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Alan Hudson left Arsenal in 1978 to be part of the NASL adventure. He had earlier been capped twice for England. He was one of the great players of English football during the 70’s. Many said England’s absence from the 1974 and 1978 World Cup’s was because this genius footballer was overlooked.
Hudson was banned from international football after refusing to tour with the England under-23 side. As a result, he did not make his England debut until 1975. His sparkling performances earned him two call-ups by then England manager Don Revie. He starred in the team that beat 1974 FIFA World Cup champions West Germany 2–0 at Wembley. Then, he excelled in the 5–0 destruction of Cyprus. However, injuries and clashes with Revie meant that those two caps were the only ones he earned. He was called up as a late replacement by Ron Greenwood in 1978 for a match against Brazil. Hudson refused to join up as he did not feel fit to play. He was not in the original squad.
He helped Arsenal reach the 1978 FA Cup Final. He played at Wembley Stadium in the final, which they lost 1–0 to Ipswich. He had fitness issues. There were personal differences with Arsenal manager Terry Neill. This meant he made only 36 appearances over his two seasons at Arsenal. He was then sold to Seattle Sounders of the NASL for £100,000. 27 years old when moving to Seattle.
Alan Hudson had just given up life at Arsenal. The move to Seattle Sounders started with a coincidence down at Stamford Bridge. Alan Hudson was at The Bridge as a host. He bumped into Bobby Moore. Moore introduced him to The Sounders manager at the time, Jimmy Gabriel, who was also there on the day. To make a long story short, Hudson and Gabriel reached an agreement.
Few witnessed anyone quite like him. Initially, fans may have experienced some culture shock. He carved defenses to pieces not with a pickaxe but with a paring knife. Short passes to keep possession at first, then a ball dissecting the defense into bits. It certainly happened here. The first five years of the Sounders had featured varying degrees of direct football. It was like changing the tune from a piano duet to a full-on symphonic opus. And there’s no question who wielded the wand in this orchestra.
Bob Robertson, voice of the Sounders for much of their NASL run, could see the look of confusion on faces. “Our style was to run like hell and play it over the top. Hudson’s style was to go get the ball from the back. He would stop, put his foot on it, and look for the next place to pass it.”
Hudson was very much the quarterback, the orchestrator. Not just in Seattle, but Chelsea, Stoke and England beforehand. Once accustomed to possession-oriented method, clubs soon found success.
Far from being solely a finesse player, Hudson could tackle and run and run and run. His feints and close control enabled him to beat defenders on the dribble. He had a head for the game, and he also displayed a big heart, literally and figuratively. Huddy enjoyed the nightlife. His after-hours exploits are legendary, staying out all night, yet also being the first to arrive at morning training. Much like a wrestler making weight, he regularly wore extra layers of training gear to promote more sweat. By midweek was refreshed and ready for a match.
Hudson was an NASL all-star, both 11v11 and indoors, where he set a league record with seven assists in one game. “By game night, he’d come to the stadium dressed in great suit with great shoes, looking like a million dollars,” he recalls, “and then he played like it.” Hudson had supreme confidence in his abilities and he sought to infuse belief in his teammates. He was also aware of everyone around him, be it on the field or in the locker room.
𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐂𝐊 | WORKING MAN'S BALLET by Alan Hudson
An updated and extended edition of #cfc legend Alan Hudson's evocative autobiography, with new introduction by John King and afterword by @MartinKnight_@London_Books
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— Stanchion Books – the football bookshop 📚 (@StanchionBooks) May 10, 2025
Don Greiert was the Sounders trainer. He remembers a special needs young man known as Ted who shagged balls and laundered towels at training. Huddy often engaged in conversations with Ted. After earning a place at Soccer Bowl in San Diego, he took a collection from teammates to buy Ted a ticket to fly south, his first air travel. The loss to the Cosmos hit Ted the hardest.
“He was crying and upset,” Greiert says. “Huddy saw this and went over, told him it was OK and gave him a towel to wipe his glasses and nose, and a hug. A class guy.” Many of those Hudson teammates stayed behind and teach the game today. Sounders alumni hold key coaching positions at most of the area’s premier youth clubs. Then there are those who simply studied Hudson’s method from the stands.
“He had an effect on the game in a manner I had never seen or thought of before, at my age,” he says. “I thought he was some sort of genius, who always had a plan, and I could not take my eyes off him, and it greatly affected how I watch and enjoy the game of soccer.” Naturally gifted in technique, Hudson’s mind made him all the more brilliant in the way he applied his trade. Those around the top level often cite the speed of the play, the speed of mentally processing the game that sets players apart. Hudson, like Johan Cruyff, often appeared to have an intricate movement mapped out four exchanges in advance.
He also represented Cleveland Force. This was a team competing in MISL. Eddie McCreadie, his former team mate at Chelsea was their head coach. The Force had two other former English league players on their books at the time. Mike England and Clyde Best were both at this club together with Alan Hudson.
Jimmy Gabriel, Eddie McCreadie and Alan Hinton were the men in charge of the teams Alan Hudson played in. Gabriel and Hinton at Seattle Sounders, McCreadie at Cleveland Force.
There were a number of great names among those playing with Alan Hudson at Seattle Sounders. Ron Davies, John Ryan, Mike England, Tom Jenkins, and Jimmy Neighbour are all known names in the English game. Derek Smethurst, Tommy Ord, Harry Redknapp, and Roy Greaves are others. Additionally, Jeff Bourne, Tommy Hutchinson and Bruce Rioch all featured alongside Hudson. Kevin Bond, David Nish, Roger Davies, and Steve Daley in there too. Finally, Stan Cummins, Jeff Bourne, Kenny Hibbitt, Ray Evans, Peter Ward, Nicky Reid, and Gary Mills were also there.
listening to a recent program where Alan Hudson talks about this special time, there are other players mentioned. Alan Hudson talks about the iconic goalkeeper Mike Iwanov. Iwanov played for Seattle Sounders from 1976 to 1981. He was born in Shanghai, China. A tall man at 1.93m. According to Alan Hudson, a bit overweight. Ivanow was on the fringe, but still managed 35 games in NASL for The Sounders. He was capped at international level, representing USA 10 times.
Another player who was a long servant at The Sounders and fondly remembered by Alan Hudson was the midfielder Steve Buttle. Buttle was an Englishman with a prior life at Ipswich and Bournemouth. He played for The Sounders from 1977 to 1982, adding up 151 NASL games during that time.
Alan Hudson played against Johan Cruyff. Earlier, during his days at Chelsea, he played against Pelè. He also defeated West Germany with England. Franz Beckenbauer was their captain on the day. Hudson had his battles with world stars. But few probably know that he had Swedish international Reine Almqvist as a teammate. This was in 1980, with The Sounders. Almqvist is in the modern game mostly known for his time as head coach of Fredrikstad, IFK Gothenburg and Häcken.
Alan Hudson made his mark when in NASL, being seen as one of the best players in the league. We do believe his talent might have been even better with Chelsea and Stoke. To read his story in full, you can head over to Amazon. Look up his book, The Working Man’s Ballet.
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