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Raymond Hudson
Raymond Hudson, known to his friends as Rocky, was a well-known footballer from Dunston. He played for Newcastle United in the seventies for four seasons but did not have a great deal of success.
He went to the United States in1976, to try his luck in the North American Soccer League. He loved everything about America and for thirteen years played football for Fort Lauderdale Strikers lining up with such notable players as George Best and Gerd Muller. He was later made captain and played against international stars such as Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff and Pele.
He had many fans; James Last (bandleader) and Brian Johnson ( of AC/DC, another Dunston lad) are two of the most famous. On one occasion, when James Last was playing at The City Hall, Ray's father and mother were invited to the concert and he met them in the interval and told them that he enjoyed Ray's style of football.
When his playing career was over he had a business cleaning swimming pools, together with doing some football commentating and coaching children in a local youth league. Last year he was doing a T.V. commentary for the Miami Fusion team, who were not doing well with their Brazilian coach. The owners asked him to come in as a caretaker manager and they won their first three games.
This is his first year as a top manager and he has taken the team from Major League no-hopers to Eastern Division Champions in just one season. He still returns to the North East regularly, not only to see his family but also scouting for players.
Ray's parents Doris and Wilf still live in Whickham.