' One of the greatest '

September 2nd 2014

by Steve Tucker

' One of 'greatest' skippers '

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His last action for the Bluebirds was to comically slice the ball into his own net at Wolves, consigning his side to defeat, but the five years that preceded that moment was the stuff of legend for Mark Hudson at Cardiff City.

As the defender moves to Huddersfield, he leaves behind him a legacy in the Welsh capital that will ensure his own chapter in the club’s folklore.

No-nonsense centre-half, captain fantastic, poacher of the odd important goal (and one spectacular one, too), ambassador off the pitch, gentleman, top professional – they all fit the 32-year-old, but perhaps when his name is mentioned we will recall the man who finally, after more than half-a-century, led the Bluebirds to the top flight.

He was the man who lifted the famous Championship trophy, who suffered heartbreak and disappointment as keenly as any supporter before enjoying that moment of piercing unbridled joy that can never, ever be forgotten. There is Fred Keenor, of course, but in the modern history of Cardiff City Football Club, Hudson is perhaps the greatest Bluebirds skipper.

They simply don’t make them like Mark Alexander Hudson anymore. In a world where you can bite an opponent and secure a big-money move to one of the world’s top clubs or make an idiot of yourself in a night club and still have people fawn over you, ‘Huds’ remains resolutely old-fashioned, a family man, a man who represented the Bluebirds in a more professional and humble fashion than perhaps any other.


Hudson regularly did his bit in the community like taking healthy lifestyle activity class at Lansdowne Primary School, Cardiff.

His rapport and respect for the Cardiff fans was absolute. Nothing was too much trouble. Sometimes I would wait for him at the club to try to grab an interview. I would have to wait a good half-an-hour, though, as he stopped to sign everything thrust at him and posed for innumerable photos with fans, each one a special moment, as little children (and not so little children!) got to meet their hero. Invariably, after all that, Hudson would stop to give that interview too. Even if the Bluebirds had lost.

His farewell tweet to Cardiff supporters perhaps sums up the man in appropriate fashion: ‘Thank you to all the fans @CardiffCityFC and players. Proud to have been your captain the last 5 yrs. Shame the way it ended #BLUEbirds’


As polite as ever, unnecessarily apologetic for that silly mistake at Wolves and, for a man adept at defusing controversy, just a little dig at the club’s red home shirts via that cheeky hashtag.

It was obvious from the very start that Hudson was going to play a significant role for the Bluebirds. Former boss Dave Jones paid a little more than £1m for the centre-half from Charlton in July 2009. It may not seem much now, especially as Gabon international Bruno Manga arrives for a fee in excess of £5m, but it seemed a lot back then, particularly for a defender.

Typically, Jones didn’t mess about, the former Crystal Palace man, who began his career at Fulham, was installed as skipper and presided over a 4-0 demolition of Scunthorpe in the Championship on his debut in the Welsh capital in August 2009. What was to follow over 165 appearances for Cardiff were a series of performances that, let’s be honest, were often to divide supporters.

Particularly early on, Hudson’s no thrills, ‘meat and potatoes’ approach to life in the heart of defence alienated some fans more used at that point to the dainty charms of the likes of Roger Johnson and Glenn Loovens.

Slowly, but surely though, Hudson began to win over his detractors. We know the ‘heart on the sleeve’ approach, the passion over finesse style has always won hearts and minds in the Welsh capital. Hudson had that in spades. In practical terms, his lack of silky skills began to feel secondary to his bravery and his reading of the game.

Fighting spirit

For Hudson is a clever player too. How do you explain a centre-half in the maelstrom of the Championship who was never sent off for the Bluebirds? Indeed, a man only sent off twice so far in his whole career – and one of those for Charlton against Cardiff in October 2008.

Current Bluebirds boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now blessed with a very well-stocked centre-half department. There are new boys Manga and Sean Morrison, Juan Cala has remained, Matt Connolly has shone at the start of this campaign, old favourite Danny Gabbidon has returned and Ben Turner is still to come back from injury. It is almost like Hudson will not be missed.

Oh, but he will. A little of the guts and drive that Cardiff fans have always respected has gone with him. A little of the fighting spirit that has always ignited the stands in the Welsh capital is gone.

We are, after all, talking about the man who finally helped deliver the dream, the player actually named the best of the best as Premier League promotion was finally won. Hudson’s departure sees the closing of a door, the ending of a moment, the extinguishing of a most wonderful moment in Bluebirds’ history.

A true City legend and I wish him and his family all the very best. Good luck Huds and thanks for the memories.

Great article. Well done Steve Tucker !

Says it all. Good luck Huds. You leave loads of good memories .

A great article by Steve Tucker. It's all in there.

Good article and great captain.
Good luck Hudson

Good article probably one of the better ones he's wrote

Time for Huds to get his coaching badges done and come back one day.

Good luck Huds at Hudds.

I put Hudson on the same parallel as Jurgan Klinsman. The German came to our island with a bad reputation for diving but left our shores as a true professional. He turned the people from against him to being a favourite.

Likewise Hudson did the same but in different circumstances. He did not arrive with any bad luggage but certainly started to show a lot on the pitch with some really bad mistakes. The worse one for me was at Sheffield Utd where he ducked out of a clear header leading to a Blades goal. His first season was not his best and I recall a friend of mine who must have had the only shirt with Hudsons name on the back. The amount of stick he got was quite funny.

Anyway during this time Hudson never reacted and took the stick very well. He started to win the crowd over with some captain marvel performances. I always thought the Leicester play off away game being his best. By the time we got to the premier he was everyones captain overcoming the competition from the likes of Ledley, Bellamy and McNaughton. It was a shame he could not lead the team in the premier. Perhaps a couple of seasons too late for him.

A true professional the best we had.

Thanks OP!

A well thought out tribute to a true pro.

Usually hate most of Tuckers articles & his silly attempt at humour but credit to this piece. It's well thought out & well written. A good tribute to a player I love.
You look at Caulkers behaviour off the pitch being thrown out of pubs, jumping on cars etc. & then look at Mark Hudson's professionalism. I know who I'd rather have as my captain.

Wish him well, he was a good captain and a good player.

Personally wouldnt call him a legend or one of the greatest though.

Here! Here!

Captain Hudson was an intelligent footballer at the City, who compensated for his lack of pace with great anticipation and massive determination. He also scored a decent number of goals - everyone raves about the glory goal v Derby, but the one he scored in injury time against Huddersfield first home game of the promotion season, that for me was one of his defining moments.

Didn't know him but he came across a gent, and a bloke who put everything into his game. I always felt the City were better organised for having him on the pitch. He had a dodgy start, though the stick he got was outrageous at times.

Hope he does well at Huddersfield.

Thanks for everything you did for us Bluebirds Mark.