Les Allen
Encyclopedia
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 of the 1950s, a match which the Dagenham works team won 3-0 with Les scoring one and making the other two. Les was an apprentice at Fords and eventually signed as an amateur for Chelsea
in September 1954. He was an exciting centre-forward who scored 11 goals in 44 league appearances, before joining Tottenham Hotspur
in December 1959. He was a member of Tottenham's double winning side of 1960-61, forming a lethal goalscoring partnership with Bobby Smith. He scored 47 goals in 119 appearances, but lost his place upon the arrival of Jimmy Greaves
.
He joined Queens Park Rangers
in July 1965 and scored 55 goals in 123 starts and five substitute appearances. He was a member of the Q.P.R. team who became the first Third Division side to win the League Cup. After a spell managing Q.P.R. from 1969 to 1971, he retired from playing and joined Swindon Town
as a scout. He was promoted to the manager's position in November 1972, upon the departure of Dave Mackay. Following an unsuccessful tenure he was sacked in February 1974 and he later managed in Salonika in Greece
.
Allen is now a model manufacturer who lives with his wife part of the year in Hornchurch
, Essex
, and part, in the quiet village of Souni in Cyprus
just outside of Limasol. His brother Dennis
, sons Clive
and Bradley
, and nephews Martin and Paul
all played football professionally. His grandson Oliver, son of Clive, continued the family tradition and had a spell playing for Stevenage Borough until injury curtailed his career.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
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 of the 1950s, a match which the Dagenham works team won 3-0 with Les scoring one and making the other two. Les was an apprentice at Fords and eventually signed as an amateur for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in September 1954. He was an exciting centre-forward who scored 11 goals in 44 league appearances, before joining 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....
in December 1959. He was a member of Tottenham's double winning side of 1960-61, forming a lethal goalscoring partnership with Bobby Smith. He scored 47 goals in 119 appearances, but lost his place upon the arrival of 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 -...
.
He joined Queens Park Rangers
Queens 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...
in July 1965 and scored 55 goals in 123 starts and five substitute appearances. He was a member of the Q.P.R. team who became the first Third Division side to win the League Cup. After a spell managing Q.P.R. from 1969 to 1971, he retired from playing and joined Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
as a scout. He was promoted to the manager's position in November 1972, upon the departure of Dave Mackay. Following an unsuccessful tenure he was sacked in February 1974 and he later managed in Salonika in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Allen is now a model manufacturer who lives with his wife part of the year in Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, and part, in the quiet village of Souni in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
just outside of Limasol. His brother Dennis
Dennis Allen (footballer)
Dennis James Allen was an English football player and manager.Born in Dagenham, Allen represented Charlton Athletic , Reading and Bournemouth as an inside-forward. He scored 89 goals in 358 league appearances...
, sons Clive
Clive Allen
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...
and Bradley
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 nephews Martin and Paul
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...
all played football professionally. His grandson Oliver, son of Clive, continued the family tradition and had a spell playing for Stevenage Borough until injury curtailed his career.
External links
- Les Allen's managerial history at The Internet Soccer Database