Tony Allen

Career Allen was born in Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent, and after playing football for his schools and the Boys' Brigade, he was signed by Stoke City as an amateur, before turning professional on his seventeenth birthday in November 1956. and Allen was retained for the next two matches, against Sweden (a 3–2 defeat) and Northern Ireland (won 2–1). For the next international match the following April, Ray Wilson was preferred at left-back, remaining first choice for most of the next decade. Although he received further caps at under-23 level (earning seven in all) Allen was never selected again for the full England eleven. He remains one of only two players of modern times (the other being Nick Pickering) to have only played for England while still in his teens.

Under new manager Tony Waddington he became a vital member of 'Waddington's wall' a tactic which helped Stoke stave off the threat of relegation in 1960–61 and then gain promotion in 1962–63 by winning the Second Division title.

Midway through the 1966–67 season Allen's pace began to desert him, so Waddington switched him to centre back alongside Maurice Setters and this allowed him to prolong his career until Willie Stevenson was signed from Liverpool in 1967. Allen also helped to coach local junior clubs.

Allen died at the Royal Stoke University Hospital on 2 December 2022, at the age of 83.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1957–58 Second Division

1958–59 Second Division

1959–60 Second Division

1960–61 Second Division

1961–62 Second Division

1962–63 Second Division

1963–64 First Division

1964–65 First Division

1965–66 First Division

1966–67 First Division

1967–68 First Division

1968–69 First Division

1969–70 First Division

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1970–71 Third Division

1971–72 Fourth Division

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International

Honours Stoke City Football League Second Division: 1962–63 Football League Cup runner-up: 1963–64