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JOhn Rudge
To Cap It All

An incredible tale of how one man crossed a sporting divide

To Cap it All John Rudge cover.jpg

Legendary Port Vale manager and Stoke City Director of Football has collaborated with Simon Lowe to produce his long-awaited autobiography 'To Cap It All'.

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This is John's enthralling life story, providing special behind-the-scenes insight into the ups and downs of six decades of professional football, from the depths of the Division Four re-election zone to the Premier League and Europe.

 

Rudge managed the Valiants for a record 19 years, developing players like Robbie Earle, Mark Bright and Ian Taylor. As Vale slayed giants such as Spurs, Southampton and Everton, Rudge became a style icon famous for his flat cap.

 

He moved to city rivals Stoke in 1999 to become director of football and oversaw the club's revival to reach the Premier League and their first ever FA Cup final.

 

But it wasn't all plain sailing. John describes his volatile relationship with Vale chairman Bill Bell and speaks out about Stoke's Icelandic owners and manager Johan Boskamp, who had Rudge put on garden leave.

 

This hilarious memoir also reveals why a second-hand Lada changed John's life, how he once signed a drag artist and why he ended up in Denis Law's bed!

From left, John Rudge, author Simon Lowe and sculptor Michael Talbot launch To Cap It All.

© 2023 Simon Lowe, All Rights Reserved

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