Rudd: John Joseph (Jimmy)

1949-1949 (Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: Dublin, Republic of Ireland: 25-10-1919

Debut v Bury (h): 12-02-1949

5’6” 10st 0lb (1949)

Rudd played for the Dublin side Fearons Athletic in the Leinster League, and then Terenure Athletic, another Dublin club from whom he joined Manchester City in January 1938. After one game for City he was picked for Ireland against England at the age of eighteen, but City refused to release him, saying he was not ready for International Football. During the war, had had a few games for Manchester City, scoring three times in six games in 1939-40 and then playing four games in 1940-41, two in 1941-42 and two in 1944-45, without scoring. When he was stationed in North Yorkshire with the Durham Light Infantry, he guested for York City in the 1941-42 season scoring in his only game. Towards the end of the War he was in the Balkans and Italy and there became part of the British Services XI which contained Andy Beattie (Preston), Stan Cullis (Wolverhampton), Tom Finney (Preston), Bryn Jones (Arsenal), George Wilkins (Brentford) (father of Butch Wilkins and future Leeds player) and other known players. He also had three guest appearances for Accrington Stanley in the 1944-45 season and scored once. He made his Manchester City Second Division debut on 23rd November 1946, when regular Outside-Left George Smith moved to inside left to replace Andy Black, who was also one of several players that made positional switches due to injuries for the game at Nottingham Forest and it was Smith that got the only goal of the game. Rudd maintained his spot for the 1-1 home draw with Southampton a week later. However, in the following game Eric Westwood was brought in on the left wing and Rudd's chance had gone. he was not the solution to City's Outside-Left problem, which they solved by buying Welsh International Roy Clarke from Cardiff City in May 1947, but by then Rudd had been released and had moved onto York City in March 1947. After scoring twenty-three goals in eighty-three League appearances, on 10th February 1949, he was part of an exchange deal involving Tom Hindle and became a Leeds player. He immediately went into the Leeds team taking over from Billy Heaton and held the left-wing spot for the rest of the season. In the close season United signed two footed Welsh International Winger Harold Williams from Newport County and Rudd held on to his left wing spot for the first few games of the season, as Davie Cochrane was injured. As soon as the Irish International returned Williams switched to the left wing and Rudd had played his last game for United. He therefore took the chance to move to Rotherham United in October 1949. For Rotherham he once scored two goals direct from corners against Wrexham in August 1950 and was almost an ever-present member of their 1950-51 Third Division North Championship side. There can hardly have been a more skilful player on Rotherham United’s books than Rudd, who was an out and out left winger. His crossing ability was second to none, as was his ball control, and he was a more than useful acquisition in his first season. However it was his second season that he really made his mark as he played a major role in helping the team to win the Third Division North title. He missed just four games and netted four times including the aforementioned two in a 5-0 win over Wrexham on 26th August 1950. But it was as a provider that he was best remembered and his skill in crossing the ball on to Jack Shaw’s head was uncanny. He provided many of the crosses for Shaw’s forty-six goals. After scoring eleven goals in seventy-five League matches he joined Scunthorpe United in October1951, where he scored four goals in thirty-two League games. He moved to Workington in September 1952, scoring once in seventeen League games before going into Non-League football with Northwich Victoria in June 1953 and susequently played with Stafford Rangers. Later he was a match-day steward at Maine Road. After ending his playing days he worked for Kellogs as a cooker operator and was a TFWU general secretary for twenty-one years, then a kitchen porter at Manchester Royal Infirmary. He died of cancer on 13th December 1985 aged sixty-six. His nephew, Billy Rudd, played for Birmingham City, York City, Grimsby Town, Rochdale and Bury between 1959 and 1976.