| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frank Allen | ||
| Date of birth | (1901-05-05)5 May 1901[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Altofts, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 30 October 1989(1989-10-30) (aged 88)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Ravenshead, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Inside forward,wing half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1919–1925 | Altofts West Riding Colliery | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1925–1926 | Castleford Town | ||
| 1926–1928 | Barnsley | 68 | (2) |
| 1928–1929 | Bangor City | ||
| 1929 | Port Vale | 0 | (0) |
| 1929 | Clapton Orient | 0 | (0) |
| 1929–1930 | Southport | 31 | (6) |
| 1930 | Nelson | 14 | (0) |
| 1930–1933 | Barrow | 67 | (11) |
| 1933–1935 | New Brighton | 51 | (18) |
| 1935–1937 | Le Havre | ||
| 1937–193? | Ollerton Colliery | ||
| Total | 233 | (37) | |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Frank Allen (5 May 1901 – 30 October 1989) was an English professionalfootballer who played as aninside forward and later as awing half. Originally a coal miner by trade, he became a full-time footballer at the age of 24 and went on to play professionally for the next 11 years.[2] He played for six different teams in theFootball League, making over 230 league appearances in total.
Allen was born on 5 May 1901 inAltofts, West Yorkshire and was brought up in a mining background, which was typical of the area at the time. He started working at Altofts Colliery in 1919 and played part-time football for the Colliery. After he retired from football, he returned to the mines, working at Ollerton Colliery from 1937. He regularly played golf and was a keen gardener, entering several flower shows and gardening competitions.[1] In his later years, he lived inRavenshead in Nottinghamshire. Allen died frompneumonia on 30 October 1989 at the age of 88.[2]
Allen left Altofts in 1925 to join amateur side Castleford Town, who played in theMidland Football League. Castleford finished bottom of the division in the 1925–26 campaign, but Allen's performances had attracted professional clubs to secure his signature, and he joinedFootball League Second Division sideBarnsley in February 1926 at the age of 24.[2] He was moved fromright-half toinside forward to accommodate Dai Jones.[1] He scored two goals in his first 10 matches with Barnsley, but despite playing as an inside forward he failed to get on the scoresheet in the next two seasons and was released by the club at the end of the 1927–28 season having scored two goals in 68 league matches.[3]
Upon his release by Barnsley, Allen joinedBangor City in August 1928. He remained at the club for only six months beforetransferring to Second Division clubsPort Vale and thenClapton Orient. He failed to make a single first-team appearance for either club, and Orient wererelegated in 1928–29; he left Orient to sign forFootball League Third Division North sideSouthport in June 1929. He spent one season at Southport, scoring six goals in 31 league games.[3]
In August 1930, Allen moved to fellow Third Division North clubNelson on afree transfer. He made his debut for the team on 30 August 1930 in the 5–4 away defeat toRochdale.[2] He played 17 first-team games for Nelson and scored once, in anFA Cup tie. Nelson struggled in the league in the 1930–31 season, eventually failing re-election at the end of the campaign, and Allen departed the club to joinBarrow in January 1931 wheremanagerJimmy Commins signed him for the third time in his career.[1] He was converted into awing half during his time atHolker Street, and his goalscoring rate was significantly increased as he scored seven goals in his first 18 league matches. Allen left Barrow in August 1933, having played 67 matches and scored 11 goals for the club.[3] Before the start of the 1933–34 season, Allen signed forNew Brighton where he played for two seasons, netting 18 times in 51 games, the most prolific period of his career. This tally included ahat-trick against former club Southport on 7 April 1934.[1] In 1935, Allen joinedLigue 2 sideLe Havre and subsequently had two years in France before retiring from professional football in 1937.[3]
| Club | League | Season | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barnsley | Second Division | 1925–26 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| Second Division | 1926–27 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| Second Division | 1927–28 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| Total | 68 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 71 | 2 | ||
| Port Vale | Second Division | 1928–29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clapton Orient | Second Division | 1928–29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Southport | Third Division North | 1929–30 | 31 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 7 |
| Nelson | Third Division North | 1930–31 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| Barrow | Third Division North | 1930–31 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 7 |
| Third Division North | 1931–32 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| Third Division North | 1932–33 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 4 | |
| Total | 67 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 72 | 11 | ||
| New Brighton | Third Division North | 1933–34 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 8 |
| Third Division North | 1934–35 | 33 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 36 | 11 | |
| Total | 53 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 60 | 19 | ||
| Career total | 233 | 37 | 20 | 3 | 253 | 40 | ||