 Statue of John Rudge at Vale Park (2024) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Robert Rudge[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 October 1944[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Wolverhampton, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1959–1961 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1961–1966 | Huddersfield Town | 5 | (0) |
| 1966–1969 | Carlisle United | 50 | (16) |
| 1969–1972 | Torquay United | 96 | (34) |
| 1972–1975 | Bristol Rovers | 70 | (17) |
| 1975–1977 | AFC Bournemouth | 21 | (2) |
| Total | 242 | (69) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1983–1999 | Port Vale | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Robert Rudge (born 21 October 1944) is an English former professional football player and manager who is the president of EFL League Two club Port Vale.
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. 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. He helped the club to win promotion out of the Third Division in 1973–74 before departing for AFC Bournemouth 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.
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 and 1993–94; he also led them to the Anglo-Italian Cup final in 1996, and victory in the Football League Trophy final in 1993. However, he was sacked in January 1999 and was subsequently appointed director of football at their rivals, 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. At statue of Rudge was unveiled at Vale Park in October 2024.