Malcolm Allison

Early life

Son of an electrical engineer, Allison was born in Dartford in September 1927. Allison was educated at secondary modern schools rather than grammar school after deliberately failing the 11-plus exam so he could play football, not rugby.

Playing career

He started his career with Charlton Athletic but struggled to make a difference on the pitch, playing just twice in six years. Matters off the pitch led to his transfer, after letting club coaches know that their training methods — which was normally nothing more than running up and down the terracing, were outdated.

Allison joined West Ham United in February 1951, after seven seasons at Charlton Athletic. Here he gained experience not only as a footballer but also as a future coach, and often stayed behind after training with anyone interested in football to discuss and devise new tactics.

A promising career as a centre-half was ended prematurely by a bout of tuberculosis as he fell ill after a game against Sheffield United on 16 September 1957 and had a lung removed in hospital. This turned out to be his last senior game for West Ham, and although he battled on in their reserve team he struggled with the inability to achieve full fitness. For a period he left football altogether, and worked first as a car salesman, then as a professional gambler and nightclub owner. He came back to football to play a final season for non-league Romford in 1963.

Management career

Allison's first taste of coaching was at West Ham, where – under Ted Fenton – he took charge of coaching sessions and acted as mentor to a young Bobby Moore and was a leading figure in the establishment of the academy principles at the club. After gaining further experience of coaching at Cambridge University, Allison moved into management at non-league Bath City. He replaced the veteran Bob Hewson, who had retired. One of his first moves was to double the number of training sessions. The players, who held full-time jobs outside football, were required to train four times every week. Allison's first season as a manager was a moderate success; he led the club to a third-place finish in the league, and to a third round F.A.Cup tie with First Division Bolton Wanderers. City were leading 1–0 at Twerton Park until a late equaliser from the penalty spot. They lost the replay 3–0.

At the end of the English season Allison accepted an offer to coach in North America over the summer, with Toronto City. After a matter of weeks he was back in England. His success at Bath had alerted a number of Football League clubs, and in May 1964 he joined Plymouth Argyle, where he had been offered a £3,000 per annum salary. He soon returned to Bath to sign full-back Tony Book. However, Allison knew the Argyle board would be reluctant to permit the purchase of a player with no League experience, who was approaching his thirtieth birthday. Allison encouraged Book to doctor his birth certificate, making him appear two years younger.

Manchester City

Joe Mercer was named Manchester City manager in July 1965. As ill health had hindered him in his previous job as manager of Aston Villa, Mercer sought a younger, energetic man to be his assistant. He offered the position to Allison, whom he knew from coaching courses at Lilleshall. Allison was due to meet Raich Carter to discuss a position at Middlesbrough, but Mercer was able to arrange a meeting the day before, and persuaded Allison to accept his offer.

The Mercer-Allison era is believed to be strongest in Manchester City's history – they were surprise winners of the First Division in 1967–68 against the odds, some at long 200-1 for City to win the league at the start of the season. In the following seasons they won the 1969 FA Cup, the 1970 League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup, with a team including Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee. Allison turned down an offer to manage Juventus on the understanding that Mercer would move aside and let him become full-time Manchester City manager – however, Mercer steadfastly refused to stand down. Their relationship disintegrated and eventually Allison won the power struggle – Mercer was sidelined and quit to take over at Coventry City in the summer of 1972. Allison was left in sole charge at City, but the team struggled, the fans became hostile, and in March 1973 he resigned.

Crystal Palace

Allison was certainly one of the most flamboyant characters in Crystal Palace's history and his time at Selhurst Park was a rollercoaster ride for Palace supporters.

On 31 March 1973, Allison was appointed Palace manager after previously holding the role at Bath City, Plymouth Argyle and Manchester City where he helped the club to top domestic honours along with Joe Mercer. Despite his arrival the Eagles were relegated, losing five out of their last seven games.

Allison immediately instigated a huge stylistic shift both on and off the field, raising Palace's profile with his charismatic media appearances, rebranding the club's rather homely nickname 'The Glaziers' as 'The Eagles', and ending the club's 68-year association with claret-and-blue kits. Palace’s highly recognisable red-and-blue striped home kit was introduced, and later, the all-white strip with red and blue sash, changes which still reflect in the character of the club today.

The following season, 1974, was even more disastrous because of a second successive relegation. Allison completely restructured the side in an attempt to halt the club's decline and he angered many fans with his decision to replace favourite John Jackson in the Palace goal. Allison's larger than life image was a mixed blessing in Division Three for it raised hopes and aspirations of supporters while also serving to motivate other clubs when they visited SE25. Palace defender Jim Cannon said: "Malcolm Allison put Palace on the map. No other man could single-handedly take a club from the First Division to the Third Division and still become an instant hero".

However 1975–76 was the most successful season for Allison at Selhurst Park as he spurred his side on to an FA Cup semi-final appearance. Brilliant victories against higher league opposition in the shape of Leeds United, Chelsea and Sunderland led to the club's first FA Cup semi-final appearance but unfortunately eventual winners Southampton proved too strong in the match which was played at Stamford Bridge. The cup run was also notable for the first appearance of Allison's trademark fedora hat during a third-round game at Scarborough and his use of the sweeper system in football which, at the time, was a relatively new idea.

With the team failing to reach Wembley and win promotion (despite building up a big lead in the league table in the early part of the season) Allison resigned in May 1976. He returned to the club in 1980–81 for a two-month period in a doomed attempt to avoid relegation from the top flight.

Return to Manchester City

In 1979, Allison was offered the chance to return to Manchester City by then-chairman Peter Swales. City's only success since Allison left in 1972 was League Cup victory in 1976 although the club had been doing reasonably well under long-term manager Tony Book, finishing second in the league in the 1976–77 season and runners-up in the League Cup in 1974.

Allison was given a sizeable war chest to build his team — this time without Joe Mercer. Allison controversially sold crowd favourites Peter Barnes and Gary Owen and replaced them with players including Michael Robinson and Steve Daley – who became the British transfer record for £1,450,000m.

Daley turned out to be a flop, and Allison always said that he had agreed a much lower fee with the Wolves manager for Daley. Allison later said Swales intervened on a chairman to chairman basis and secured the transfer instantly but at a much higher, possibly rip-off price. Allison later admitted on his first meeting with chairman Swales: ""I looked at him, saw the comb-over, the England blazer and the suede shoes and thought 'this isn't going to work". Indeed, it didn't and Allison left a year later in 1980 with City struggling in the league, nor did Allison do himself any favours by getting involved in a verbal scrap with his successor and fellow maverick manager, John Bond.

Overseas

Allison also managed overseas, in Turkey with Galatasaray (1976–1977), and in Portugal with Sporting. With the Lisbon club he won the league championship and the Portuguese Cup in 1981–1982. That would be the only Championship title won by Sporting until the 1999–2000 season, which meant that Allison is fondly remembered by Sporting fans.

Personality

Allison was remembered as one of the most exuberant characters in football and some believed his character made him "ahead of his time". His reputation as an unpredictable character was certainly well known by his manager at Manchester City Joe Mercer. When Mercer was stopped by police in his car for erratic driving in the early hours of the morning after leaving a club function at Maine Road, upon winding down his window Mercer quipped to the police officer: "OK chaps, what's Malcolm done now?"

Whilst at City Allison enjoyed winding up rivals, Manchester United. At a reception, he called Matt Busby "Matt Baby" and when City beat United 4–1 in December 1970 he walked over to the Stretford End and held four fingers aloft to signify City's goal tally. Allison later revealed he had hired a steeplejack to lower the flag on top of Old Trafford's main stand to half-mast.

Controversies

Allison's outspoken nature and womanising were of great interest to tabloid newspapers and it was reputed that Allison had relationships with Christine Keeler of the Profumo scandal, singer Dorothy Squires and two Miss UKs. And in 1976, Allison received a Football Association disrepute charge after a News of the World photograph appeared showing him in the Crystal Palace players' bath with porn star Fiona Richmond whom he had invited to a training session. Then Crystal Palace player, Terry Venables later said of the incident, "I was in the bath with all the players and we heard the whisper that she was coming down the corridor. So far, so good. We all leapt out and hid, because we knew there'd be photos and that wouldn't go down too well. Malcolm and Fiona dropped everything and got in the bath."

After football

In 2001 it was revealed by his son that Allison was suffering from alcoholism. In 2009 it was reported that Allison was suffering from dementia.

In January 2007 Crystal Palace fans organised a tribute to Allison, which they named 'Fedora Day'. Fans set up a campaign on www.cpfc.org, an unofficial forum dedicated to the club, to mark the 31st anniversary of the famous FA Cup run which Allison masterminded. The date chosen was that of the game against Preston North End in the 4th Round of the FA Cup on 27 January 2007. Fans sporting Allison's favoured Fedoras smoked cigars and drank champagne while cheering on their side. This generated major national press coverage. Crystal Palace – managed by Peter Taylor, a star of the 1976 side – were unable to match their predecessors and were knocked out of the cup 2–0.

Allison died in a nursing home on 14 October 2010 at the age of 83. He had six children. His funeral took place on 27 October the cortege passing the City of Manchester Stadium on its way to a service at the Southern Cemetery. Around 300 people gathered to pay their respects and a round of applause from the assembled crowd greeted the arrival of the cars. A sky-blue, Manchester City scarf was draped over his coffin next to an ice bucket containing a bottle of Moet et Chandon champagne.

Legacy

Allison was known as a great innovator in revolutionising training methods in English football.

Quotes

Honour(s) as player

Honour as coach