Full name Peter Charles Allen 1965–1978 Leyton Orient Place of birth Hove, England Name Peter (footballer) | Playing position Role Footballer Years Team Position Midfielder | |
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Date of birth (1946-11-01) 1 November 1946 (age 69) | ||
Peter Charles Allen (born 1 November 1946 in Hove, Sussex) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder, and is the current holder of Leyton Orient's all-time appearance record. He is the only player to have played more than 400 times for Orient.
Allen joined Tottenham Hotspur as a schoolboy, where he was spotted by Orient manager Dave Sexton. Allen turned professional at Orient in July 1965, and made his debut in September of that year. During the late 1960s, he became a regular in the first team, playing in over 40 league matches per season from 1968–1973. In 1970, he turned down an offer from Everton.
Allen was noted at Orient for his versatility, able to play in defence when required, as well as being capable of scoring goals from midfield. He earned a testimonial in 1976, the year he broke Orient's appearance record, previously held by Arthur Wood. In all competitions, Allen made 490 appearances for the club, scoring 29 goals.
He left Orient in March 1978 to join Millwall, but only stayed briefly before retiring due to injury at the age of 32. He subsequently qualified as a solicitor, and set up his own partnership in Portslade in 1988.