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| Les Allen | |
|---|---|
| Name | Les Allen |
| Fullname | Leslie Allen |
| Birth date | 1937-05-10 |
| Birth place | Barnet |
| Height | 1.75 m |
| Position | Forward / Inside forward |
| Youthyears1 | 1952–1954 |
| Youthclubs1 | Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Youth |
| Years1 | 1954–1961 |
| Clubs1 | Tottenham Hotspur F.C. |
| Caps1 | 99 |
| Goals1 | 32 |
| Years2 | 1961–1965 |
| Clubs2 | Queens Park Rangers F.C. |
| Caps2 | 129 |
| Goals2 | 64 |
| Years3 | 1965–1966 |
| Clubs3 | Watford F.C. |
| Caps3 | 49 |
| Goals3 | 16 |
| Years4 | 1966–1968 |
| Clubs4 | Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. |
| Caps4 | 62 |
| Goals4 | 14 |
| Nationalyears1 | 1958 |
| Nationalteam1 | England national football team (B) |
| Manageryears1 | 1970–1971 |
| Managerclubs1 | Queens Park Rangers F.C. (caretaker) |
Les Allen Les Allen (born 10 May 1937) is an English former professional footballer and coach who played as a forward and inside forward during the 1950s and 1960s. He achieved prominence with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. as part of a successful postwar squad, later starring for Queens Park Rangers F.C., and subsequently working in coaching and scouting roles across English football. Allen is remembered for his finishing, positional intelligence, and contribution to trophy-winning teams in the Football League and domestic cup competitions.
Born in Barnet, Allen grew up in north London in the shadow of prominent Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Arsenal F.C. fan cultures. He joined the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. youth system in the early 1950s, progressing through coaching structures affiliated with local amateur clubs and schoolboy representative sides that provided players to senior English clubs such as Chelsea F.C. and West Ham United F.C.. During this period he featured in youth fixtures against contemporaries from Manchester United F.C. and Liverpool F.C. youth teams and benefited from training methodologies influenced by ex-players who had links to the English Football League.
Allen made his senior debut for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in the mid-1950s as the club prepared for its golden era under manager Bill Nicholson. He contributed to Tottenham's attack alongside teammates who included Jimmy Greaves, forming part of a forward line that contested league titles and cup competitions against rivals such as Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and Manchester City F.C.. Allen was a squad member when Tottenham secured major honours, participating in campaigns across the First Division and the FA Cup.
In 1961 Allen transferred to Queens Park Rangers F.C., where he became a prolific goalscorer and a central figure in a side competing in the Football League Third Division and cup tournaments such as the Football League Cup. At QPR he formed partnerships with players who later moved into coaching and management, contributing to the club's competitive standing relative to clubs like Portsmouth F.C. and Bristol Rovers F.C.. Later spells included Watford F.C. and Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., where he brought experience to squads managed by figures who had ties to Fulham F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C.. Across his league career Allen amassed over 300 league appearances, scoring more than 120 goals and featuring in notable fixtures at stadia such as White Hart Lane and Loftus Road.
Allen represented England at B level, appearing for the England national football team (B team) and scoring on his outing. He was part of a generation that vied for senior caps alongside contemporaries like Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews, and Bobby Charlton, with selection for the full national side highly competitive due to the depth of attacking talent in postwar English football. His B international involvement brought him into contact with selectors from the Football Association and managers who shaped England squads for fixtures against nations such as Scotland national football team and Wales national football team.
Allen operated primarily as an inside forward and centre-forward, noted for a composed finishing ability reminiscent of leading strikers of the era such as Jimmy Greaves and Derek Kevan. His positional sense, link-up play with wingers and midfielders, and movement into goal-scoring positions made him effective in systems employed by clubs like Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Queens Park Rangers F.C.. Analysts and club historians compare his game intelligence to contemporaries from Everton F.C. and Leeds United A.F.C. who also excelled in the transitional phases of English tactics during the 1950s and 1960s.
Allen's legacy endures within the supporter histories of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Queens Park Rangers F.C., cited in club archives and oral histories alongside other notable players from the period including Bill Nicholson-era figures and postwar scorers. His career is frequently referenced in works about the evolution of forward play in the Football League and in retrospectives covering the rise of tactical approaches that preceded the changes introduced by managers at clubs such as Manchester United F.C. and Arsenal F.C..
Following retirement from playing, Allen moved into coaching, scouting, and short-term management roles. He served in capacities at clubs with connections to former colleagues, offering expertise in talent identification and forwards coaching that linked him to coaching networks across English football including contacts at Queens Park Rangers F.C. and Watford F.C.. He undertook caretaker managerial duties and contributed to youth development programmes influenced by coaching pedagogies employed at institutions like The FA National School and club academies.
Allen's family life has remained comparatively private; he settled in the south-east of England and maintained links with former teammates from Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and Queens Park Rangers F.C.. He has been involved in charity matches and club alumni events that support initiatives connected to football supporters' trusts and former players' associations such as groups affiliated with PFA activities. Category:1937 births Category:English footballers