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Malcolm Allison
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Malcolm Allison
"I'd been a professional for two and a half months and Malcolm had taught me everything I know.... When Malcolm was coaching schoolboys he took a liking to me when I don't think anyone else at West Ham saw anything special in me... I looked up to the man. It's not too strong to say I loved him."
Bobby Moore
Malcolm Alexander Allison (5 September 1927 – 14 October 2010) was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.
Allison's managerial potential become apparent while in his youth at West Ham United, where he became a reliable defender and acted as a mentor to the younger players including future England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore. His playing career was cut short in 1958 when he had to have a lung removed because of tuberculosis.
As a coach, he is remembered for assisting manager Joe Mercer in the transformation of the team he supported as a young boy – Manchester City. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Allison won six major trophies in seven years with Mercer. After Mercer left, he managed the club on two occasions whilst offering his managerial services for a third time in 1989. He also managed several other English clubs including Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, as well as three in Portugal and the Kuwait national team.
The son of an electrical engineer, Allison was born in Dartford in September 1927. He was educated at secondary modern schools rather than grammar school after deliberately failing the 11-plus exam so he could play football, not rugby.
Allison started his career with Charlton Athletic but struggled to make an impact 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know that their training methods – which were normally nothing more than running up and down the terracing – were outdated.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. At West Ham he gained experience not only as a footballer but also as a future coach, and he 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. He played briefly for Toronto City FC in May and June 1964 as the team's player-coach.
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Malcolm Allison
"I'd been a professional for two and a half months and Malcolm had taught me everything I know.... When Malcolm was coaching schoolboys he took a liking to me when I don't think anyone else at West Ham saw anything special in me... I looked up to the man. It's not too strong to say I loved him."
Bobby Moore
Malcolm Alexander Allison (5 September 1927 – 14 October 2010) was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.
Allison's managerial potential become apparent while in his youth at West Ham United, where he became a reliable defender and acted as a mentor to the younger players including future England World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore. His playing career was cut short in 1958 when he had to have a lung removed because of tuberculosis.
As a coach, he is remembered for assisting manager Joe Mercer in the transformation of the team he supported as a young boy – Manchester City. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Allison won six major trophies in seven years with Mercer. After Mercer left, he managed the club on two occasions whilst offering his managerial services for a third time in 1989. He also managed several other English clubs including Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, as well as three in Portugal and the Kuwait national team.
The son of an electrical engineer, Allison was born in Dartford in September 1927. He was educated at secondary modern schools rather than grammar school after deliberately failing the 11-plus exam so he could play football, not rugby.
Allison started his career with Charlton Athletic but struggled to make an impact 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 were 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. At West Ham he gained experience not only as a footballer but also as a future coach, and he 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. He played briefly for Toronto City FC in May and June 1964 as the team's player-coach.