Tony Allen

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. He instantly became a regular under Frank Taylor establishing himself at left-back with ease. Although playing outside the top division, his talents were soon spotted by the England selectors. After winning caps at youth and under-23 levels, he was called up for the full international side for a British Home Championship match against Wales in place of Jimmy Armfield on 17 October 1959. The match was drawn 1–1 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. He was ever-present throughout the 1960–61 and 1961–62 seasons, and only missed one game in the…

Club

International

Stoke City

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