Jackie Mudie
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John "Jackie" Knight Mudie (born 10 April 1930, in Dundee; died 2 March 1992, in Stoke-on-Trent) was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward for Blackpool, Stoke City and Port Vale.
Mudie started his footballing career with Dundee junior sides Lochee Harp and Stobswell Juniors before joining Blackpool in 1946, signing professional terms a year later. After 3 years developing in the reserves, he made his debut in March 1950 against Liverpool, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win at Anfield. The following season he featured regularly as Blackpool challenged in the league and reached the FA Cup final. Newcastle United proved too strong at Wembley though, two goals from Jackie Milburn taking the trophy to the North-East.
Blackpool bounced back from this disappointment in 1952-53 when Mudie's last minute goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-final sealed a return to Wembley to face Bolton Wanderers. This match is universally remembered as the Matthews Final, when the veteran winger's dazzling skills helped turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 win for Blackpool. Although Stanley Matthews and hat-trick scorer Stan Mortensen understandably took the limelight, Matthews himself would later acknowledge the importance of the selfless Mudie, noting that his "skill and work for others often made some of us look better than we really were".[1]
In his early career, Mudie was considered an inside forward, however, when Mortensen was transferred to Hull City in 1955, Mudie became Blackpool's regular centre-forward, despite his diminutive stature. This change of position enabled him to achieve international recognition and he made his international debut against Wales in 1956. His hat-trick in a 4-2 win against Spain in 1957 helped Scotland qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup and he was subsequently selected in the squad for Sweden. Scotland flattered to deceive in the Finals, though, and an early exit led the international selectors to look to younger players, effectively ending Mudie’s international career at 17 caps, where he scored a total of 9 goals.
Stoke City signed Mudie, along with Stanley Matthews, in 1961 and the veteran pairing helped the Potteries club to the Division Two championship in 1962-63. Mudie moved to local rivals Port Vale in 1963, and after two seasons became player-manager, combining for a third time with Matthews, who was the Valiants general-manager by this time, until 1967.
After his playing retirement, Mudie continued to live in Stoke, his adopted home-town. He had brief spells coaching at Oswestry Town, Crewe Alexandra (where he was assistant manager), Northwich Victoria and Eastwood Town.
He died in 1992, aged 71, two years after being diagnosed with cancer.
[edit] References
- Bremner, Billy, Bale, Bernard (1997). Billy Bremner's Scottish Football Heroes (Hardback), Breedon Books. (ISBN 1-85983-077-3).
[edit] Notes
- ^ Stanley Matthews in 2002, quoted in Scottish Football Heroes, P64.
[edit] External links
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Scotland squad - 1958 FIFA World Cup | |
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1 Younger | 2 Brown | 3 Parker | 4 Caldow | 5 Hewie | 6 Haddock | 7 McColl | 8 Turnbull | 9 Evans | 10 Docherty | 11 Mackay | 12 Cowie | 13 Baird | 14 Leggat | 15 Scott | 16 Murray | 17 Mudie | 18 Coyle | 19 Collins | 20 Robertson | 21 Imlach | 22 Fernie | Coach: Walker |
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