- Les Allen
Infobox Football biography
playername = Les Allen
fullname = Leslie William Allen
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1937|9|4|df=y
cityofbirth =Dagenham
countryofbirth =England
position =Inside-forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1954-1959
1959-1965
1965-1969
clubs = Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur
Queens Park Rangers
caps(goals) = 044 (11)
119 (47)
128 (55)
manageryears = 1969-1970
1972-1974
managerclubs = Queens Park Rangers
Swindon TownLeslie William Allen (born
Dagenham ,Essex ,4 September 1937 ) was an English footballer and manager.As a player, 16 year-old Les Allen made his senior football debut in February 1953 for Briggs Sports in an unforgettable FA Amateur cup quarter final tie at Victoria Road, Dagenham against the holders Pegasus, the great amateur team of the 1950's, a match which the Dagenham works team won 3-0 with Les scoring one and making the other two. Les was an apprentice at Fords and eventually signed as an amateur for Chelsea in September 1954. He was an exciting centre-forward who scored 11 goals in 44 league appearances, before joining Tottenham Hotspur in December 1959. He was a member of Tottenham's double winning side of 1960-61, forming a lethal goalscoring partnership with Bobby Smith. He scored 47 goals in 119 appearances, but lost his place upon the arrival of
Jimmy Greaves .He joined Queens Park Rangers in July 1965 and scored 55 goals in 123 starts and five substitute appearances. He was a member of the Q.P.R. team who became the first Third Division side to win the League Cup. After a spell managing Q.P.R. in 1969, he retired from playing and joined Swindon Town as a scout. He was promoted to the manager's position in November 1972, upon the departure of Dave Mackay. Following an unsuccessful tenure he was sacked in February 1974 and he later managed in
Salonika inGreece .Allen is now a model manufacturer who lives with his wife part of the year in
Hornchurch ,Essex , and part, in the quiet village of Souni inCyprus just outside ofLimasol . His brother Dennis, sons Clive and Bradley, and nephews Martin and Paul all played football professionally. His grandson Oliver, son of Clive, continues the family tradition and currently plays forStevenage Borough .External links
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/managers2.sd?managerid=902 Les Allen's managerial history] at The Internet Soccer Database
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