 Allison in Manchester City colours during the 1970s | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Malcolm Alexander Allison[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 September 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Dartford, England | ||
| Date of death | 14 October 2010 (aged 83)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Trafford, England[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1945 | Erith & Belvedere | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1945–1951 | Charlton Athletic | 2 | (0) |
| 1951–1957 | West Ham United | 238 | (10) |
| 1960–1962 | Romford | 49 | (1) |
| Total | 289 | (11) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1963–1964 | Bath City | ||
| 1964 | Toronto City | ||
| 1964–1965 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| 1965–1971 | Manchester City (assistant) | ||
| 1971–1973 | Manchester City | ||
| 1973–1976 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 1976–1977 | Galatasaray | ||
| 1978–1979 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| 1979–1980 | Manchester City | ||
| 1980–1981 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 1981 | Yeovil Town | ||
| 1981–1982 | Sporting CP | ||
| 1982–1984 | Middlesbrough | ||
| 1984 | Willington | ||
| 1985–1986 | Kuwait | ||
| 1986–1988 | Vitória de Setúbal | ||
| 1988 | SC Farense | ||
| 1989 | Fisher Athletic | ||
| 1992–1993 | Bristol Rovers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
"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[2]
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.[3] During the 1960s and early 1970s, Allison won six major trophies in seven years with Mercer.[3] 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 more English clubs including Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, as well as three in Portugal and the Kuwait national team.
- ^ a b c "Malcolm Allison". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
- ^ "Malcolm Allison". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Malcolm Allison – Archive". MirrorFootball.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2010.