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Jim Allen |
Portsmouth
FC
2 caps, 0 goals
P 2 W 1 D 0 L 1 F 4:
A 2
50% successful
1933
disciplined: none
captaincies: none
minutes played: 126 |
|
 |
|
Profile |
|
Full name |
James Phillips
Allen |
|
Born |
16 October 1909
in Poole, Dorset [registered in Poole, December 1909].
Attended St. Mary's School, Longfleet |
|
Census Notes |
According to the 1911 census,
a one year-old James lived at 14 Hickford Road, Poole. The youngest
of eleven children, to Samuel and Fanny Allen. His father was a drayman. |
|
Died |
5 February 1995
in Southsea, Hampshire, aged 85 years 113 days. [registered in Portsmouth,
February 1995] |
|
Height/Weight |
6'1", 12st.
10lbs [1934] |
|
Notes |
The Aston Villa Player Database states
that Jim Allen died on 8th February, it also gives him a 'known-by' name
of Jack, as does Doug Lamming. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990],
The Independent.co.uk/obituaries &
FindMyPast.co.uk |
|
Club Career |
|
Club(s) |
He played for
Poole Central FC and Poole Town FC before signing with Portsmouth FC in July 1932, for £1,200.
After 132 league appearances and a single goal,
Allen signed for Aston Villa FC in June 1934 for a British record
transfer fee £10,775. Another 147 league
appearances and two goals followed. Retired in May
1944 following a serious knee injury. |
|
Notes |
The Aston Villa Player Database and
Spartacus.Schoolnet states Allen also guested for Birmingham City,
Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Luton, Portsmouth and Southampton during
World War II. |
|
Club honours |
FA Cup
runners-up 1933-34; Football League Division Two winners 1937-38. |
|
Individual honours |
Football League
(two appearances). |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
|
Management Career |
|
Club(s) |
Colchester
United FC July 1948 until April 1953. |
|
Club honours |
Southern League
Cup runners-up 1947-48, 1948-49, winners 1949-50; Southern
League runners-up 1949-50. |
|
Individual honours |
None |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
588th player to
appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Centre-half |
|
First match |
No. 188, 14 October 1933, Northern
Ireland
0 England 3, a British Championship match at Windsor
Park, Belfast, aged 23 years 363 days. |
|
Last match |
No. 189, 15 November 1933,
England 1
Wales 2,
a British Championship match at St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
injured after 36 minutes,
aged 24 years 30 days. |
|
Major tournaments |
British
Championships 1933-34; |
|
Team honours |
None |
|
Individual honours |
None |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
Beyond England |
|
Worked as a Birmingham firm's welfare
officer before taking the Colchester managership and, after leaving
football in 1953, became a licencee at Southsea.
-
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming
(1990). Hatton Press, p.10. |
|
Jim Allen - Career Statistics |
|
Squads |
Apps |
Comp.
Apps |
Mins. |
Goals |
Goals Av.min |
Comp.
Goals |
Capt. |
Disc. |
| 2 |
2 |
2 |
126 |
0 |
0
min |
0 |
0 |
None |
|
Due to the fact that
many matches rarely stuck to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time
for injuries, errors and substitutions. The minutes here
given can only ever be a guideline and cannot therefore be accurate, only
an approximation. |
|
Jim Allen
- Match Record - All Matches - By
Type of Match |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts
% |
W/L |
|
Home |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
0 |
0 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
|
Away |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
+3 |
0 |
1 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
100.0 |
+1 |
| All
-
British Championship |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
Jim Allen
- Match Record - Tournament Matches |
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC 1933-34 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
BC All |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
All Tournaments |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
|
All |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
0 |
1 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
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Jim Allen
- Match History |
|
|
|
Age
23 |
|
1 |
188 |
14 October 1933 -
Ireland
0 England 3, Windsor Park, Belfast |
AW |
BC |
Start |
ch |
|
Age
24 |
|
2 |
189 |
15 November 1933 -
England 1
Wales 2,
St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, |
HL |
BC |
Start inj 36 |
ch |
Notes
In football a record
transfer fee carries with it an immense burden of pressure. Andy Cole, recently
bought by Manchester United for £7m, will take time to bed in at his new club.
And so too did Jimmy Allen, one of his predecessors as the most expensive player
in the land. Admittedly, when Allen left Portsmouth for Aston Villa at a cost of
£10,775 in June 1934 (just a few weeks after picking up an FA Cup loser's medal
with Portsmouth), the media spotlight was markedly less severe than that now
shining on Cole. But the amiable Allen found himself placed under immediate
strain.
A vociferous faction of Villa
Park fans were less than ecstatic at their club's parting with such a sum for a
man they saw as a rather negative performer. They liked their centre-halves to
take an active part in attacking play, while the 6ft Allen operated principally
as a stopper.
Perhaps not surprisingly his
early form was disappointing and the "I told you" brigade had a field day. but
Allen remained calm, despite the trauma of relegation from the First Division in
1936. Before long he had proved the doubters wrong, revealing the form which had
won him two England caps in his Portsmouth days and skippering the Midlanders to
the Second Division championship in 1938.
By then Allen, who had joined
Pompey from his local club, non-league Poole Town, for �1,200 in 1930, was in
his prime but, like so many players of his generation, he was denied the chance
to explore his full potential by the outbreak of the Second World War.
After guesting for Fulham,
Portsmouth and Birmingham City during the war, he was forced to retire through
injury in 1944 and he became sports and welfare officer for a Birmingham
company. But the call of football was strong, and in 1948 he became manager of
non-league Colchester United, leading them into the Football League when the
Third Division (South) increased in size in 1950. After two seasons of
commendable consolidation, Allen's side fell away in 1952-53 and in the spring
he resigned to become a pub landlord on Southsea.
Behind his bar, Allen readily
recounted tales of his playing days, but was too self-effacing to dwell on the
possibility that, had he not been injured, Portsmouth might have beaten
Manchester City at Wembley in 1934. In fact, Portsmouth were a goal up when
Allen had to leave the field and City equalised before he was able to return,
and then scored a late winner. Such modesty was typical of an engaging
sportsman. - The Independent Obituary
____________________
CG
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