John Rudge
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John Robert Rudge (born 21 October 1944) is an English former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player and
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
who is the president of club Port Vale. Rudge began his playing career at
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
in November 1961, but made little impact at the club and was transferred to Carlisle United in December 1966. In January 1969, he joined
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
and twice finished as the club's top scorer before he moved on to Bristol Rovers in February 1972. He helped the club to win promotion out of the Third Division in 1973–74 before departing for
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
in March 1975. Injury disrupted his time on the coast, 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 The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
. He coached at Torquay United and Port Vale before being appointed 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 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
and 1993–94; he also led them to the
Anglo-Italian Cup The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition. The competition was ...
final in
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, and victory in the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
final in
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
. However, he was sacked in January 1999 and was subsequently appointed
director of football A sporting director, or director of sport, is an senior management, executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many typ ...
at their
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
, Stoke City, a position he held until May 2013. After working as a
scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...
at Hull City, he returned to Port Vale in an advisory role in October 2017. At statue of Rudge was unveiled at Vale Park in October 2024.


Early and personal life

John Robert Rudge was born in
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...
on 21 October 1944 to Marie and Frank Harold Rudge (known as Jack). Marie ran a fruit and vegetable 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 Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
(Wolves). His elder sister, Pat, dated and later married Peter Clark, who was Eddie Clamp's understudy at Wolves. In April 1967, Rudge married Dellice, whom 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.


Playing career


Huddersfield Town

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 Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
, having been scouted by Lawrie Kelly, and placed in the
boarding house A boarding house is a house (frequently a family home) in which lodging, lodgers renting, rent one or more rooms on a nightly basis and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months, or years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and ...
room
Denis Law Denis Law (24 February 1940 – 17 January 2025) was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward. His career as a football player began at Second Division Huddersfield Town in 1956. After four years at Huddersfield, he was signed by Manchest ...
had stayed in until the Scotsman had been sold on to
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
. Rudge was a right-footed forward who had pace and good heading ability, though was prone to injury. He turned professional at Huddersfield in November 1961. He made his Second Division debut under
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
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 establishing himself in the first team due to the prominent strike 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.


Carlisle United

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 for Rudge later in his career. In the meantime, Rudge found regular first-team football at Carlisle and scored seven goals in 14 appearances, including a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
in a 6–1 win over
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
, 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 that finished off a
dribbling In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score. As ...
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 Brunton Park is a football stadium and the home of Carlisle United. It is situated in the city of Carlisle and has a certified capacity of 17,949. The ground opened in 1909. Brunton Park's grandstand burned down in 1953 and the stadium floode ...
. 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 Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
in the third round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
at
St James' Park St James' Park is a Association football, football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United. With a seating capacity of 52,305, it is the List of football stadiums in England, 8th la ...
, 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 Robert Stokoe (21 September 1930 – 1 February 2004) was an English footballer and manager who was able, almost uniquely, to transcend the traditional north-east animosity between the region's footballing rivals, Newcastle United and Sunderlan ...
. During this time Rudge worked on his coaching badges, becoming fully qualified at the age of 25. Stokoe listed Rudge for sale in January 1969 and accepted a bid of £8,000 from
Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
of the Third Division.


Torquay United

Rudge scored twice in 14 appearances before the end of the campaign for Allan Brown's "Gulls". He then discovered 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. Torquay also knocked
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
out of the FA Cup in the first round, winning 3–1 at
Plainmoor Plainmoor is an association football stadium located in the Plainmoor suburb of Torquay, Devon, England. Since 1921, the stadium has been the home of Torquay United F.C., Torquay United Football Club, who currently compete in the National Leagu ...
. However, he scored just twice in 12 games in 1971–72, as the club suffered
relegation Promotion and relegation is used by sports leagues as a process where teams can move up and down among divisions in a league system, based on their performance over a season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are sometimes call ...
under Jack Edwards. Rudge escaped this fate as he left the club in February 1972, signing a
contract A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...
with Bill Dodgin's Bristol Rovers. He had been part of a swap deal that saw Robin Stubbs return from Rovers to Torquay.


Bristol Rovers

Manager Don Megson dubbed Rudge "a second Andy Lochhead", who was the Third Division's top scorer. After three goals in eight games towards the end of the campaign, Rudge hit 12 goals in 29 appearances in the
1972–73 Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this y ...
campaign. Rovers also reached the final of the
Watney Cup The Watney Mann Invitation Cup (normally referred to as simply the Watney Cup) was a short-lived English football tournament held in the early 1970s. It was held before the start of the season, and was contested by the teams that had scored the ...
, where they would defeat
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history ...
in a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
at Eastville. However, Rudge missed the final due to injury. He featured as a
midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
in the club's League Cup giant-killing over
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, scoring a header in a 2–1 win at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
. Rovers were promoted as runners-up of the Third Division in 1973–74, finishing one point behind champions
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...
despite having been at the top of the table from 22 September to 27 April; However, Rudge made only 13 starts and six substitute appearances in the league, scoring four goals. By this time, he was mainly utilised in midfield, with Bruce Bannister and Alan Warboys forming a dominant 'Smash and Grab' partnership up front, scoring 40 of the club's 65 goals between them. His injury record also worsened to the extent that ''
Bristol Post The ''Bristol Post'' is a city/regional five-day-a-week (formerly appearing six days per week) newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. It was ...
'' reporter Robin Perry wrote that he was the only player to pull on a muscle whilst putting on his tracksuit. He was restricted to just three league starts in the 1974–75 campaign, as well as ten substitute appearances, and moved on to John Benson's
AFC Bournemouth AFC Bournemouth ( ) is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. ...
in March 1975 for a £7,000 fee.


AFC Bournemouth

Rudge played seven games for Bournemouth and could not prevent them from being relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of the 1974–75 campaign. He missed most of the 1975–76 season with a ruptured
Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...
, scoring twice in 14 appearances. His career ended at age 32 due to his Achilles injury. He operated a fruit and vegetable stall on
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
Market to supplement his income.


Coaching career

Following his retirement as a player, Rudge was made a
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
at former club Torquay United by Mike Green – a former teammate at both Carlisle and Bristol Rovers. In taking the position he rejected
player-manager A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...
offers at
non-League Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
clubs Weymouth and
Atherstone Atherstone is a market town and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. Located in the far north of the county, Atherstone is on the A5 national route, and is adjacent to the border with Leicestershire which ...
. He enjoyed the role but began to look for opportunities elsewhere after being moved away from the first-team and placed in charge of the School of Excellence. He interviewed at Kettering Town and
Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
, though was rejected by Kettering. He felt that Crewe did not have much potential. In January 1980, Rudge was appointed as a coach at Port Vale, after he was recommended to new manager John McGrath. Vale had long been a struggling lower league club, though McGrath had grand ambitions and wanted to bring in someone with coaching experience who possessed a deep knowledge of the Third and Fourth Divisions. He quickly became a "cushioning buffer" between the players and McGrath, who was "quite dictatorial with a cutting tongue". He would back McGrath in front of the squad whilst addressing the player's concerns to him in private. McGrath could also be an inspirational leader, giving Rudge insights into that aspect of man-management, as well as public relations and headline-grabbing stunts. Rudge was promoted to the position of assistant manager in December 1980. Vale were promoted out of the Fourth Division at the end of the 1982–83 season and had four players named on the
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
. Rudge and Jimmy Greenhoff took temporary charge of the team for fix games just after Christmas 1982 whilst McGrath was ill with a virus; the team won five of the six games, sustaining Vale's promotion push. Greenhoff was appointed as
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
manager in March 1983 and offered Rudge a role at
Spotland Spotland ( ) is a district of Rochdale in Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Derbyshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Cheshire to the south, and Merseysi ...
, which he declined.


Manager of Port Vale


Appointment and becoming established (1983–85)

Following the sacking of McGrath in December 1983, Rudge was made
caretaker manager In association footballing terms, a caretaker manager or interim manager is somebody who takes temporary charge of the management of a football team, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caret ...
at Port Vale. Under McGrath, the club had lost 13 of their opening 17 league games. The club had the third highest budget in the division, a weekly wage bill of three times that of the home gate receipts and were rooted to the foot of the table, nine points from their nearest competitors. Rudge stated that "we cannot change things overnight." However, player Tommy Gore noted "the players are in a more determined mood." Rudge signed left-sided midfielder Kevin Young on
loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...
, and switched Eamonn O'Keefe from midfield to the attack. Rudge lost his first two games in charge, but the team went on to win 21 points from 15 games, and he was given the job permanently on 9 March with a salary of £11,000-a-year. He was unable to prevent relegation at the end of the 1983–84 season, though the club did avoid finishing in last place. Though
Mark Bright Mark Abraham Bright (born 6 June 1962) is an English sports correspondent and former Association football, footballer. Born to a The Gambia, Gambian father and English mother, he was adopted into a foster family in Stoke-on-Trent at an early a ...
and
Robbie Earle Robert Fitzgerald Earle MBE (born 27 January 1965) is a former football player and current television commentator. Born in England, he represented Jamaica in international football. An attacking midfielder, he played 578 league games in senio ...
were signed to Vale before Rudge's appointment, he helped to bed them into the first team, making use of the many hours he had previously spent providing them with extra training sessions as a coach. Bright, though, refused to sign a new contract with the club and joined
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
for a tribunal set figure of £66,666. The 1984–85 campaign aimed to arrest the decline and consolidate in mid-table. Rudge achieved this aim, slashing the wage bill to offset the club's reduced income, guiding the Vale to a 12th-place finish. He had sold big striker Jim Steel for £10,000 in January 1984 and received a £17,500 fee for Eamonn O'Keefe in March 1985, which gave him money to invest in the playing squad. His first transfer signing was Oshor Williams for £7,000 from
Stockport County Stockport County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in EFL League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton ...
, who would become a key player after recovering from a cracked kneecap sustained early at the club. Two stand-out free transfer signings were full-back Alan Webb and attacker Alistair Brown; Webb went on to win the Port Vale Player of the Year award in 1985, whilst the veteran Brown proved to be an excellent midfield partner to young Earle.


From the Fourth to Second Divisions (1985–91)

In summer 1985, Rudge bought experienced centre-half
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
from
Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ...
for £12,000, whilst young striker Andy Jones was purchased for £3,000 from
Rhyl Rhyl (; , ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire in Wales. The town lies on the coast of North Wales, at the mouth of the River Clwyd. To the west is Kinmel Bay and Towyn, to the east Prestatyn, and to the south-east Rhuddlan ...
. Williams was sold on for a £18,000 profit within 18 months, whilst Jones would score 53 goals in his first two seasons at Vale Park. An 18-game unbeaten run from January to April helped to secure Vale the fourth promotion place at the end of the 1985–86 season, leaving them seven points clear of fifth-place
Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
. In addition to 18 goals from Jones, the team had a solid defence, and their tally of 19 clean sheets was beaten by only one other club in the entire Football League. At the end of the season, Rudge turned down the opportunity to become manager of
Preston North End Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
. Major signings for the start of the 1986–87 season were goalkeeper Mark Grew and central midfielder Ray Walker, both of whom featured heavily for the club in the coming years, as well as winger
Paul Smith Paul Smith is the name of: Music * Paul Smith (composer) (1906–1985), American film music composer * Paul Smith (pianist) (1922–2013), Los Angeles jazz pianist * Paul Smith (English singer) (born 1979), vocalist and songwriter of British in ...
. A tribunal set the fee for Walker from Aston Villa at £12,000, much to Villa chairman
Doug Ellis Sir Herbert Douglas Ellis, (3 January 1924 – 11 October 2018) was an English entrepreneur. He was the chairman of Aston Villa Football Club from 1968 to 1975, and again from 1982 until 2006. Ellis was knighted in the 2012 New Year Honours ...
's fury. However, the attached 50% sell-on clause dissuaded any motivation to sell him on, meaning that he would end up staying for 11 years and making 424 appearances for the club. Smith was purchased for £10,000 from Sheffield United and was sold for four times that figure to Lincoln City just over a year later. The club finished mid-table, twelve points above the relegation zone, whilst Jones scored 37 goals. The winter signing of veteran Bob Hazell helped to shore up Vale's defence as he formed an excellent partnership with Phil Sproson. At the end of the season, Bill Bell was made the club's chairman, who would have a tempestuous but ultimately successful relationship with Rudge – though Rudge usually had to work hard to persuade Bell to agree to invest in a new signing or even to provide free matchday tickets to club staff, whilst Bell would change the coaching staff on his own volition. Also,
Darren Beckford Darren Richard Lorenzo Beckford (born 12 May 1967) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. His younger brother Jason also played professional football. In 14 years as a professional footballer, he scored 96 goal ...
was signed from Manchester City for £15,000, with half of the funds coming from bucket collections from supporters. He would become the club's top scorer for the next four seasons. Rudge also gave a first-team debut to youth academy product Andy Porter, who would make over 400 appearances over the next 12 years; Rudge was so enamoured with Porter that he said "he was the only professional footballer I would have allowed a daughter of mine to marry". In 1987–88, Vale finished comfortably in mid-table after Rudge switched to a 4–3–3 formation that better suited the players available to him. The cash-flow problem was eased by the sale of Andy Jones to
Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Their home ground is ...
for £350,000. Rudge spent £35,000 for Simon Mills from
York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...
, who would be a firm fixture in the first-team for the next five seasons. The Jones money was also invested in midfielder
Darren Hughes Darren Colyn Hughes (born 3 April 1978) is a New Zealand former Member of Parliament between 2002 and 2011, first elected at the age of 24. He represented the Labour Party and was a Minister outside Cabinet in the Fifth Labour Government of Ne ...
(£5,000 from
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
) and winger Gary Ford (£35,000 from Leicester City). On 20 January 1988, the club achieved a 2–1 victory over top-flight
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
in the FA Cup which Rudge said "put us on the footballing map". Before the cup run there were rumours that the directors were considering sacking Rudge due to a poor run of results in the league. The cup run and the sale of Jones helped to put the club in the black financially for the first time in a long time, with the £175,000 prize money helping to sustain an overall profit of £410,000. The 1988–89 season was highly successful. Rudge signed a new two-year contract after Port Vale beat Bristol Rovers in the play-off final following a third-place finish in the league and victory over former boss John MGrath's Preston North End in the semi-finals. For the first time in thirty-two years, Vale were in the Second Division. A new club record was set in January 1989, as Rudge purchased defender Dean Glover from
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
for £200,000; the signing was a necessary short-term one to maintain the promotion push as both Hazell and Sproson was injured, though Glover would remain with the club for the next ten years. The next month he added
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
winger John Jeffers to the squad for £35,000, using the money he received from selling
Steve Harper Stephen Alan Harper (born 14 March 1975) is an English former professional footballer, and currently first team coach for Newcastle United and goalkeeping coach for the Northern Ireland national team. He is best known for his time playing at ...
to Preston North End. To boost the side for the oncoming 1989–90 season, defender
Neil Aspin Neil Aspin (born 12 April 1965) is an English association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player. A defender who could play at centre-back and right-back, he was a Marking (association football), marker an ...
was purchased from
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
for £150,000; Aspin would play over 400 games for Vale in the next ten years, mainly alongside Glover at centre-back. Another outlay of £125,000 was spent on striker Nicky Cross, who would play around 150 games over the next five years. Vale fans were not used to such purchases, but compared to other teams in the division, the money spent was quite modest. Now on a par with
Potteries derby In Football in England, English football, the Potteries derby is the List of sports rivalries, local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Stoke-on-Trent – Port Vale F.C., Port Vale and Stoke City F.C., Stoke City, first contested ...
rivals Stoke City, both league games ended as draws, though Stoke were relegated in last place to leave Vale in a higher division than their rivals for the first time since 1955–56. He made a few changes in preparation for the 1990–91 campaign, with Kevin Kent as the only major incoming transfer. Vale once again finished comfortably in mid-table. Non-scoring striker
Ronnie Jepson Ronald Francis Jepson (born 12 May 1963) is an English football manager, coach and former player. A striker, he scored 86 goals in 354 league games in an eleven-year professional career. He moved from Nantwich Town to Port Vale in 1989, tur ...
was sold to Preston North End for £80,000, which was reinvested in bringing Dutch midfielder Robin van der Laan to the club; over the next five years the Dutchman become a key player. In June 1992, Rudge again broke the club's transfer record, picking up striker Martin Foyle for £375,000 from
Oxford United Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...
; Foyle went on to score 108 goals in 296 games for the club. Rudge also brought in
Keith Houchen Keith Morton Houchen (born 25 July 1960) is an English former professional footballer and football manager. A forward, he scored 184 goals in 687 league and cup games. He started his professional career at Hartlepool United in February 1978, ...
from Hibernian for £100,000 and spent £300,000 on the versatile centre-half Peter Swan. The money for these acquisitions came from the sale of Robbie Earle to Wimbledon for £775,000 and Darren Beckford to
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
for £925,000.


Vale as a second-tier mainstay (1991–99)

In 1991–92, the club finished in last place, five points shy of safety. Vale were still a Second Division club due to the creation of the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, though they were now in the third tier. Vale had gone 18 games without a win in the campaign's second half after Ray Walker was sidelined for five months with ligament damage, Nico Jalink proving to be an inadequate replacement. Ian Taylor became another excellent signing, the replacement for Earle after he was purchased from non-League
Moor Green Moor Green is a historic home located near Brentsville, Prince William County, Virginia. It dates to the early-19th century, and is a two-story, five-bay, Federal style brick residence, with a one-room, two-story ell. It has a standing seam m ...
for £15,000 in May 1992. Another key arrival for the 1992–93 campaign was goalkeeper Paul Musselwhite, signed for a £17,500 fee from
Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was formed in ...
to take the place of the ageing Mark Grew, with Musselwhite going on to feature in over 360 games over the next eight years. Taylor would finish as top scorer on 19 goals, helping the team to 89 points and a third-place finish. Rudge managed his team at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
twice in 1993, winning the
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
2–1 over Stockport County, but losing the play-off final 3–0 to
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
. Vale also played their Potteries derby rivals five times, beating
Lou Macari Luigi Macari (born 7 June 1949) is a Scottish former footballer and manager. He began his playing career at Celtic where he was one of the Quality Street Gang, the outstanding reserve team that emerged in the late 1960s that also included Kenn ...
's Stoke in the Football League Trophy clash and the FA Cup tie after a replay, but losing both encounters in the league. Writing in his
autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
, he described the play-off final defeat as the lowest point of his career as the clubs "epic" season ended without the promotion they craved. In 1993–94 the club gained promotion in second place on 88 points whilst also beating Premier League side
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
in the FA Cup. This was achieved without star midfielder Ray Walker, who was forced to sit out the entire campaign with a cruciate ligament injury. The hangover of the play-off final had continued up until mid-September, at which point they won eight games out of ten to climb to the top of the table. Six wins from eight league games also won Rudge the Second Division Manager of the Month award for April. At the end of the season, Ian Taylor was sold to
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...
, becoming the club's first million-pound sale. Rudge was also approached to manage Stoke City but declined chairman
Peter Coates Peter Coates (born 13 January 1938) is an English businessman, the co-founder of bet365, and director of Stoke City Football Club, of which he is former chairman. He has been listed as the 25th-richest person in British football. He founded St ...
's offer. Rudge was though very unhappy with Bell for refusing to pay him a promotion bonus that had been verbally agreed, and strongly considered accepting Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond's offer to manage his club with a 25% salary increase until a gathering of hundreds of Vale fans outside the stadium convinced him to stay put. The club consolidated their First Division status in 1994–95, finishing ten points above the relegation zone. The money from Taylor's sale was reinvested into the playing squad, with £225,000 going to Newcastle United for
Steve Guppy Stephen Andrew Guppy (born 29 March 1969) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who now coaches at Nashville SC. A winger, he started his senior career with Wycombe Wanderers in 1989; over five years, he made aro ...
, and a £150,000 fee was paid to bring striker Tony Naylor in from nearby Crewe Alexandra. Both men would prove to be good buys, Naylor being a three-time top scorer. At the end of the season, Van der Laan was sold to
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
for £475,000 plus Lee Mills (Mills would go on to win the club's Player of the Year award in 1998). Of this sum, £450,000 was reinvested in York City midfielder Jon McCarthy and another £50,000 was spent on midfielder
Ian Bogie Ian Bogie (born 6 December 1967) is a former professional footballer, and former manager of Gateshead and Stockport County. He spent two decades as a professional player; from 1985 until 2001, he played in the English Football League, where he ...
. In 1995–96, Vale finished 12th in the First Division and beat Stoke City 1–0 in both league encounters thanks to goals from Bogie. The club achieved another giant slaying by beating Everton 2–1 in an FA Cup fourth-round replay. Rudge also led Vale to the final of the
Anglo-Italian Cup The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition. The competition was ...
, where they lost 5–2 to
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
,
Gennaro Ruotolo Gennaro Ruotolo (, ; born 20 March 1967) is an Italian former Association football, footballer and manager who played as a midfielder. Career Playing career Ruotolo started his career with Sorrento Calcio, Sorrento in 1984, but is best known fo ...
scoring a hat-trick. In 1996–97, the club finished in eighth place, their best league finish since
1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
. In February, he sold Guppy to
Martin O'Neill Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who played as a midfielder. After a brief early career in the Irish Leag ...
's Leicester City for £950,000.
Gareth Ainsworth Gareth Ainsworth (born 10 May 1973) is an English professional former player and football manager who is the manager of club Gillingham. A former youth player at Blackburn Rovers, the midfielder, who was known for his crossing ability, moved ...
was purchased for a club record £500,000 from Lincoln City at the start of the 1997–98 season. This was paid for by the sale of McCarthy to
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
for £1.5 million. Vale finished a disappointing 19th, a mere point away from the drop after winning 4–0 at Huddersfield Town on the final day to ensure that both Manchester City and Stoke City joined
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
in being relegated. Stoke City chairman Peter Coates again offered the vacant manager's position to Rudge, who accepted and signed a contract, only to change his mind and stay at Vale Park. At the start of the 1998–99 season, Ainsworth was sold to
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...
for £2 million, breaking another club transfer record. Ainsworth's sale was authorised by the club's board without Rudge's knowledge or blessing as he was out of the country scouting in Sweden. Mills was also sold to
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The club competes in , the third tier of English football, and is managed by Graham Alexander. The club was founded in 1903 and ...
for £1 million, with the player unable to leave for free as he had signed a contract extension with the Vale only hours before the
bosman ruling ''Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman'' (1995) C-415/93 (known as the Bosman ruling) is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of associati ...
came into law. As well as an increased number of big money sales, key players such as Naylor, Foyle, Aspin, Glover and Walker were coming towards the end of their careers, with the latter having already departed for the local non-League scene. Bell and Rudge frequently clashed over the club's spending priorities, with the chairman wanting to improve further the stadium and the manager demanding funds to improve the playing squad. In the summer of 1998, Rudge was permitted to spend £300,000 on forward Peter Beadle and £100,000 on defender Michael Walsh, whilst having to make do with free transfers to make up the rest of his squad. Bell sacked Rudge on 18 January 1999, two days after a 1–0 home defeat to Swindon Town that left the Vale 23rd in the table. This caused outrage amongst Port Vale fans, who held a "
flat cap A flat cap is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim in front, originating in Northern England. The hat is also known in Ireland as a paddy cap; in Scotland as a bunnet; in Wales as a Dai cap; and in the United States as an English cap or Irish ...
protest" (Rudge's headwear of choice) to display their disgust at Bell's decision. Rudge had to take the club to an employment tribunal as Bell refused to pay the amount stipulated in his contract. Following the dismissal, Sir
Alex Ferguson Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former professional football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as the greatest manager of all time and ...
said: "Every Port Vale supporter should get down on their knees and thank The Lord for John Rudge." One last signing from the Rudge era was
Marcus Bent Marcus Nathan Bent (born 19 May 1978) is an English retired professional footballer. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker played 573 games and scored 113 goals for 14 different clubs. His numerous transfer fees total ...
, who arrived for £300,000 from
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
just days before Rudge's sacking. However, new manager
Brian Horton Brian "Nobby" Horton (born 4 February 1949) is an English former footballer and manager. He spent 16 years as a professional player and 22 years as a manager, making 689 appearances and managing 1,098 matches. In addition to this, he spent four ...
let Bent go to Sheffield United for £375,000; United would sell Bent to
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second level of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...
for £2 million just 13 months later. Another star of the late Rudge era was Anthony Gardner. Gardner was retained by Vale and was sold to Spurs for £855,000 in January 2000.


Director of football at Stoke City

Rudge was appointed as
director of football A sporting director, or director of sport, is an senior management, executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many typ ...
at Stoke City in 1999, working alongside manager
Gary Megson Gary John Megson (born 2 May 1959) is an English former football player and manager. He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and ...
, after turning down the same role at Port Vale. One of his early signing successes was goalkeeper Ben Foster, who had been scouted by Colin Dobson; Foster was bought from Racing Club Warwick for £15,000 and sold to Manchester United for £1 million four years later. Rudge retained his position after the club were taken over by Gunnar Gíslason's Icelandic consortium because newly appointed manager
Guðjón Þórðarson Guðjón Þórðarson (; born 14 September 1955), known in the United Kingdom as Gudjon Thordarson, is an Icelandic football manager and former player. He has previously been manager of Iceland, Icelandic clubs ÍA, KA, KR, Keflavík, BÍ/Bo ...
wanted him and coach
Nigel Pearson Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an English association football, football coach (sport), manager and former professional player. He last managed EFL Championship, Championship club Bristol City F.C., Bristol City. During his playi ...
to provide knowledge of the English leagues. Another Rudge signing was future
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
international striker Chris Iwelumo, as well as the majority of the British signings of the Icelandic era, such as fellow Scotsman Peter Handyside; he also dabbled in the Dutch market, signing
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
international
Peter Hoekstra Cornelis Piet Hoekstra (; born October 30, 1953) is a Dutch-American politician who is serving as List of ambassadors of the United States to Canada, Ambassador to Canada. Hoekstra had served as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands fr ...
, whilst
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
international Syarhey Shtanyuk arrived from Belgium. Rudge was offered the post of manager at former club Bristol Rovers in February 2001, but declined. Stoke won the 2000 Football League Trophy final and 2002 Second Division play-off final. Guðjón was sacked despite promotion, and his replacement in
Steve Cotterill Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English coach and former player who is currently the manager of National League side Forest Green Rovers. Cotterill, a striker, had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albio ...
quit after four months. The board gave Rudge the task of convincing
George Burley George Elder Burley (born 3 June 1956) is a Scottish former football player and manager. He had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player, making 628 league appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps. His most successful spell came whi ...
to take charge, a task in which he failed after Burley changed his mind the day before his scheduled unveiling. Rudge suggested
Tony Pulis Anthony Richard Pulis (; born 16 January 1958) is a Welsh former professional football manager and former footballer who last managed Sheffield Wednesday. Pulis obtained his FA coaching badge at age 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 2 ...
, and Pulis was given the job instead, who in turn told Rudge which players to sign rather than allow Rudge to take the recruitment lead. However, problems occurred at the boardroom level, leading to one embarrassing moment where
Ade Akinbiyi Adeola Oluwatoyin Akinbiyi (born 10 October 1974) is a football coach and former professional footballer. As a player he was a forward who notably played in the Premier League for Norwich City, Leicester City and Sheffield United, as well as ...
refused to leave Rudge's office all day in protest that a promised contract was not forthcoming; Gíslason refused to sanction Akinbiyi's new contract and the player was eventually sold on to
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
. Gíslason sacked Pulis for not recruiting a sufficient amount of Icelandic players and hired Dutchman Johan Boskamp to take charge. On 2 November 2005, he had a public fall-out with Boskamp at
Highfield Road Highfield Road was a football stadium in the city of Coventry, England. It was the home ground for Coventry City for 106 years. History It was built in 1899 in the Hillfields district, close to the city centre, and staged its final game on 30 ...
. Rudge went down to the dug-out during a 2–1 win over
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Coventry, West Midlands. The club plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club is nicknamed The Sky Blues after the sky blue colou ...
to give some advice to Boskamp. The Dutchman took offence to this and said to the board, 'Either he goes, or I go', believing that Rudge had overstepped the mark. Rudge maintained, though, that Boskamp used the incident as a ploy in an attempt to be paid off by Stoke as the Dutchman could not handle the pressure of the English game, revealing that he had talked Boskamp out of quitting during the pre-season. Rudge and his assistant Jan de Koning were twice suspended by Stoke, after disagreements with Boskamp. Rudge was reinstated in his role following Boskamp's departure and the return of former chairman Peter Coates and former manager Tony Pulis. Stoke City's promotion out of the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
in 2007–08 meant that he would be at a top-flight club for the first time after 49 years in the game. As the club's administrative, coaching and management staff grew in number during the club's time in the Premier League, Rudge's influence on the first-team lessened. He focussed more of his time on recruiting players identified by the manager – often travelling all across the globe. Stoke reached the 2011 FA Cup final and competed in the
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
. However, Rudge found himself having to act as a buffer between manager Tony Pulis and chief executive Tony Scholes. Rudge left Stoke City at the end of the 2012–13 season in a 'major shake-up' of the club's
scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...
ing network, ending 14 years at the club at the age of 68; Pulis and many of his backroom team also left the club at this time. After leaving Stoke, Rudge then spent the next four years scouting for Hull City.


Return to Port Vale

On 4 October 2017, he returned to Port Vale in an advisory role to assist his former defender Neil Aspin, who had just been appointed manager. He was appointed as club president on 10 August 2019. He was inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Sporting Hall of Fame. At statue of Rudge was unveiled at Vale Park for his 80th birthday in October 2024.


Managerial style

Rudge had an attacking philosophy based on a one-and-two-touch style and preferred to play a 4–4–2 formation. Though he got his teams to play attractive football, he was meticulous and rather cautious. He thoroughly researched opposition players and informed his players on weaknesses to exploit and strengths to watch out for. He was reluctant to use substitutions unless a player was injured as he believed the
first XI The First XI (or, less commonly, First 11) are the eleven primary players in an organisation's leading team, particularly a football or cricket team. A player who is considered a core part of the starting line-up in a First XI team is often the ...
he had selected could get the job done over the ninety minutes. He tended not to lose his temper after a bad performance, and instead Robbie Earle said that he had the "ability to make you feel guilty about playing badly". He had the knack of spotting talented players, signing them cheaply, and then selling them to bigger clubs for a large profit. In addition to being an excellent judge of talent, he had to be a skilled negotiator. He spent most of his free time scouting players, saying that "I would pride myself in knowing almost every player in the Football League down to the colour of his eyes". In all he made a profit for Port Vale of almost £5 million in the
transfer market The transfer market is the arena in which football players are available for transfer to clubs. The transfer market consists of a list of players available for transfer, and also the money moving between clubs as they contest to purchase and sell ...
. However, Port Vale's budget meant that he always worked with only a skeleton staff of one first-team coach, one youth team coach and one part-time physiotherapist, meaning that he "would be cast in the role of chief cook and bottle washer, gaffer, chief coach, chief scout, press officer, psychologist, psychiatrist and chief negotiator of all manner of things".


Career statistics


Playing statistics


Managerial statistics


Honours


As a player

Bristol Rovers *
Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 Football League, 1920–21 and again from 1958–59 Football League, 1958 until 1991–92 Football League, 1992. When the FA Premier League ...
second-place promotion: 1973–74


As a manager

Port Vale *
Football League Fourth Division The Football League Fourth Division was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season. Following the creation of the Premier ...
fourth-place promotion: 1985–86 *
Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the third tier of the English football league system in 1920–21 Football League, 1920–21 and again from 1958–59 Football League, 1958 until 1991–92 Football League, 1992. When the FA Premier League ...
play-offs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
:
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
*
Football League Trophy The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
:
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
*
Football League Second Division The Football League Second Division was the second level division in the English football league system between 1892 and 1992. Following the foundation of the FA Premier League, the Football League divisions were renumbered and the third tier ...
second-place promotion: 1993–94 *
Anglo-Italian Cup The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition. The competition was ...
runner-up:
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
Individual * Football League Fourth Division Manager of the Month: February 1985, April 1986 * Football League Third Division Manager of the Month: November 1988 * Football League Second Division Manager of the Month: April 1994 *
EFL Awards The EFL Awards is an annual awards ceremony commemorating association football players, clubs and associated individuals involved in the three divisions of the English Football League (EFL). The event was established in 2006 and is usually hel ...
Contribution to League football: 2021


References

;General * * ;Specific {{DEFAULTSORT:Rudge, John 1944 births Living people Footballers from Wolverhampton Men's association football forwards English men's footballers Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players Carlisle United F.C. players Torquay United F.C. players Bristol Rovers F.C. players AFC Bournemouth players English Football League players English football managers Port Vale F.C. managers English Football League managers English football coaches English football scouts Association football technical directors Torquay United F.C. non-playing staff Port Vale F.C. non-playing staff Stoke City F.C. non-playing staff Hull City A.F.C. non-playing staff English autobiographers