Joe Allon

Joseph Ball Allon (born 12 November 1966) is an English former footballer. A striker, he scored 135 goals in 361 league and cup games in a 14-year career in the English Football League.

Starting his career with Newcastle United in 1984, he failed to break into the first team and moved on to Swansea City three years later. After a season with the Swans, he signed with Hartlepool United. After scoring 48 league goals for the club, he transferred to Chelsea in 1991. After a season with Chelsea, including a loan spell with Port Vale, he joined Brentford. In 1994, he moved back to Port Vale permanently before moving back to Hartlepool United via Lincoln City in 1995. He retired in 1998 because of a knee injury. He won three promotions with three clubs, and was voted onto the Fourth Division PFA Team of the Year in 1990–91 and won the North-East Footballer of the Year award in 1990–91.

Career Newcastle United Allon joined Newcastle United in 1982 and made his debut in the first team when Jack Charlton was manager in a 2–1 win over Stoke City at St James' Park on 1 December 1984. At the end of 1984–85 he starred in the FA Youth Cup final victory over Watford, scoring twice in a game in which Paul Gascoigne also netted a wonder goal. He was also capped at England Youth level. Allon scored twice in nine First Division games in 1985–86 and 1986–87, before manager Willie McFaul moved him on to Swansea City in August 1987.

Swansea City Terry Yorath's Swans won promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1987–88 after beating Torquay United 5–4 on aggregate in the play-off final. During the season, Allon also scored against rivals Cardiff City in the South Wales derby, in a 2–2 draw at Vetch Field on New Year's Day. He scored 12 times in 40 league and cup appearances in a partnership with Colin Pascoe before he returned to the North-East to join Hartlepool United in November 1988 as one of Bobby Moncur's first signings as manager. Moncur drove from Hartlepool to South Wales to watch the striker in a reserve team game and decided to sign him.

Hartlepool United Pools paid a nominal fee for the striker to bring him back to the North East. Pools struggled near the foot of the Football League in 1988–89 under Moncur, and Allon scored just five goals in 26 starts. The team again struggled in 1989–90 and suffered some heavy defeats under Moncur – losing 7–1 at York City, 6–1 at Aldershot and 6–0 at home to Doncaster. As Pools improved in the second half of the season and moved off bottom spot after being rooted there with 9 points from 18 games, Allon managed 17 goals in 45 league starts to become the club's joint top-scorer with strike partner Paul Baker. He only stayed for a few months of 1992–93, the inaugural season of the Premier League. It was rumoured that his friendship with Vinnie Jones led him astray and helped to bring about his poor form. In all he started just four games (with a further 14 substitute appearances) and scored three goals for the Blues. He was sold to Brentford in November 1992 for a club-record incoming fee of £275,000.

Brentford The "Bees" were relegated out of the First Division at the end of the 1992–93 season under Phil Holder. He scored 28 goals in 56 league and cup appearances at Griffin Park. However, the new manager David Webb wanted Allon off the wage bill. After just five games and three months at Sincil Bank he was on the move again, during which time manager Sam Ellis was replaced by John Beck. Between 2006 and 2008 Allon worked under ex-Chelsea teammate Dennis Wise on the coaching staff at Leeds United. He suffered a mental breakdown following the death of his mother due to Alzheimer's disease in 2007.

Career statistics

Honours Newcastle United FA Youth Cup: 1985

Swansea City Football League Fourth Division play-offs: 1988

Hartlepool United Football League Fourth Division third-place promotion: 1990–91

Port Vale Football League Second Division second-place promotion: 1993–94

Individual PFA Team of the Year: 1990–91 Fourth Division Hennessey Cognac North East Player of the Year: 1990–91 North East Football Writers Player of the Year: 1990–91