John Rudge

John Robert Rudge (born 21 October 1944) is an English former professional football player and manager who is the president of club Port Vale.

John Robert Rudge was born in Wolverhampton on 21 October 1944 to Marie and Frank Harold Rudge (known as Jack).

Marie ran a fruit and veg stall at Wolverhampton market, whilst Jack was a capstan operator at a factory works.

Rudge attended St Joseph's secondary modern school and supported Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves).

His elder sister, Pat, dated and later married Peter Clark, who was Eddie Clamp's understudy at Wolves.

Rudge represented Wolverhampton Schoolboys, but was declined an apprenticeship at Wolves in 1959.

He instead was offered a £7-a-week apprenticeship at Huddersfield Town, having been scouted by Lawrie Kelly, and placed in the boarding house room Denis Law had stayed in until the Scotsman had been sold on to Manchester City.

Rudge was a right-footed forward, who had pace and good heading ability, though was prone to injury.

Rudge began his playing career at Huddersfield Town in November 1961, but made little impact at the club and was transferred to Carlisle United in December 1966.

He turned professional at Huddersfield in November 1961.

He made his Second Division debut under manager Eddie Boot in the 1962–63 campaign.

He made his debut alongside Allan Gilliver in a 4–1 victory over Swansea Town on 6 May 1963.

However, Rudge had great difficulty in establishing himself in the first team due to the prominent striking partnership of Les Massie and Len White.

He did not feature in the 1963–64 season, appeared just twice in 1964–65, and did not get a game in 1965–66.

He played two games at the start of the 1966–67 season, before manager Tom Johnston allowed him a £4,000 move to Second Division rivals Carlisle United in December 1966, promoting youth team player Frank Worthington in his stead.

Working alongside Dick Young, Carlisle manager Alan Ashman built an attacking pass and move side with a one-and-two touch style of play, bargain-hunting for players who could fit into that method.

This management philosophy became highly influential on Rudge later in his career.

In the meanwhile, Rudge found regular first team football at Carlisle and scored seven goals in 14 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Bolton Wanderers, as the "Cumbrians" finished third in 1966–67, six points short of promotion.

One of the goals in the hat-trick was a shot from 35 yd that finished off a dribbling move he made to move past two Bolton players.

He went on to form a good partnership with Hughie McIlmoyle, who later had a statue built in his honour outside Brunton Park.

In April 1967, Rudge married Dellice, who he had met whilst he was serving his apprenticeship.

They had two daughters, Lisa and Deb.

Rudge released his autobiography, To Cap It All, in 2023, with all profits from the book going to the Port Vale Supporters' Club's fundraising efforts for a £100,000 statue in his honour.

Over the course of the 1967–68 campaign he scored nine goals in 29 league and cup games, as Carlisle posted a tenth-place finish under the stewardship of new manager Tim Ward.

Carlisle also defeated Newcastle United in the third round of the FA Cup at St James' Park, in what was the first meeting between the two clubs, and Rudge's first experience of a major upset in the competition.

He made just four goalless appearances in the first half of the 1968–69 season, being judged as surplus to requirements by new manager Bob Stokoe.

During this time Rudge worked on his coaching badges, becoming fully qualified at the age of 25.

In January 1969 he joined Torquay United, and twice finished as the club's top-scorer, before he moved on to Bristol Rovers in February 1972.

Stokoe listed Rudge for sale in January 1969 and accepted a bid of £8,000 from Torquay United of the Third Division.

Rudge found the net just twice in 14 appearances before the end of the campaign for Allan Brown's "Gulls".

He then found his form in 1969–70, finishing as the club's top scorer with 16 goals in 35 league and cup matches.

He continued to regularly find the net in 1970–71, hitting 21 goals in 43 appearances, as Torquay finished tenth.

He helped the club to win promotion of the Third Division in 1973–74, before departing for AFC Bournemouth in March 1975.

His time on the coast was disrupted by injury, and he retired in 1977.

A forward, he scored a total of 78 goals in 267 league and cup appearances in a 16-year career in the English Football League.

He coached at Torquay United and Port Vale, before being appointed as Port Vale's manager in December 1983.

He remained in the role for the next 16 years, easily the longest management spell in the club's history.

He masterminded some of the club's most successful campaigns, leading them to promotion in 1985–86, 1989 and 1993–94; he also led them to the Anglo-Italian Cup final in 1996, and to victory in the Football League Trophy final in 1993.

However, he was sacked in January 1999, and subsequently was appointed director of football at their rivals of Stoke City, a position he held until May 2013.

After working as a scout at Hull City, he returned to Port Vale in an advisory role in October 2017.