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Alan Hudson left Arsenal in 1978 to join the NASL adventure. He had previously been capped twice for England. He was one of the great players of English football in the 1970s. Many said that England’s absence from the 1974 and 1978 World Cup was due to this brilliant footballer being overlooked.
Hudson was banned from international football after refusing to tour with England under-23s. As a result, he did not make his England debut until 1975. His scintillating performances earned him two call-ups from then England manager Don Revie. He played in the team that defeated 1974 FIFA World Cup champions West Germany 2–0 at Wembley. He then excelled in the 5-0 defeat of Cyprus. However, due to injuries and clashes with Revie, those two caps were the only ones he earned. He was called up by Ron Greenwood in 1978 as a late substitute for a match against Brazil. Hudson declined to participate because he did not feel fit to play. He was not in the original team.
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 problems. There were personal differences with Arsenal manager Terry Neill. This meant that he only played 36 games during his two seasons at Arsenal. He was subsequently sold to Seattle Sounders of the NASL for £100,000. 27 years old when he moved to Seattle.
Alan Hudson had just given up on life at Arsenal. The move to Seattle Sounders started with a coincidence at Stamford Bridge. Alan Hudson hosted at The Bridge. He ran into Bobby Moore. Moore introduced him to The Sounders’ manager at the time, Jimmy Gabriel, who was also there that day. Long story short: Hudson and Gabriel reached an agreement.
Few witnessed someone like him. Initially, fans may have experienced culture shock. He cut defenses into pieces, not with a pickaxe, but with a paring knife. First short passes to maintain possession, after which a ball cuts the defense into pieces. It definitely happened here. The Sounders’ first five years had involved varying degrees of direct football. It was like changing the melody from a piano duet to a full symphonic opus. And there is no doubt who wielded the wand in this orchestra.
Bob Robertson, the voice of the Sounders for much of their NASL run, could see the confusion on faces. “Our style was to run like crazy and play over the top. Hudson’s style was to take the ball from behind. He stopped, put his foot on it and looked for the next spot to pass it.”
Hudson was very much the quarterback, the orchestrator. Not only in Seattle, but also in Chelsea, Stoke and England beforehand. Once accustomed to the possession-oriented method, clubs quickly found success.
Far from merely a finesse player, Hudson could tackle and run and run and run. His feints and close control allowed him to beat defenders off the dribble. He knew the game and also showed a big heart, literally and figuratively. Huddy enjoyed the nightlife. His out-of-hours exploits are legendary: he stayed out all night and was the first to arrive at morning training. Like a wrestler lifting weights, he regularly wore extra layers of workout gear to encourage more sweat. By mid-week it was refreshed and ready for a match.
Hudson was a NASL all-star both 11v11 and indoors, where he set a league record with seven assists in one match. “On game night he came to the stadium dressed in a great suit and great shoes that looked like a million dollars,” he remembers, “and then he played like that.” Hudson had complete confidence in his abilities and he tried to instill belief in his teammates. He was also aware of everyone around him, whether on the field or in the locker room.
𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐂𝐊 | WORKMAN’S BALLET by Alan Hudson
An updated and expanded edition of #cfc The evocative autobiography of legend Alan Hudson, with a new introduction by John King and an afterword by @MartinKnight_@London_Books
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— Stanchion Books – the football bookstore 📚 (@StanchionBooks) May 10, 2025
Don Greiert was the Sounders coach. He remembers a young man with special needs known as Ted who shook balls and washed towels during practice. Huddy often had conversations with Ted. After earning a berth at the Soccer Bowl in San Diego, he took a collection from teammates to buy Ted a ticket to fly south, his first air trip. The loss to the Cosmos hit Ted the hardest.
“He was crying and upset,” Greiert said. “Huddy saw this and went over, told him it was okay and gave him a towel to wipe his glasses and nose, and a hug. A class man.” Many of those Hudson teammates stayed behind and teach the game today. Sounders alumni hold key coaching positions at most of the region’s leading youth clubs. Then there are those who simply studied Hudson’s method from the stands.
“He had an effect on the game in a way that I had never seen or imagined at my age,” he says. “I thought he was some kind of genius, who always had a plan, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and it had a big influence on how I watch and enjoy football.” Naturally gifted in technique, Hudson’s mind made him all the more brilliant in the way he applied his craft. Those at the highest levels often mention the speed of the game, the speed at which players mentally process the game and distinguish those players. Hudson, like Johan Cruijff, often seemed to have mapped out a complicated move in advance.
He also represented Cleveland Force. This was a team that competed in MISL. Eddie McCreadie, his former teammate 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 along with Alan Hudson.
Jimmy Gabriel, Eddie McCreadie and Alan Hinton were the men in charge of the teams in which Alan Hudson played. Gabriel and Hinton at Seattle Sounders, McCreadie at Cleveland Force.
There were some big names among those who played with Alan Hudson at the Seattle Sounders. Ron Davies, John Ryan, Mike England, Tom Jenkins and Jimmy Neighbor are all household 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 played alongside Hudson. Kevin Bond, David Nish, Roger Davies and Steve Daley are also there. Finally, Stan Cummins, Jeff Bourne, Kenny Hibbitt, Ray Evans, Peter Ward, Nicky Reid and Gary Mills were also there.
listening to a recent program in which Alan Hudson talks about this special time, other players are mentioned. Alan Hudson talks about the iconic goalkeeper Mike Ivanov. Iwanov played for the Seattle Sounders from 1976 to 1981. He was born in Shanghai, China. A tall man of 1.93 m. According to Alan Hudson, a bit overweight. Ivanow found himself on the fringes, but still played 35 games in NASL for The Sounders. He was capped at international level and represented the US ten times.
Another long-time player with the Sounders who was fondly remembered by Alan Hudson was the midfielder Steve Buttel. Buttle was an Englishman with a previous life in Ipswich and Bournemouth. He played for The Sounders from 1977 to 1982, appearing in 151 NASL games during that time.
Alan Hudson played against Johan Cruyff. Previously, during his days at Chelsea, he played against Pelè. He also defeated West Germany with England. Franz Beckenbauer was their captain that 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 best known in modern football for his time as head coach of Fredrikstad, IFK Göteborg and Häcken.
Alan Hudson impressed while playing for NASL and was regarded as one of the best players in the league. We believe his talent might have been even better at Chelsea and Stoke. To read his story in full, you can head over to Amazon. Find his book The Workers’ Ballet.
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