Clive Allen
Encyclopedia
Clive Darren Allen is a retired English
footballer, a prolific scorer for a number of clubs.
Allen is the son of ex-Tottenham Hotspur
forward Les Allen
, who was a member of the legendary team which won the First Division
title and FA Cup
"double" in 1961 (the Cup success occurred exactly two weeks before Allen Jnr's birth). He is the brother of former footballer Bradley Allen
and cousin of football manager Martin Allen and ex West Ham United
and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paul Allen
. He holds the unique distinction of playing for more London based football clubs than any other footballer in history.
as a youth player, making his debut in 1978 at the age of 17. Allen scored a hat trick on his full debut against Coventry City
in a 5-1 win, but QPR were relegated at the end of that season
and Allen became a first-choice striker in their quest to return to the top flight, scoring a phenomenal 28 goals in 1979-80
, though QPR failed to win promotion. This prompted Arsenal
to make a bid of £1,250,000 for him in the summer of 1980, which QPR accepted. At the time, it was the highest fee to be paid for a teenager by any British club.
, having not played a single competitive match (although he did play three matches Arsenal's 1980-81
pre-season friendly campaign). He was sold in part-exchange to Crystal Palace
in another seven-figure deal which saw England
full back Kenny Sansom
come the other way. There was a rumour that QPR and Palace had secured a deal for Allen on the condition that QPR did not sell Allen to Palace directly, and Arsenal acted as go-betweens. This has never been confirmed.
, on 6 September 1980, Allen, who had already scored earlier in the game, was fouled just outside the Coventry penalty area. Allen took the free-kick himself, which thumped against the right-hand stanchion inside the goal (from Allen's view), then appeared to hit the net, before coming back out again. After much arguing and consulting with his linesman, the referee decided that the goal did not count, and this counted towards a season of misery for Palace, in which they were eventually relegated.
Allen was Palace's top scorer for the 1980-81 season
with nine goals in the league and 11 in all competitions, when Palace finished bottom of the First Division and fell back into the Second Division just two years after promotion.
, were now managed by Terry Venables
and Allen's first season back at the club (1981-82
) revived his fortunes as he scored 13 Second Division goals, though not enough to win promotion. QPR also had their most successful FA Cup
run, reaching the FA Cup Final for the first time with Allen scoring the vital goals in 1-0 victories in both the 6th Round (vs Crystal Palace
) and Semi final (vs West Bromwich Albion
). Getting to the Cup Final was unusual for a club outside the top flight - and, adding extra intrigue to the occasion, QPR's opponents were Tottenham, his father's former club.
The day went appallingly for Allen - he was injured after just two minutes (following a late tackle) at Wembley
and he had to be substituted early into the second half. The match ended 1-1 after extra-time but Allen was not fit enough to take part in the replay, which Tottenham won 1-0.
Over the next two seasons, Allen scored 27 League goals as QPR first won the Second Division Championship in 1982-83 and then consolidated their new status helping them to finish fifth in the First Division in 1983-84, but would be playing UEFA Cup
football for Tottenham rather than QPR the following season as a £700,000 fee took him to White Hart Lane
. He arrived at Tottenham at the time when Keith Burkinshaw
stepped down after eight years as manager to be succeeded by Peter Shreeves
.
That summer, Allen made his England debut.
, as he was restricted again by injuries, and this time Spurs slumped to mid table and manager Peter Shreeves
was sacked in favour of Luton Town
boss David Pleat
.
However, a fully fit Allen took to the field at the start of his third season
at White Hart Lane
as Spurs found themselves able to chase three trophies thanks to their red-hot goalscorer. By now, Allen's cousin
Paul had also joined the club to provide support from midfield.
Allen, playing as a lone forward with the creative forces of Glenn Hoddle
, Osvaldo Ardiles
and Chris Waddle
laying on the chances from a five-man midfield, fired 33 League goals plus 16 more in the League Cup
and FA Cup competitions (49 in all competitions) as Spurs reached both semi-finals while challenging for the League. In the League Cup semi, Spurs faced their fierce rivals Arsenal and Allen scored three goals over three matches (it was level after two legs so a replay was required) but still Arsenal won through to the final. However, Spurs reached the 1987 FA Cup Final at Wembley after easily overpowering Watford
in the semi.
At Wembley, Spurs took on Coventry City
and Spurs started as clear favourites. After all, Spurs had won all seven of their previous FA Cup finals and Coventry had never reached the final before. However, following an exciting match (in which Allen scored the last of his 49 goals that season), Coventry eventually triumphed 3–2 after extra time. This left Allen and his colleagues without any major honours after they had threatened to win a unique treble.
Five years earlier Allen picked up an injury in the second minute of the FA Cup final; this time he had picked up a goal, even though he had to be content with a runners-up medal yet again. An early Hoddle free kick was cleared to Waddle on the right flank, and the England winger thundered in a near post cross which the perfectly positioned Allen headed home. However, it would all end in heartbreak for Tottenham, as Coventry fought back to win 3-2 in extra time. Allen's final tally of 49 goals in all competitions that season broke the Spurs club record held by Jimmy Greaves
, and remains unbroken to this day. No player associated with any top division club has managed to match or exceed Allen's total of goals in all competitions since then, either. However, his top-flight league goals tally was surprassed by Andy Cole of Newcastle United
in 1993-94
and a year later
by Alan Shearer
at Blackburn Rovers
.
He also picked up the titles of PFA Player of the Year
and Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
.
Tottenham seemed to peak at this point and the following season Allen's touch was not quite the same although he did score eleven goals for the club as they finished 13th. The season had also seen the appointment of new manager Terry Venables
in the autumn after the resignation of David Pleat
following allegations about his private life.
for £1 million. His transfer was just one of many during the mid to late 1980s which saw English-based players departing to the continent, lured away by the prospect of higher wages as well as the chance of playing in European competitions - English clubs were barred between 1985 and 1990 due to the Heysel disaster.
, who had just been promoted to the First Division. He scored 10 league goals as City survived their first season back in the top flight, but scored just four goals in 20 league games in 1990-91
after falling out of favour with new player-manager Peter Reid
, who guided City to fifth place in the league.
He managed three appearances and scored twice in the league for City the following season, and was transferred to Chelsea in December 1991.
He scored seven goals in 16 league games over the next three months before he joined struggling West Ham United in March 1992, scoring once in four league games and unable to stop them from being relegated and missing out on the first season of the new FA Premier League
, instead being faced with the challenge of helping them win promotion from the new Division One.
He scored 14 goals in the 1992-93
Division One campaign as West Ham were promoted as runners-up, but played just seven league games (scoring twice) in the 1993-94
in the new Premier League and by March 1994 he had given up hope of displacing new arrival Lee Chapman
.
In January 1994, when Allen was out of favour at West Ham United, Tottenham manager Ossie Ardiles (who had been his Tottenham team mate the previous decade) expressed interest in bringing Allen back to White Hart Lane
as he looked to spend up to £500,000 on buying a striker to cover for the injured Teddy Sheringham
, but the transfer never happened.
Allen opted to drop down a division and join Millwall
for a fee of £75,000. He helped Millwall finished third in Division One but they missed out on promotion to the Premier League after being beaten by Derby County
in the playoff semi-finals. He left the Lions at the end of the 1994-95 season
having played just 12 Division One games and failed to score a single goal.
Allen finished his playing career at the age of 34 with three appearances in Division Two for Carlisle United during the autumn of 1995.
In an intriguing change of sport, he had a brief spell with the London Monarchs
in the NFL Europe
.
cap by Bobby Robson
in a friendly against Brazil
, coming on as a substitute. England won 2-0 but when Allen started the next game of this tour of South America three days later, they lost 2-0 to Uruguay
. He played in the third game of the tour too, which was a goalless draw against Chile
. In 1987, Allen got his fourth England cap in a goalless draw versus Turkey
, scoring a disallowed goal. He won his fifth and final England cap in another goalless draw, versus Israel
. He never scored for his country.
at White Hart Lane, as well as being a pundit for a variety of media organisations. He was coach of Spurs Reserves when they won the FA Premier Reserve League
Southern Division in 2005-06
.
After Jol's dismissal in October 2007, Allen took up the position of Interim Manager of the senior squad. He took charge of the team for one match, a 1-2 defeat by Blackburn Rovers
in the Premier League, before handing the reins over to Juande Ramos.
as an analyst on football shows such as The Goal Rush
and UEFA Champions League
coverage.
but was bought out of his contract due to a persistent knee injury.
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
footballer, a prolific scorer for a number of clubs.
Allen is the son of ex-Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
forward Les Allen
Les Allen
Leslie William Allen is a former English footballer and manager.As a player, 16 year-old Les Allen made his senior football debut in February 1953 for Briggs Sports in an unforgettable FA Amateur cup quarter final tie at Victoria Road, Dagenham against the holders Pegasus, the great amateur team...
, who was a member of the legendary team which won the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
title and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
"double" in 1961 (the Cup success occurred exactly two weeks before Allen Jnr's birth). He is the brother of former footballer Bradley Allen
Bradley Allen
Bradley James Allen is a former English professional footballer who played as a striker. He notably played for Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic and Grimsby Town. He also played as a professional for Colchester United, Peterborough United and Bristol Rovers in a professional career that...
and cousin of football manager Martin Allen and ex West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paul Allen
Paul Allen (footballer)
Paul Kevin Allen is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Luton Town, Stoke City, Swindon Town, Bristol City and Millwall in the 1980s and 1990s...
. He holds the unique distinction of playing for more London based football clubs than any other footballer in history.
Queens Park Rangers
A fearfully accurate centre forward, Allen joined Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
as a youth player, making his debut in 1978 at the age of 17. Allen scored a hat trick on his full debut against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in a 5-1 win, but QPR were relegated at the end of that season
1978-79 in English football
-FA Cup:Manchester United had seemingly pulled off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final to make the score 2–2 after being two goals down, but a last-minute goal from Alan Sunderland saw Arsenal lift the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline...
and Allen became a first-choice striker in their quest to return to the top flight, scoring a phenomenal 28 goals in 1979-80
1979-80 in English football
The 1979–80 season was the 100th season of competitive football in England.- FA Cup :Second Division West Ham United, managed by John Lyall, won the FA Cup, beating Arsenal 1–0 with a Trevor Brooking goal...
, though QPR failed to win promotion. This prompted Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
to make a bid of £1,250,000 for him in the summer of 1980, which QPR accepted. At the time, it was the highest fee to be paid for a teenager by any British club.
Arsenal
There followed a most bizarre sequence of events which led to Allen leaving Arsenal within just two months of arriving at HighburyArsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
, having not played a single competitive match (although he did play three matches Arsenal's 1980-81
1980-81 in English football
The 1980–81 season was the 101st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League introduced a three points for a win system in place of the two points for a win system which had operated since the league's formation in 1889...
pre-season friendly campaign). He was sold in part-exchange to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in another seven-figure deal which saw England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
full back Kenny Sansom
Kenny Sansom
Kenneth Graham Sansom is an English former footballer. Until overtaken by Ashley Cole in February 2011, he held the record for the number of caps for an England national football team full back, having appeared 86 times for his country between 1979 and 1988.- Crystal Palace :Sansom started out...
come the other way. There was a rumour that QPR and Palace had secured a deal for Allen on the condition that QPR did not sell Allen to Palace directly, and Arsenal acted as go-betweens. This has never been confirmed.
Crystal Palace
During his time at Palace, Allen "scored" one of the most controversial disallowed goals of all-time. During Palace's 3-1 away defeat to Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, on 6 September 1980, Allen, who had already scored earlier in the game, was fouled just outside the Coventry penalty area. Allen took the free-kick himself, which thumped against the right-hand stanchion inside the goal (from Allen's view), then appeared to hit the net, before coming back out again. After much arguing and consulting with his linesman, the referee decided that the goal did not count, and this counted towards a season of misery for Palace, in which they were eventually relegated.
Allen was Palace's top scorer for the 1980-81 season
1980-81 in English football
The 1980–81 season was the 101st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League introduced a three points for a win system in place of the two points for a win system which had operated since the league's formation in 1889...
with nine goals in the league and 11 in all competitions, when Palace finished bottom of the First Division and fell back into the Second Division just two years after promotion.
Queens Park Rangers
QPR, still in the Second DivisionFootball League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
, were now managed by Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
and Allen's first season back at the club (1981-82
1981-82 in English football
The 1981–82 season was the 102nd season of competitive football in England.It was also the first season that the Three points for a win system was introduced.- First Division :Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
) revived his fortunes as he scored 13 Second Division goals, though not enough to win promotion. QPR also had their most successful FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
run, reaching the FA Cup Final for the first time with Allen scoring the vital goals in 1-0 victories in both the 6th Round (vs Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
) and Semi final (vs West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
). Getting to the Cup Final was unusual for a club outside the top flight - and, adding extra intrigue to the occasion, QPR's opponents were Tottenham, his father's former club.
The day went appallingly for Allen - he was injured after just two minutes (following a late tackle) at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
and he had to be substituted early into the second half. The match ended 1-1 after extra-time but Allen was not fit enough to take part in the replay, which Tottenham won 1-0.
Over the next two seasons, Allen scored 27 League goals as QPR first won the Second Division Championship in 1982-83 and then consolidated their new status helping them to finish fifth in the First Division in 1983-84, but would be playing UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
football for Tottenham rather than QPR the following season as a £700,000 fee took him to White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
. He arrived at Tottenham at the time when Keith Burkinshaw
Keith Burkinshaw
Harry Keith Burkinshaw is an English former professional footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
stepped down after eight years as manager to be succeeded by Peter Shreeves
Peter Shreeves
Peter Shreeves is a Welsh former football player, manager and coach.-Career:Shreeves was born in Neath in South Wales where his mother had been evacuated to during the early stages of World War II, but was brought up in Islington, London. He began his career with non-league Finchley from where he...
.
That summer, Allen made his England debut.
Tottenham Hotspur
A settling-in period at Spurs followed, with Allen scoring twice on his debut and ultimately weighing in with eight goals from 15 appearances in his first season, where Spurs finished third after being top of the league at Christmas, the fact that he was unavailable for 27 league games leaving all the observers wondering that Spurs might have won the league if it hadn't been for Allen's absences. It was a similar story in 1985-861985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
, as he was restricted again by injuries, and this time Spurs slumped to mid table and manager Peter Shreeves
Peter Shreeves
Peter Shreeves is a Welsh former football player, manager and coach.-Career:Shreeves was born in Neath in South Wales where his mother had been evacuated to during the early stages of World War II, but was brought up in Islington, London. He began his career with non-league Finchley from where he...
was sacked in favour of Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
boss David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
.
However, a fully fit Allen took to the field at the start of his third season
1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
as Spurs found themselves able to chase three trophies thanks to their red-hot goalscorer. By now, Allen's cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
Paul had also joined the club to provide support from midfield.
Allen, playing as a lone forward with the creative forces of Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
, Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo César Ardiles , often referred to in Britain as Ossie Ardiles, is a football coach, pundit and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentine national team...
and Chris Waddle
Chris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
laying on the chances from a five-man midfield, fired 33 League goals plus 16 more in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and FA Cup competitions (49 in all competitions) as Spurs reached both semi-finals while challenging for the League. In the League Cup semi, Spurs faced their fierce rivals Arsenal and Allen scored three goals over three matches (it was level after two legs so a replay was required) but still Arsenal won through to the final. However, Spurs reached the 1987 FA Cup Final at Wembley after easily overpowering Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
in the semi.
At Wembley, Spurs took on Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and Spurs started as clear favourites. After all, Spurs had won all seven of their previous FA Cup finals and Coventry had never reached the final before. However, following an exciting match (in which Allen scored the last of his 49 goals that season), Coventry eventually triumphed 3–2 after extra time. This left Allen and his colleagues without any major honours after they had threatened to win a unique treble.
Five years earlier Allen picked up an injury in the second minute of the FA Cup final; this time he had picked up a goal, even though he had to be content with a runners-up medal yet again. An early Hoddle free kick was cleared to Waddle on the right flank, and the England winger thundered in a near post cross which the perfectly positioned Allen headed home. However, it would all end in heartbreak for Tottenham, as Coventry fought back to win 3-2 in extra time. Allen's final tally of 49 goals in all competitions that season broke the Spurs club record held by Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
, and remains unbroken to this day. No player associated with any top division club has managed to match or exceed Allen's total of goals in all competitions since then, either. However, his top-flight league goals tally was surprassed by Andy Cole of Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in 1993-94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
and a year later
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
by Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
at Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
.
He also picked up the titles of PFA Player of the Year
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
and Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
Football Writers' Association
The Football Writers' Association is an association of England football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1947....
.
Tottenham seemed to peak at this point and the following season Allen's touch was not quite the same although he did score eleven goals for the club as they finished 13th. The season had also seen the appointment of new manager Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
in the autumn after the resignation of David Pleat
David Pleat
David John Pleat is an English football player turned manager and sports commentator.He is remembered by his contemporaries primarily for his career as manager of Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town football clubs, and for an oft-televised clip of him running onto the pitch in 1983 to celebrate after...
following allegations about his private life.
Bordeaux
In August 1988, Spurs sold Allen to French champions BordeauxFC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
for £1 million. His transfer was just one of many during the mid to late 1980s which saw English-based players departing to the continent, lured away by the prospect of higher wages as well as the chance of playing in European competitions - English clubs were barred between 1985 and 1990 due to the Heysel disaster.
Later career
He spent just one season in France before returning to England in August 1989 when he joined Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, who had just been promoted to the First Division. He scored 10 league goals as City survived their first season back in the top flight, but scored just four goals in 20 league games in 1990-91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
after falling out of favour with new player-manager Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
, who guided City to fifth place in the league.
He managed three appearances and scored twice in the league for City the following season, and was transferred to Chelsea in December 1991.
He scored seven goals in 16 league games over the next three months before he joined struggling West Ham United in March 1992, scoring once in four league games and unable to stop them from being relegated and missing out on the first season of the new FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, instead being faced with the challenge of helping them win promotion from the new Division One.
He scored 14 goals in the 1992-93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
Division One campaign as West Ham were promoted as runners-up, but played just seven league games (scoring twice) in the 1993-94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
in the new Premier League and by March 1994 he had given up hope of displacing new arrival Lee Chapman
Lee Chapman
Lee Chapman is an English former footballer who scored almost 200 first-team goals as a striker. He was best known for his spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United...
.
In January 1994, when Allen was out of favour at West Ham United, Tottenham manager Ossie Ardiles (who had been his Tottenham team mate the previous decade) expressed interest in bringing Allen back to White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
as he looked to spend up to £500,000 on buying a striker to cover for the injured Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
, but the transfer never happened.
Allen opted to drop down a division and join Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
for a fee of £75,000. He helped Millwall finished third in Division One but they missed out on promotion to the Premier League after being beaten by Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in the playoff semi-finals. He left the Lions at the end of the 1994-95 season
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
having played just 12 Division One games and failed to score a single goal.
Allen finished his playing career at the age of 34 with three appearances in Division Two for Carlisle United during the autumn of 1995.
In an intriguing change of sport, he had a brief spell with the London Monarchs
London Monarchs
The London Monarchs were a professional American football team in NFL Europe and its predecessor league, the World League of American Football . The Monarchs played their final season in 1998 as the England Monarchs...
in the NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
.
International career
In the summer of 1984, Allen was given his first EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
cap by Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
in a friendly against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, coming on as a substitute. England won 2-0 but when Allen started the next game of this tour of South America three days later, they lost 2-0 to Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. He played in the third game of the tour too, which was a goalless draw against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
. In 1987, Allen got his fourth England cap in a goalless draw versus Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, scoring a disallowed goal. He won his fifth and final England cap in another goalless draw, versus Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
. He never scored for his country.
Management career
Allen was the Tottenham Hotspur reserve team coach under Martin JolMartin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
at White Hart Lane, as well as being a pundit for a variety of media organisations. He was coach of Spurs Reserves when they won the FA Premier Reserve League
FA Premier Reserve League
The Premier Reserve League is the reserve team league for the top English football teams in the Premier League...
Southern Division in 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
.
After Jol's dismissal in October 2007, Allen took up the position of Interim Manager of the senior squad. He took charge of the team for one match, a 1-2 defeat by Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in the Premier League, before handing the reins over to Juande Ramos.
TV work
Clive Allen has worked for ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
as an analyst on football shows such as The Goal Rush
The Goal Rush
The Goal Rush was a live ITV television programme that aired from 2001 to 2003 produced by Granada Television. The programme was broadcast on Saturdays as a rival show to Final Score on BBC One, and provided live football scores from the Premier League and the Football League...
and UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
coverage.
Family
His son Oliver played for StevenageStevenage Borough F.C.
Stevenage Football Club is an English football club based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The club currently participate in League One, the third tier of English football, having won promotion from League Two in the 2010–11 season...
but was bought out of his contract due to a persistent knee injury.
Managerial statistics
| Club | First Game | Last Game | G | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
26 October 2007, v Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... , White Hart Lane White Hart Lane White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230.... , Premier League |
6 November 2011(joint with Joe Jordan Joe Jordan Joseph or Joe Jordan may refer to:* Joe Jordan , Scottish football coach and former player* Joseph Louis Jordan, Canadian politician* Joe Jordan , ragtime and jazz musician... ), v Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... , Craven Cottage Craven Cottage Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896.... , Barclays Premier League |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50% |