John Tudor – SkyBlueArchive

Position

Forward

Nationality

Place Of Birth

Ilkeston

Date Of Birth

June 25, 1946

Date Of Death

February 10, 2025 (78)

Games Played

Per Game

Games Started

0.9

Per Game

Minutes

6440

83.6

Per Game

Goals

0.2

Per Game

Assists

0.1

Per Game

John was playing for his local team Ilkeston Town in the Midland League and his manager Jim Raynor recommended him to City in late 1965. City took him on a month’s loan. He made a big impression scoring twelve goals in five ‘A’ team games, including six in one game and soon got a call-up for the reserves. A professional contract was forthcoming and within a month of the start of the 1966-67 season he made his first team debut in a 3-0 home win over Bury. John, playing as a double striker with Bobby Gould, didn’t score but impressed with his strong heading ability.

He kept his place in a run of nine games that autumn and after scoring in his second game, at Preston, he netted a further four goals. He made a further seven appearances in the promotion season including deputising for the injured leading scorer Gould in the final three games. Gould was injured in the game at Cardiff and John was thrown into the biggest game in the club’s history against Wolves in front of a record crowd of 51,452. City won 3-1 and although John wasn’t on the score-sheet he constantly caused the Wolves defence trouble with his aerial ability.

One of his most memorable games came in City’s second game in the top flight. An already tough game away to Nottingham Forest was made even harder when captain George Curtis was carried off after just four minutes with a broken leg. Tudor moved back to centre-half and substitute Gould came on to score two goals as City earned an amazing 3-3 draw. In November 1968 he lost his place to Tony Hateley and joined Second Division Sheffield United.

At Bramall Lane he quickly regained his scoring touch and stayed for two years but really made his name after moving to First Division Newcastle in 1971 and playing alongside the legendary Malcolm Macdonald. In five years at St James’ Park he scored 53 goals in 164 games including six against the Sky Blues and became something of a legend himself. The highlight of his Tyneside career was the 1974 FA Cup run, which saw Newcastle reach the final only to lose 0-3 to Liverpool.

He left Newcastle in 1976 and had brief spells with First Division Stoke City and Belgian club KAA Ghent before being forced to retire through a knee injury in 1978. He returned to the North East and ran a pub in Bedlington, becoming North Shields player/coach for a while as well as assisting Gateshead. Later he returned to his native Derbyshire and ran at pub at Ilkeston.

Since 1994 he has lived in Minnesota in the USA and been Director of Coaching for Tonka United Soccer Association. This is a non-profit making organisation which “fosters the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of youth” in the Minnetonka [a large suburb of Minneapolis] area through soccer.

Own goals (1)
1968-69
9 October 1968 v West Bromwich Albion A

Football League First Division (England)

1968-1969

1257′

1 (0)

1967-1968

3094′

4 (0)

4351′

5 (0)

League Cup (England)

1968-1969

347′

2 (0)

1966-1967

90′

437′

2 (0)

FA Cup (England)

1967-1968

270′

0 (0)

Football League Second Division (England)

1966-1967

1382′

8 (0)

1382′

8 (0)

Totals:

6440′

15 (0)