George Hudson with club director Joe Elliott

Former Coventry City striker George Hudson has revealed that he was "absolutely shocked" when then manager Jimmy Hill sold him to Northampton.

Hudson scored 75 goals in 129 games for the Sky Blues from 1962-66 before joining the Cobblers.

His departure was highly controversial at the time, leading to protests from angry supporters.

Hudson, now 73, told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: "I was absolutely shocked. It came out of the blue."

Hudson, who now lives in the North West and was at the Ricoh Arena as a guest on Sky Blues Legends Day, added: "Hill said 'you're going to Northampton'. I said 'you what?' He said 'you're going'. I said 'I'm not!'.

"And then he started leading off. He said 'I want you to go and speak to the manager about a move to Northampton'.

"I realised then that I was on the way out and I had to do what he said because I was living in a Coventry house and I would have nowhere to live.

"It really saddened me. He could have been a little more diplomatic I think."

But Hudson had the last laugh when he returned to Highfield Road a couple of years later with Tranmere Rovers for an FA Cup tie.

After helping to secure a draw in the initial tie he scored in the replay as Tranmere pulled off a cup shock.

"I scored a cracker," he remembered. "It felt great. It just shows you the way things work out."

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