Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison in Manchester City colours during the 1970s.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Malcolm Alexander Allison | ||
| Date of birth | 5 September 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Dartford, England | ||
| Date of death | 14 October 2010 (aged 83) | ||
| Playing position | Centre half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 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) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1963–1964 | Bath City | ||
| 1964 | Toronto City | ||
| 1964–1965 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| 1965–1972 | Manchester City (assistant) | ||
| 1972–1973 | 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 | Wilington | ||
| 1985–1986 | Kuwait | ||
| 1986–1988 | Vitória de Setúbal | ||
| 1988 | SC Farense | ||
| 1989 | Fisher Athletic | ||
| 1992–1993 | Bristol Rovers | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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"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 seven trophies in seven years with Joe 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 more English clubs, as well as three in Portugal and the Kuwait national team.
Son of an electrical engineer, Allison was born in Dartford in September 1927. Allison was educated at state schools rather than grammar school after deliberately failing the entry exam so he could play football, not rugby.
He started his career with Charlton Athletic, however he struggled to make a difference on the pitch, playing just twice in 6 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.
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