. Eight years later, after a second spell with Chelsea and a foray into the American Soccer League with Seattle Sounders, he was tempted back to the Victoria Ground by Bill Asprey and played a major role in the escape from relegation during the second-half of 1983/84. He left in September 1985 after 170 appearances, with nine goals, in the red-and-white-stripes and few players enjoyed such an affinity with fans before or since. Supremely skilful, with great vision on the ball, many believe his paltry two caps for England were poor reward for his ability.