Some words from Captain Hudson - at the time Bellamy signed!
Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:23 pm
Another good read if you've got the time for it.
This was words from an interview with our captain this time last year.
CLUB CAPTAIN Mark Hudson believes that, together with Craig Bellamy, he can lead the Bluebirds to the promised land of the Premier League.
“It’s all geared up exactly for that (promotion to the Premiership),” said Hudson speaking exclusively to Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust. “It’s the ambition of all the players, the staff and the Chairman. That is where this club needs to be.”
Arriving at the Cardiff City Stadium for its debut 2009-10 season, Hudson was instantly installed as club captain, due to Joe Ledley’s protracted contract negotiations.
“It’s obviously difficult when you come into any club and are suddenly given the captaincy, you’re automatically looked at like: ‘who is he?’ But Joe took it really well,” said Mark.
Charged with the responsibility of leading the club into a new era and with it Premier League football, Hudson’s first season ended in disappointment, leading the Bluebirds out at Wembley only to come away defeated.
“To do that was a great achievement, although ultimately disappointing on the day, so that took a bit of gloss off it,” admitted Mark. “Getting as close as you can to the Premiership, 90 minutes away, and then to not get anything was absolutely gutting.”
After taking the captaincy off one local lad Hudson has since conceded it to another. Following the fateful Play-off Final Fairwater born Ledley has departed to pastures new; meanwhile Trowbridge bred Bellamy has barnstormed his way into the Championship, scoring a debut goal during his home-coming to Doncaster and in the process relinquishing Hudson of the armband.
“I think it’s sometimes good for you because it gives you that drive to get it back or try harder. Joe did that and I’ll try to do the same,” said Mark. “I’ll always be a leader, whether I’ve got the armband or not.
“I love being captain, but if it means that a player like Craig can come in and help us get to where we need to be then obviously I’m going to agree with it.”
Born in Guildford, Surrey, Hudson, 29, has spent most of his career in London and unlike the home-coming Bellamy – this is Mark’s first real move away.
“Having been with three London clubs previously I’ve always been around that area,” said Mark. “I like to think I’m quite a family orientated guy and I‘ve always enjoyed being around my family. This is my first real move away from them, but it’s been made easy because everyone here has made me feel really welcome.
“Life is a lot more laid back in Wales – in London it’s hectic. I prefer it here, people take time out to speak to you and actually make an effort whereas in London they don’t even look at you, people go about their own jobs and just get on with it – but Cardiff is much more social.
“It’s really family orientated, all the lads’ wives and girlfriends are always making an effort and getting together. Once your home life is settled it gives you that chance to concentrate and enjoy your football. It’s been perfect - I got on with all the lads straight away.”
For someone of such physical stature, standing at 6ft 2in, with a professionalism to match, Hudson surprisingly doesn’t follow in any sporting family footsteps: “I had a really normal upbringing, but I got taken to the football at a young age and I started playing football at six and it just went from there.
“I began at Aldershot School of Excellence and then moved to Swindon School of Excellence. Swindon played Fulham and following that game I joined Fulham, I was there from the age of 13 to 15. I wasn’t enjoying it though so I took a year out of football and just played locally with my mates. After a year I went back to Fulham because they said they wanted me back and I was there until YTS (Youth Training Scheme). But I was never offered a YTS.”
Despite the set-back Hudson instead knuckled down in his local college, enrolling to study PE and Geography, but four months later he received a call from Fulham, at the time managed by Kevin Keegan.
“They said they made an error and wanted to keep me on but allowed me to continue my college course, which was good because some footballers don’t get that opportunity,” explains Mark. “But then my onus was on football and on my 17th birthday I signed a professional contract with Fulham.
“I saw a lot of managers come and go at Fulham. When I started we were league two and Keegan was who I signed my first contract with. They have come from nothing really; the Cottage was just a little cottage with hardly any stands. I witnessed the whole transition, once (Mohamed) Al-Fayed took over things started going from strength to strength.
“Chris Coleman was manager when I started making inroads onto the first-team. He said it would be good for me to go out on loan to gain experience so I went up to Oldham. It was great; I really enjoyed my time. Iain Dowie was in charge and I had a good three months up there. He left Oldham to get the Crystal Palace job and that’s how I ended up at Palace – which was obviously a good move for me at the time.
“When I first joined Palace it was on another loan move from Fulham. Palace went up via the play-offs that season against West Ham. I left three games before that though, so that was disappointing, but I got invited to go to the Playoff Final as a guest in the Millennium Stadium, so I felt part of everything - it was great to see and an amazing experience.
“My contract at Fulham was running out that summer, they wanted to keep me on so I signed an extension, but once you get that taste of first-team football you just want more - so when Palace got promoted to the Premier League they came into sign me and I saw it as an ideal chance to go and cement myself in their team.
“I played about ten games in the Premiership, against the likes of Drogba, Saha, Anelka – it was a great experience. I also scored against my team - Everton, it was our first home game and I scored the first goal. My Step-dad is from Merseyside and all my family came down to watch. They had put bets on me to score at anytime so that was great that I managed to pop up and score, but we ended up getting beaten 3-1 which was disappointing.”
Despite Palace suffering relegation that season Hudson had enjoyed his first taste of Premiership football – and was hungry for more.
“I had been at Palace for four years and my contract was starting to run out, Neil Warnock was in charge and we had a good year but I heard there were a few clubs interested in me, in particular Alan Pardew at Charlton,” said Mark. “I felt they had a better chance of going to the next level, so I made the decision to cross the border, which was not what many people would have chosen to do, but I felt it was beneficial to me.
“I got a lot of stick from Palace fans - it wasn’t long after I had signed we had to go off and play at Selhurst Park - I got a bit of grief.
“Unfortunately it didn’t work out as I would have hoped. At the time word was that Charlton were going to get new investment and hopes were high of going straight back into the Premiership, but two months later Pardew got the sack, which was frustrating because I liked working with him.
“It was coming up to January and things weren’t going too well at Charlton, although throughout the season there was talk of it still happening the investment never came. The Physio at Charlton used to be at Cardiff and he mentioned that they were interested in me. They tried to put in a bid during the January transfer window but that didn’t materialise.
“We played Cardiff towards the end of the season, we were winning 2-0 but Cardiff managed to peg it back to 2-2.
“After that the whispers from Cardiff were that they were going to make another bid for me that summer, so in the meantime I just tried to work as hard as I could at Charlton and see how it went.”
That summer a bid did come in from Cardiff, agreeing with Charlton a £1m bid for the defender.
“I knew Mark Kennedy really well through our time together at Palace, so I came down, had a chat with the gaffer (Dave Jones), and it turned out to be even more than I thought it would be. My ambition is always to get to the next level and play in the Premiership and I felt this was the best place to get that opportunity.”
Once signed for City, boss Dave Jones almost immediately handed Hudson the captaincy – the third successive club he had been appointed captain of.
“I don’t like to blow my own trumpet, I never expected to come here and do that (become captain) and I didn’t expect to go to Charlton and do the same,” said Mark, modestly contemplating his manager’s decision. “I imagine it’s the way I hold myself, how I go about my day job, being professional and doing as much as I can in helping others out.
“I’m very vocal, which helps. I suppose I’m doing things right and people look at me as a leader and a bit of a presence. I think the managers who have given me the captaincy have seen that side of me and possibly a little bit more, but I don’t know whether that is it.”
No sooner had Hudson settled into life at the Cardiff City Stadium, financial matters where distracting the media’s attention from on the field issues – a matter he was well prepared for considering his former clubs’ plights.
“Yeah, they (Charlton and Palace) had trouble, I imagine every club in the Championship has financial troubles, whether it’s publicised or not,” said Mark. “Most clubs struggle from month to month, so it’s nothing new, it didn’t take me by surprise.
“It’s something that you’ve got to live with, every day we’ve just got to go out do our job and hope that the people behind the scenes can do theirs. Once you have crossed that white line it’s not even a thought, you train hard every day, working towards something, and as a group of players we don’t let that affect us, we’ve just got to go out there and perform.”
One year into his contract and the contrast is quite amazing. The arrival of new Chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee and business partner Vincent Tan has seen the financial issues being dealt with, plus the hurt of Ledley’s departure is now a distant memory thanks to the home-coming of another local hero.
“I think they’ve done a great job,” said Mark describing the Malaysians’ impact. “The players they’ve brought in and the money they’ve pumped into the club. It seems the stories in the media about things not being paid and bills left right and centre have drifted by, and things look to be running a lot smoother – which is what you need as a football club.”
One of the players brought in has (in comparison to Ledley a year ago) instantly succeeded Hudson as captain – but only on the field, with Hudson retaining club captain status.
“I spoke to the manager about it before it happened, and he said that this was a possibility (signing Craig Bellamy). I don’t think you get that opportunity a lot in football, to play with someone like him who will hopefully take us to the next level,” said Mark.
“Craig’s a leader himself so I told the gaffer that I would agree to it. I told him that I really love being captain of this club - I wanted him to know that. But I would go along and agree with it, and we’ve worked from there.
“Craig and I had a chat and being a captain himself, captaining Wales, I can only learn from him – it’s only a bonus.
“I’ll still sort out tickets for away games for example, things like fines or getting money together for activities we do at the club, but it’s also about being seen as a leader. I’m not about to step back and drift into the background, I’m still going to be at the front trying to drive things on.”
The arrival of Bellamy may have taken some of the burden off Hudson, however he realises that if the Bluebirds are to gain promotion then he must also step-up his own game.
“I think last year was a bit inconsistent from me, obviously the injury didn’t help but I didn’t feel my form was particularly great at all last year,” accepted Mark. “When I came back from injury in my mind I wasn’t fully fit, but then (Anthony) Gerrard got injured and then you’ve got to step up. I felt I did that in the first Leicester game, didn’t play particularly well in the second leg and then leading the team out at Wembley – we didn’t maintain it over 90 minutes.
“Yes, it’s nice to play with somebody for a long period of time, but you’ve just got to get on with it, its part of the game. This season I’ve had different centre-back partners but I feel better this year in myself, so that’s why I think I’m performing slightly better.
“This year I feel fitter, I definitely feel stronger and in games I feel more confident. Whether that’s because it’s my second season or just happier in myself, but I definitely feel more confident.”
Although being the man who led out the Bluebirds for their first season at their new Cardiff City Stadium, Hudson has played several times at Ninian Park (for opposing teams) – so it’s not lost on him the sentiments some fans may hold for their spiritual home.
“I thought it was a really tough place to go,” said Hudson. “The atmosphere was always electric whoever I was there with.
“But that’s gone now, we’ve got a new stadium and we’ve got to try to make this the same - a really tough place to come. Obviously they are different stadiums; Ninian Park was really enclosed and the fans were right on top of the pitch and obviously at the new stadium things are a little bit spaced out and further away. But the last couple of home games have been amazing – we’ve had 26000 there and the noise has been incredible.”
Hudson hopes that the next few years will see him, together with Bellamy, lead out the Bluebirds to Premiership football, but after that what does the future hold for Mark Hudson?
“I’m starting my coaching badges this year, there’s a few of us down at the training ground who will be doing that for about the next seven weeks and I’ll try and get them under my belt before I finish football. I think I’ll try and stay in football in some capacity. I quite enjoy the agent side of things and hopefully that would be a possibility. I’m trying to keep my options open but I imagine I’ll stay in football somehow.”
In the meantime, let’s hope Hudson can fulfil his ambition and lead Cardiff City into the Premiership – with or without the armband.
Interview by David Towler of [moving to a different beat]
This was words from an interview with our captain this time last year.
CLUB CAPTAIN Mark Hudson believes that, together with Craig Bellamy, he can lead the Bluebirds to the promised land of the Premier League.
“It’s all geared up exactly for that (promotion to the Premiership),” said Hudson speaking exclusively to Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust. “It’s the ambition of all the players, the staff and the Chairman. That is where this club needs to be.”
Arriving at the Cardiff City Stadium for its debut 2009-10 season, Hudson was instantly installed as club captain, due to Joe Ledley’s protracted contract negotiations.
“It’s obviously difficult when you come into any club and are suddenly given the captaincy, you’re automatically looked at like: ‘who is he?’ But Joe took it really well,” said Mark.
Charged with the responsibility of leading the club into a new era and with it Premier League football, Hudson’s first season ended in disappointment, leading the Bluebirds out at Wembley only to come away defeated.
“To do that was a great achievement, although ultimately disappointing on the day, so that took a bit of gloss off it,” admitted Mark. “Getting as close as you can to the Premiership, 90 minutes away, and then to not get anything was absolutely gutting.”
After taking the captaincy off one local lad Hudson has since conceded it to another. Following the fateful Play-off Final Fairwater born Ledley has departed to pastures new; meanwhile Trowbridge bred Bellamy has barnstormed his way into the Championship, scoring a debut goal during his home-coming to Doncaster and in the process relinquishing Hudson of the armband.
“I think it’s sometimes good for you because it gives you that drive to get it back or try harder. Joe did that and I’ll try to do the same,” said Mark. “I’ll always be a leader, whether I’ve got the armband or not.
“I love being captain, but if it means that a player like Craig can come in and help us get to where we need to be then obviously I’m going to agree with it.”
Born in Guildford, Surrey, Hudson, 29, has spent most of his career in London and unlike the home-coming Bellamy – this is Mark’s first real move away.
“Having been with three London clubs previously I’ve always been around that area,” said Mark. “I like to think I’m quite a family orientated guy and I‘ve always enjoyed being around my family. This is my first real move away from them, but it’s been made easy because everyone here has made me feel really welcome.
“Life is a lot more laid back in Wales – in London it’s hectic. I prefer it here, people take time out to speak to you and actually make an effort whereas in London they don’t even look at you, people go about their own jobs and just get on with it – but Cardiff is much more social.
“It’s really family orientated, all the lads’ wives and girlfriends are always making an effort and getting together. Once your home life is settled it gives you that chance to concentrate and enjoy your football. It’s been perfect - I got on with all the lads straight away.”
For someone of such physical stature, standing at 6ft 2in, with a professionalism to match, Hudson surprisingly doesn’t follow in any sporting family footsteps: “I had a really normal upbringing, but I got taken to the football at a young age and I started playing football at six and it just went from there.
“I began at Aldershot School of Excellence and then moved to Swindon School of Excellence. Swindon played Fulham and following that game I joined Fulham, I was there from the age of 13 to 15. I wasn’t enjoying it though so I took a year out of football and just played locally with my mates. After a year I went back to Fulham because they said they wanted me back and I was there until YTS (Youth Training Scheme). But I was never offered a YTS.”
Despite the set-back Hudson instead knuckled down in his local college, enrolling to study PE and Geography, but four months later he received a call from Fulham, at the time managed by Kevin Keegan.
“They said they made an error and wanted to keep me on but allowed me to continue my college course, which was good because some footballers don’t get that opportunity,” explains Mark. “But then my onus was on football and on my 17th birthday I signed a professional contract with Fulham.
“I saw a lot of managers come and go at Fulham. When I started we were league two and Keegan was who I signed my first contract with. They have come from nothing really; the Cottage was just a little cottage with hardly any stands. I witnessed the whole transition, once (Mohamed) Al-Fayed took over things started going from strength to strength.
“Chris Coleman was manager when I started making inroads onto the first-team. He said it would be good for me to go out on loan to gain experience so I went up to Oldham. It was great; I really enjoyed my time. Iain Dowie was in charge and I had a good three months up there. He left Oldham to get the Crystal Palace job and that’s how I ended up at Palace – which was obviously a good move for me at the time.
“When I first joined Palace it was on another loan move from Fulham. Palace went up via the play-offs that season against West Ham. I left three games before that though, so that was disappointing, but I got invited to go to the Playoff Final as a guest in the Millennium Stadium, so I felt part of everything - it was great to see and an amazing experience.
“My contract at Fulham was running out that summer, they wanted to keep me on so I signed an extension, but once you get that taste of first-team football you just want more - so when Palace got promoted to the Premier League they came into sign me and I saw it as an ideal chance to go and cement myself in their team.
“I played about ten games in the Premiership, against the likes of Drogba, Saha, Anelka – it was a great experience. I also scored against my team - Everton, it was our first home game and I scored the first goal. My Step-dad is from Merseyside and all my family came down to watch. They had put bets on me to score at anytime so that was great that I managed to pop up and score, but we ended up getting beaten 3-1 which was disappointing.”
Despite Palace suffering relegation that season Hudson had enjoyed his first taste of Premiership football – and was hungry for more.
“I had been at Palace for four years and my contract was starting to run out, Neil Warnock was in charge and we had a good year but I heard there were a few clubs interested in me, in particular Alan Pardew at Charlton,” said Mark. “I felt they had a better chance of going to the next level, so I made the decision to cross the border, which was not what many people would have chosen to do, but I felt it was beneficial to me.
“I got a lot of stick from Palace fans - it wasn’t long after I had signed we had to go off and play at Selhurst Park - I got a bit of grief.
“Unfortunately it didn’t work out as I would have hoped. At the time word was that Charlton were going to get new investment and hopes were high of going straight back into the Premiership, but two months later Pardew got the sack, which was frustrating because I liked working with him.
“It was coming up to January and things weren’t going too well at Charlton, although throughout the season there was talk of it still happening the investment never came. The Physio at Charlton used to be at Cardiff and he mentioned that they were interested in me. They tried to put in a bid during the January transfer window but that didn’t materialise.
“We played Cardiff towards the end of the season, we were winning 2-0 but Cardiff managed to peg it back to 2-2.
“After that the whispers from Cardiff were that they were going to make another bid for me that summer, so in the meantime I just tried to work as hard as I could at Charlton and see how it went.”
That summer a bid did come in from Cardiff, agreeing with Charlton a £1m bid for the defender.
“I knew Mark Kennedy really well through our time together at Palace, so I came down, had a chat with the gaffer (Dave Jones), and it turned out to be even more than I thought it would be. My ambition is always to get to the next level and play in the Premiership and I felt this was the best place to get that opportunity.”
Once signed for City, boss Dave Jones almost immediately handed Hudson the captaincy – the third successive club he had been appointed captain of.
“I don’t like to blow my own trumpet, I never expected to come here and do that (become captain) and I didn’t expect to go to Charlton and do the same,” said Mark, modestly contemplating his manager’s decision. “I imagine it’s the way I hold myself, how I go about my day job, being professional and doing as much as I can in helping others out.
“I’m very vocal, which helps. I suppose I’m doing things right and people look at me as a leader and a bit of a presence. I think the managers who have given me the captaincy have seen that side of me and possibly a little bit more, but I don’t know whether that is it.”
No sooner had Hudson settled into life at the Cardiff City Stadium, financial matters where distracting the media’s attention from on the field issues – a matter he was well prepared for considering his former clubs’ plights.
“Yeah, they (Charlton and Palace) had trouble, I imagine every club in the Championship has financial troubles, whether it’s publicised or not,” said Mark. “Most clubs struggle from month to month, so it’s nothing new, it didn’t take me by surprise.
“It’s something that you’ve got to live with, every day we’ve just got to go out do our job and hope that the people behind the scenes can do theirs. Once you have crossed that white line it’s not even a thought, you train hard every day, working towards something, and as a group of players we don’t let that affect us, we’ve just got to go out there and perform.”
One year into his contract and the contrast is quite amazing. The arrival of new Chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee and business partner Vincent Tan has seen the financial issues being dealt with, plus the hurt of Ledley’s departure is now a distant memory thanks to the home-coming of another local hero.
“I think they’ve done a great job,” said Mark describing the Malaysians’ impact. “The players they’ve brought in and the money they’ve pumped into the club. It seems the stories in the media about things not being paid and bills left right and centre have drifted by, and things look to be running a lot smoother – which is what you need as a football club.”
One of the players brought in has (in comparison to Ledley a year ago) instantly succeeded Hudson as captain – but only on the field, with Hudson retaining club captain status.
“I spoke to the manager about it before it happened, and he said that this was a possibility (signing Craig Bellamy). I don’t think you get that opportunity a lot in football, to play with someone like him who will hopefully take us to the next level,” said Mark.
“Craig’s a leader himself so I told the gaffer that I would agree to it. I told him that I really love being captain of this club - I wanted him to know that. But I would go along and agree with it, and we’ve worked from there.
“Craig and I had a chat and being a captain himself, captaining Wales, I can only learn from him – it’s only a bonus.
“I’ll still sort out tickets for away games for example, things like fines or getting money together for activities we do at the club, but it’s also about being seen as a leader. I’m not about to step back and drift into the background, I’m still going to be at the front trying to drive things on.”
The arrival of Bellamy may have taken some of the burden off Hudson, however he realises that if the Bluebirds are to gain promotion then he must also step-up his own game.
“I think last year was a bit inconsistent from me, obviously the injury didn’t help but I didn’t feel my form was particularly great at all last year,” accepted Mark. “When I came back from injury in my mind I wasn’t fully fit, but then (Anthony) Gerrard got injured and then you’ve got to step up. I felt I did that in the first Leicester game, didn’t play particularly well in the second leg and then leading the team out at Wembley – we didn’t maintain it over 90 minutes.
“Yes, it’s nice to play with somebody for a long period of time, but you’ve just got to get on with it, its part of the game. This season I’ve had different centre-back partners but I feel better this year in myself, so that’s why I think I’m performing slightly better.
“This year I feel fitter, I definitely feel stronger and in games I feel more confident. Whether that’s because it’s my second season or just happier in myself, but I definitely feel more confident.”
Although being the man who led out the Bluebirds for their first season at their new Cardiff City Stadium, Hudson has played several times at Ninian Park (for opposing teams) – so it’s not lost on him the sentiments some fans may hold for their spiritual home.
“I thought it was a really tough place to go,” said Hudson. “The atmosphere was always electric whoever I was there with.
“But that’s gone now, we’ve got a new stadium and we’ve got to try to make this the same - a really tough place to come. Obviously they are different stadiums; Ninian Park was really enclosed and the fans were right on top of the pitch and obviously at the new stadium things are a little bit spaced out and further away. But the last couple of home games have been amazing – we’ve had 26000 there and the noise has been incredible.”
Hudson hopes that the next few years will see him, together with Bellamy, lead out the Bluebirds to Premiership football, but after that what does the future hold for Mark Hudson?
“I’m starting my coaching badges this year, there’s a few of us down at the training ground who will be doing that for about the next seven weeks and I’ll try and get them under my belt before I finish football. I think I’ll try and stay in football in some capacity. I quite enjoy the agent side of things and hopefully that would be a possibility. I’m trying to keep my options open but I imagine I’ll stay in football somehow.”
In the meantime, let’s hope Hudson can fulfil his ambition and lead Cardiff City into the Premiership – with or without the armband.
Interview by David Towler of [moving to a different beat]
Re: Some words from Captain Hudson - at the time Bellamy signed!
Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:30 pm
No mentions of the previous training regimes though unfortunately, I think being Captain(at the time of Interview) Hudson had to be extra respectful to his manager to be fair. But obviously from some of the interviews that I have posted today, there were obvious issues in training, that sound like the majority of the players weren't very happy with the setup, especially when Malky's come in and they are willing to open up and praise our new hero to the rafters. 