Hudson, Alan

Alan Hudson

Clubs played for: Chelsea, Stoke City, Arsenal, Seattle Sounders, Cleveland Force, Chelsea, (1968-1985)

Born: 1951

Birthplace: Chelsea, London

Position: Midfielder

Biography: Alan Hudson will be remembered as one of the most flamboyant players ever to have played for the club. Born just a stone's throw away from the Kings Road, he rejected his boyhood club Fulham to sign for Chelsea. A bone infection lost him the tag as the youngest ever debutant for the club, instead he had to wait nine months to make his first team bow. Soon established himself as the team's playmaker, creating goals for Peter Osgood and Ian Hutchinson and he played a key role in the successful Cup Winners' Cup campaign after missing out on the FA Cup final against Leeds United twelve months earlier through injury. His first spell at the club ended at the age age of just 22, when he fell out with Dave Sexton and was sold to Stoke City for £240,000. He returned to Stamford Bridge nine years later but never played a game because of injury and illness. Scored a 'goal that never was' in his first spell against Ipswich Town in 1970. After shooting into the side netting, referee Roy Capley signalled a goal. Alan later settled in the Potteries where he had business interests and wrote for the local paper before suffering alcoholism and bankruptcy. Spent two months in a coma after being knocked down by a car in East London in December 1997 but has made a full recovery. Is now an occasional author and pundit.

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Hudson, Alan Same class as me at school.
04-02-22 Andy Tracey

Hudson, Alan We all loved him, if only he knew it.
20-07-21 shaun lyons

Hudson, Alan I was at Stamford Bridge for that amazing goal, when I was about 14. He took off from just inside his own edge of the centre circle, beat about six players before dribbling the ball into the back of the net at what is now the Matthew Harding end. Memories of the applause and ovation still make the hair on the back of my neck go up.


Hudson, Alan I was waiting at the end of the players tunnel after at Highbury after an Arsenal V Stoke match hoping to get a chance to shake hands with Alan Hudson. This was prior to going onto the pitch as the coach for Waltham Forest Under 15s who were due to play in the final against Highbury and Islington U15s. As the players approached I could hear one person sounding very heated and realised that it was a player having a go at the ref. Of course as you can guess it was Alan Hudson and I felt it wasn't the time to step forward with my outstretched hand and thank for the pleasure he had given me watching him develop as a Chelsea player. In particular my memory of that evening match against Sheffield Wednesday where he scored the most magnificent goal, Which was met by the longest applause I have ever heard from a group of fans everyone seemed to stand and applaud in the way people applaud a famous conductor after an amazing concert at the Royal Albert Hall, What a player.... Dave Rodgers


Hudson, Alan Alan is the reason I, from Malaysia became a fan of Stoke City.


Hudson, Alan Outstanding footballer at Stoke City 1974 - 76 - blended the team together superbly from midfield. He is still fondly remembered for those glory years at Stoke City.