By January 3rd 1974, Chelsea had lost 12 and drawn 4 of the club's 23 matches during the first "half" of the 1974-5 season. The defeats included the club's exit from the League Cup at the earliest opportunity, losing to Stoke away. Winning 8 matches in the first part of the season, was some consolation for manager Dave Sexton, but for the first game of 1975, on January 1st, 1974, Sexton dropped his flambouyant pair of Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson for a league match away at Sheffield United, which Chelsea won 2-1, and told them to train with the reserves.
On January 3rd, Sexton called the chaps into his office and included them in the up coming FA Cup tie, two days later v QPR. The chaps refused to play, were suspended and put in transfer requests. Chelsea drew the cup tie at home 0-0 and then lost the replay, away 0-1. In the second half of the season, Chelsea played 20, lost 7 and drew 10 and were out of both cups. They finished 17th in the Division.
Hudson, who might be regarded as a "maverick" BUT skillful and stylish, played for Chelsea between 1969-74, making 145 apps and scoring 10 goals. He then went to Stoke, Arsenal and Seattle ending his career at Stoke again in 1985. Alcoholism and money issues got the better of him and he had a serious car accident which involved months of recovery and 70 operations. Hudson regarded the "accident" as an attempt on his life. He had a bad property investment in Cyprus, his son suffered from illness and with all this to burden him, Hudson also managed to feature briefly in the film "The Factory Factory" in 2004.
Hudson wrote for the Stoke Sentinel and The Sporting Life, spoke on Radio Napa in Cyprus and also wrote a book called "The (Tony) Waddington Years", about the manager's friendship time during his time at Stoke. Below-who is the maverick?
Osgood was a stalwart at Chelsea, another flashy player, alongside Hudson and then the "lads" took their talents to Southampton. Ossie played from 1974-7, winning the FA Cup in 1976, scoring in every round. Osgood also played at Norwich on loan from 1977, went to the States and back to Chelsea for a year in 1978. Both Hudson and Osgood had brief appearances with England, with Alf Ramsey as manager, he was not particularly keen on their lifestyles!
The lads were also not too welcome at Stamford Bridge either, during Ken Bates' 1990s era, who objected to comments the lads made about the club in the press. Ossie was a true favourite at Chelsea, and was "re-instated" during the Abramovich era. Ossie was nicknamed "The King of Stamford Bridge" and when he suffered a heart attack on March 1st 2006, the Chelsea family celebrated his life at their first home match, suitably against Spurs. Needless to say, he appeared in "The Football Factory", worked the after dinner speaking circuit, ran a pub with Ian Hutchinson and has a number of books written about his life. Ossie's ashes were buried under the Stamford Bridge, Shed End, penalty spot.
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