Pudan Albert “Dick” Image 3 Newcastle United 1908

East Ham, London born left back Albert “Dick” Pudan started his football career with Clapton in 1899 and joined Southern League West Ham United in 1900, making his debut at Bristol City in January 1901 and making 9 appearances for The Hammers before a move to Bristol Rovers in 1902. At Eastville he was part of the team that won the 1904-05 Southern League Championship amassing a total of 116 Southern League appearances for The Gas before being signed by First Division Newcastle United in July 1906 for £150,

He didn’t play at all as Newcastle won the League Championship in 1906-07 and had to wait until October 1907 for his Football League debut against Blackburn Rovers at St James’ Park. Pudan won an FA Cup runners-up medal with Newcastle in 1908 when he was part of the team beaten 3-1 in the FA Cup Final by Wolverhampton Wanderers. He made 34 appearances for The Toon before he joined Leicester Fosse in May 1909, where he became a reliable penalty taker, scoring 5 penalties and twice more in 33 appearances during 1909-10 despite not having scored once in the previous nine years.

He joined Huddersfield Town in August 1910 for their first season as a League club, soon becoming their secretary-manager in November 1910 replacing Fred Walker but didn’t play for them during his time as their player/manager, leaving the post in April 1912. He then returned to Leicester Fosse in April 1912 making a further 18 appearances for The Fossils before his retirement at the end of 1913-14.