Mourned Members News: CCFC Strikers ‘The Hud’ & ‘Mike’ Would Both Have Hit 87 Today!
‘The Hud’ in the Sky Blue
‘Mick’ Dixon in 1961
Two CCFC prolific sixties strikers of different pedigrees, both later CCFPA members, both sadly now passed away, both remembered fondly (especially by older supporters) happened to have been born on the very same day, today 87 years ago (14th March 1937)! Willesden born Michael Dixon made his major mark in professional football with CCFC in the early 1960s pre Jimmy Hill! ‘Mike’ as he was known in Coventry (but he apparently preferred ‘Mick’ ), who was one of our oldest and longest serving members, died more recently two years ago, on November 13th 2022 aged 84.
A Mancunian, George Hudson the Sky Blues legendary sixties striker (and deeply missed member) would also have been celebrating his 87th birthday today. The fully paid up member of the Sky Blue Legends’ ‘Hall of Fame’ sadly away on 28th December 2020 aged 83. Unlike Mike we managed to persuade the ‘Hud’ to return to the club for reunions several times before his passing.
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Mike Dixon at Luton T.
Starting out at Sundon Park FC ‘Mike’ had short spells with both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion without making a first team appearance. He then developed his game at Hitchin Town before Luton Town took him to Kenilworth Road in April 1957 where he made four appearances scoring once. The Bantams’ then manager Billy Frith brought Mike to Highfield Road in summer 1961 to beef up the attack. He made his debut at centre-forward in a 3-0 home win over Newport County on the 25th August 1961 and repaid his transfer fee with an excellent strike rate given City were developing into a struggling team.
That season (1961-62) saw the ignominious home F.A.Cup defeat to non-league King’s Lynn that precipitated Frith’s departure in November and the start of the wondrous Jimmy Hill ‘Sky Blue Revolution’ (though CCFC still could only finish fourteenth in Division Three). Our best guess is that Mike is pictured bottom right in the team picture below.
CCFC 1961-62
By the time injury put paid to his first team exertions in the early weeks of the JH era Mike had bagged a dozen goals in his first twenty appearances for the club. Though, once recovered, JH would have found a role for him but ‘Mike’ apparently preferred to drop down to non-league football with initially Cambridge United (April 1962), Stevenage and later Dunstable FC (cs 1965). Mike settled in Dunstable though he made more appearances in the lower leagues with the likes of Biggleswade, Weymouth, Poole and Sittingbourne. Mike also found reflected glory theough the successful footballing career of his famous footballing son Kerry Dixon! RIP Mike!
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His Championship winning strike v Colchester
A long time Association member, George will be remembered for many audacious and skilful goals in four seasons with CCFC. Memorably, In May 1964 he scored the only goal in our last game of the season at home against Colchester United that took the Sky Blues up as Division Three champions to Division Two. He also scored in his last game for us in a 2-2 draw against Bristol City at Highfield Road along with Ray Pointer (who was also a CCFPA member before he passed away) who had been bought to replace him.
George in action
Starting out with Manchester Juniors in May 1955, Blackburn Rovers picked up George on amateur forms in December 1957, giving him a professional contract at the end of January 1958. Though he only made four league appearances for Rovers (one goal) his talents attracted Accrington Stanley to sign him on a free in July 1960 and he repaid them in spades with 36 goals in 49 first team outings! Peterborough United signed him in October 1961 for £5000 and another prolific spell followed (38 goals in 65 league games)
This strike rate prompted Sky Blues manager Jimmy Hill to pay a club record fee of £22,000 for George in April 1962 controversially replacing the popular Terry Bly (another ex-Posh striker and later CCFPA member). The ‘Hud’ immediately endeared himself to the City fans by scoring a debut home hat-trick in a 5-4 victory over Halifax Town.
Top strikers of different Sky Blue eras; George Hudson & Marc McNulty
In his Sky Blue career George ended up with 62 league goals in 113 appearances, netted five times in six F.A.Cup games and eight in ten League Cup outings (a fabulous total of 75 goals in 129 appearances in the Sky Blue)!
Nevertheless, George was transferred to Northampton Town for £29.5k in March 1966 (six goals in twenty outings). In January 1967 George moved to Tranmere Rovers where he continued his high goal scoring hit rate (22 goals in 63 apps) and in February 1968 he helped to knock City out of the F.A.Cup!
Later moving to non-league Altrincham, on hanging up his boots he worked in the printing trade (Daily Mirror) in the north-west where he settled.
For many older supporters George was top Sky Blue of all time and ‘the Hud’ came back to CCFPA functions at the Ricoh on a number of occasions since the club moved there not least, his last appearance for us, at the rearranged Legends Day 2018. He was pictured above left on that day with CCFC’s then top striker 28 goal Sky Blue Marc ‘Sparky’ McNulty (who also later joined the Association too).
We will never forget you George!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images
