Hudspeth: Fred C.

1917-1917 (Leeds City War-time Guest Player Details)

Right Back

Born: :

Debut: v Huddersfield Town (a): 09-04-1917

5' 9", 12st. 1lb (1928)

Fred Hudspeth was a guest who played at Right Back in the home fixture with Huddersfield Town in the Subsidiary Competition on the 9th April 1917. Nothing is known of the player, other than he was on the books of Newcastle United. It is though that he might have been the younger brother of Newcastle United stalwart Frank (Francis Carr) Hudspeth or indeed it may have been Frank Hudspeth. It proved to be his only appearance for Leeds City.

Francis (Frank) Carr Hudspeth was born 20th April 1890 in Percy Main, North Shields, Northumberland. He was 5’7” tall and Weighed 11st 7lb and his usual position was Left Back. The first club that played for was Scotswood in 1906. they were quickly followed by Newburn in 1907, Clara Vale in 1908 and finally North Shields Athletic in 1909. He then joined Newcastle United in March 1910. His debut came on 3rd December 1910 in a 6-1 home win over Bradford City. His final game on 29th September 1928 in a 0-5 away defeat by Manchester United. Inbetween, he played for nineteen years at Gallowgate, although Newcastle United did not play during the war years which lasted four seasons, in which time he served in the Royal Navy. He was, with Billy McCracken, the joint longest serving player in the club’s history. A popular player with the fans, he earned the nickname ‘Old Surefoot’ because of his reliability. He was Club Captain from 1923 to 1926 including receiving the F.A. Cup after beating Aston Villa 2-0 in 1924, but became Vice-Captain when Hughie Gallagher arrived at the club. He was an ever-present member of the Newcastle United team that won the Football League Championship in 1926-27. He made four hundred and thirty League appearances and scored thirty-four goals, of which thirty-one came from the penalty spot. He also played forty-two times in the F.A. Cup scoring three times, all from the penalty spot. He was capped once by England, on 24th October 1925 in the 0-0 draw with Northern Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast. He was Thirty-five and a half and became one of the oldest debutants for England. He did also play for England in the Victory International when England defeated Wales 2-0 at the Victoria Grounds Stoke on 19th October 1919. He was second only to Jimmy Lawrence, who had four hundred and ninety-six appearances, in the most appearances by a Newcastle United player. However he lost his place in January 1928 and only played in a handful more matches before he moved to Third Division North club Stockport County in January 1929. There he played fourteen games for The Hatters in 1929, scoring twice, one being from the penalty spot, then he joined Northern League Amateurs Crook Town in 1930 before his eventual retirement. Hudspeth was later a trainer at Rochdale from July 1933 before joining the coaching staff at Burnley in August 1934, remaining there until 1945. Frank sadly passed away at the age of seventy-two in February 1963.