 Allardyce in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Allardyce[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1954-10-19)19 October 1954 (age 71)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Dudley, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1968–1969 | Dudley Town | ||
| 1969–1971 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1971–1980 | Bolton Wanderers | 184 | (21) |
| 1980–1981 | Sunderland | 25 | (2) |
| 1981–1983 | Millwall | 63 | (2) |
| 1983 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 11 | (1) |
| 1983–1984 | Coventry City | 28 | (1) |
| 1984–1985 | Huddersfield Town | 37 | (0) |
| 1985–1986 | Bolton Wanderers | 14 | (0) |
| 1986–1989 | Preston North End | 90 | (2) |
| 1989–1991 | West Bromwich Albion | 1 | (0) |
| 1991–1992 | Limerick | 23 | (3) |
| 1992 | Preston North End | 3 | (0) |
| Total | 479 | (32) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1991–1992 | Limerick (player-manager) | ||
| 1992 | Preston North End (caretaker manager) | ||
| 1994–1996 | Blackpool | ||
| 1997–1999 | Notts County | ||
| 1999–2007 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| 2007–2008 | Newcastle United | ||
| 2008–2010 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 2011–2015 | West Ham United | ||
| 2015–2016 | Sunderland | ||
| 2016 | England | ||
| 2016–2017 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 2017–2018 | Everton | ||
| 2020–2021 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| 2023 | Leeds United | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Samuel Allardyce (born 19 October 1954) is an Englishfootball manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent mostly inthe Football League, as well as brief spells in theNorth American Soccer League andLeague of Ireland. He was signed byBolton Wanderers fromDudley Town in 1969 and spent nine years at Bolton, helping the club to win theSecond Division title in 1977–78. He spent the 1980s as ajourneyman player, spending time withSunderland,Millwall,Tampa Bay Rowdies,Coventry City,Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers (for a second spell),Preston North End, andWest Bromwich Albion (also working as assistant manager). During this time, he helped Preston win promotion out of theFourth Division in 1986–87.
Moving into management, he took charge of Irish clubLimerick in 1991, leading the club to theLeague of Ireland First Division (second tier) title in 1991–92. He returned to England as a youth coach at Preston North End and served briefly as caretaker-manager. He took up his first permanent management role in England atBlackpool in July 1994 but was dismissed after two years, having narrowly failed to achieve promotion. He spent January 1997 to October 1999 in charge atNotts County, taking them to theThird Division title in 1997–98. He then returned to Bolton Wanderers as manager, leading the club to promotion out of theFirst Division via the play-offs in 2001, as well as aLeague Cup final andUEFA Cup qualification.
Following a spell atNewcastle United from May 2007 to January 2008, Allardyce managedBlackburn Rovers for two years from December 2008. He was appointedWest Ham United manager in June 2011, leading the club to promotion out of theChampionship via the play-offs in 2012 before leaving West Ham in May 2015 after criticism from fans over his playing style. He was appointedSunderland manager in October 2015, saving the club from relegation. He was appointed as manager of theEngland national team for a brief spell in July 2016 before taking charge atCrystal Palace five months later. After helping Palace avoid relegation that season, he resigned in May 2017. He has since had spells as manager atEverton from 2017 to 2018, West Bromwich Albion from 2020 to 2021, andLeeds United in May 2023.
Some analysts have labelled Allardyce along ball manager, though he has disputed this perception as "totally and utterly wrong". He takes a modern technology—and statistics-centred approach to tactics and coaching and has been praised for his organizational and man-management skills. Allardyce has faced allegations of misconduct in two separate undercover media investigations, though he denied wrongdoing and was ultimately not charged in either case. In September 2006, he and his son,Craig, were implicated in aBBCPanorama documentary for taking bribes, allegations which they denied. In September 2016, undercoverDaily Telegraph reporters posing as businessmen recorded him offering to help them to get around FAthird party ownership rules and provisionally agreeing a £400,000 contract.[3] FollowingtheDaily Telegraph investigation, Allardyce resigned as England manager in a mutual agreement withthe Football Association on 27 September.[4]
Samuel Allardyce was born in October 1954 on the Old Park Farm Estate,Dudley, the son of Robert Allardyce (27 April 1916 – 23 August 1989) and Mary Agnes Maxwell Allardyce née Duff (7 June 1918 – 3 July 1991).[5] His father was apolice sergeant.[6] Both parents originated from Scotland: his father fromNairn and his mother fromDumfries.[7] He has an older sister, Mary, born in Scotland in 1939, and an older brother, Robert Junior, born in 1951. Allardyce was educated at Sycamore Green Primary School and later atMons Hill School, having been unsuccessful in hisEleven-plus exam.[8] He discovered in later life that he hasdyslexia.[9] As a child, he supportedWolverhampton Wanderers and dreamed that one day he would play at and manage the club.[10]
Allardyce spent his youth with semi-professional sideDudley Town, making his debut at 14. He quickly learned how to play centre-half in the highly physicalWest Midlands (Regional) League.[11] He trained with localFootball League clubsWest Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He had an unsuccessful trial withAston Villa.[12] He was spotted byBolton Wanderers just before leaving school at the age of 15 and signed an apprenticeship with the club.[13] To supplement his income before officially starting his apprenticeship he worked in a factory producingrecord decks.[14] The Bolton under-18s were very successful, winning the Lancashire Youth Cup and reaching the quarter-finals of theFA Youth Cup, and Allardyce quickly rose through the B-team into the A-team.[15] He signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday, receiving a £125 signing on fee and wages of £14 a week.[16]
ManagerJimmy Armfield gave Allardyce his debut for the "Trotters" on 6 November 1973, in a 2–1League Cup defeat toMillwall atBurnden Park.[17] He made hisSecond Division debut eleven days later, in a 2–1 defeat toNotts County.[17] However he failed to establish himself in the first team under Armfield, and only got a run of games under new managerIan Greaves, who played Allardyce in the last ten games of the1974–75 season after he soldDon McAllister toTottenham Hotspur.[18] He impressed during this short run, winning himself the club's Young Player of the Year award.[19]
Bolton lost toNewcastle United after two replays in theFA Cup Fifth Round in the1975–76 season, and went on to miss out on promotion out of the league by a single point.[20] They were similarly disappointed in the1976–77 campaign, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup, and again finished just one point outside the promotion places.[21] Allardyce played alongsidePaul Jones at centre-half, and a scouting report for England managerDon Revie in 1977 described Allardyce and Jones as "one of the best central defensive pairings in the Football League." Despite this, however, he was never called up to the England team.[22] Promotion was finally achieved in the1977–78 season, as Bolton returned to theFirst Division as champions of the Second Division.[23] Bolton consolidated their top-flight status with a 17th-place finish in1978–79.[24] However the1979–80 season proved difficult, and manager Greaves was dismissed as the club went seven months without a league victory, whilst his replacementStan Anderson was unable to steer the club away from relegation and a last-place finish.[25] Allardyce decided to leave Bolton at the end of the season as he felt that he was underpaid at Bolton and did not get on with Anderson.[26]
Allardyce was offered a contract byNorwich City managerJohn Bond. The offer was bettered byColin Addison atDerby County, and he verbally agreed a three-year contract with Derby.[27] However, before signing the contract, he received a late offer fromKen Knighton to play forSunderland on a £300 a week contract with a £20,000 signing on fee – which more than quadrupled his wage at Bolton.[27] Allardyce signed for Sunderland on 1 July 1980 for £150,000.[28] Knighton appointed him as club captain.[29] However, Allardyce soon wearied of the long-distance travel fromSunderland to his home inBolton, and put in a transfer request when chairmanTom Cowie refused to help finance the purchase of a home in Sunderland.[30] Cowie dismissed Knighton late in the1980–81 season, leaving caretaker managerMick Docherty in charge to steer the club out of the First Division relegation zone.[31] New managerAlan Durban left Allardyce out of the team at the start of the1981–82 campaign, leaving Allardyce's departure fromRoker Park inevitable.[31]
He was offered the chance to return to Bolton Wanderers, but managerGeorge Mulhall was only able to offer 50% of Allardyce's wages at Sunderland.[31] Instead he made a surprise £95,000 move toThird Division sideMillwall, who were able to match Sunderland's wages and also pay out a £30,000 signing on fee and a £10,000 loyalty bonus.[31] Millwall player-managerPeter Anderson had seen Allardyce as the successor to long-serving central defenderBarry Kitchener, and as Anderson was also a property developer he allowed Allardyce to live rent free in a six-bedroom mansion.[31] The "Lions" ended the 1981–82 season in mid-table, and Anderson was dismissed in November 1982.[32] Chairman Alan Thorne offered Allardyce the vacant management position, but Allardyce rejected the offer as he felt that at aged 28 he was far too young to enter management.[33] Instead it wasGeorge Graham who took up his first management position, and Graham immediately froze Allardyce out of the first team on both matchdays and training after Allardyce insisted that he would not report teammates who broke Graham's rules.[33] He came close to joiningCharlton Athletic on a free transfer in March 1983, but Charlton bossLennie Lawrence did not complete the move before the end of the transfer deadline.[34] Graham agreed to pay Allardyce £15,000 to cancel his contract, acting under the assumption that Allardyce would struggle to find a club willing to offer him £300 a week.[35]
Allardyce wrote to every club in the top two divisions to inform them he was available on a free transfer and privately lamented choosing his past clubs for financial rather than footballing reasons.[36] Over the summer he played 11 games in theNorth American Soccer League for theTampa Bay Rowdies, a club that shared facilities with theNFL'sTampa Bay Buccaneers.[37] Allardyce subsequently applied in his managerial career many modern practices ofAmerican football with regards to training, player management and tactics.[38] He found playing difficult however, due to the heat and the all-out attacking nature of his teammates, which led to him being frequently exposed at the back, though he found that the club's masseurs managed to cure a long-standinghamstring scar tissue problem.[39]
Upon returning to the UK, he joinedBobby Gould's First DivisionCoventry City on a one-year £300 a week contract.[36] He was made captain, and though Coventry enjoyed a good first half to the1983–84 season, they faltered badly in the second half of the season. They finished just one place and two points above the relegation zone after beating Norwich City on the season's final day.[40] Midway through the campaign, Gould had promised him a new two-year contract, but following the poor end to the season, he instead opted to release Allardyce.[41]
In July 1984, he was signed byMick Buxton at Second DivisionHuddersfield Town.[41] The move reunited him withPaul Jones, his former centre-half partner at Bolton.[42] Huddersfield finished in 13th place in the1984–85 season, and at the end of the campaign accepted an offer of £15,000 from Bolton Wanderers, who offered Allardyce a three-year contract.[42] Bolton were then managed byCharlie Wright, who was the goalkeeper during Allardyce's first spell with the club.[42] However, Wright was dismissed in December 1985, and his successor,Phil Neal, did not get along with Allardyce.[42] Neal played himself at centre-half and relegated Allardyce to the bench, despite Neal being a full-back.[42] Bolton reached the1986 Associate Members' Cup Final atWembley Stadium, which ended in a 3–0 defeat toBristol City, with Allardyce as an unused substitute.[43]
Allardyce was offered the chance to joinTranmere Rovers, but instead joinedPreston North End after being persuaded by managerJohn McGrath, who promised to make Allardyce the backbone of his team.[43] Preston won promotion out of theFourth Division in second-place in1986–87 (Allardyce was also named on thePFA Team of the Year), and consolidated their Third Division status with a 16th-place finish in1987–88.[44][45] By this time Allardyce began considering his retirement as a player, and applied to management positions atYork City andNotts County, and had an unsuccessful interview withDoncaster Rovers.[45]
Bolton fans gave him the nickname "Super SamBionic Man" due to his tough tackling approach and the way he quickly got up after heavy collisions whilst the opposition player would be left flat on the ground.[46] Veteran managerDave Bassett, a friend of Allardyce, once humorously remarked that "He was what I called a ball-playing defender... If he wasn't playing with the ball he was playing with your balls."[47] He was uncomfortable in possession. He played simple balls to his nearest teammates when he found himself with the ball, whilst teammates would be reluctant to pass to him.[46] He did however possess good awareness and heading skills, and his anticipation made up for his lack of pace.[48]
Allardyce was hired as a player-coach byBrian Talbot atWest Bromwich Albion in February 1989.[49] He spent most of the rest of the1988–89 season atThe Hawthorns managing and playing for the reserve team, before being promoted to first team coach in the summer, in a move that saw former first-team coachStuart Pearson demoted to reserve team coaching.[50] Allardyce and Talbot were dismissed in January 1991 following a defeat toIsthmian League sideWoking in theFA Cup.[51] He later worked as a part-time coach atBury, but managerMike Walsh could not afford to keep him on the staff for the1989–90 season.[52]
Allardyce then took up the role of player-manager ofLimerick and guided the team to promotion into theLeague of Ireland Premier Division after winning the1991–92 League of Ireland First Division. Despite tremendous financial pressures, they achieved promotion, with Allardyce coaching and playing for the first team whilst the club board signed players as Allardyce had no knowledge of the Irish football scene.[53]
After his season in Ireland, Allardyce returned to England for the start of the1992–93 season to coach atPreston North End underLes Chapman.[54] Ten games into the season, however, Chapman was dismissed and Allardyce was appointedcaretaker manager.[54] Despite a promising spell in charge, Allardyce did not get the job permanently, and in December 1992 Preston appointedJohn Beck as manager.[55] Allardyce worked as youth team coach for 18 months, but later said the extremelong ball tactics Beck enforced upon the club were "indefensible".[56]
On 19 July 1994[57]Blackpool,West Lancashire derby rivals to Preston North End, appointed Allardyce as their new manager following the departure ofBilly Ayre, agreeing a salary of £18,000 a year.[58] He signed defenderDarren Bradshaw, midfielderMicky Mellon and spent a club record £245,000 onAndy Morrison, who Allardyce described as a "horrible in-your-face" centre-back and a "complete nutter".[59] He also changed the club's backroom staff, hiringBobby Saxton as his assistant, promoting playerPhil Brown to a coaching role, and appointingMark Taylor as physio, who would follow Allardyce to Blackburn and Newcastle.[60] Blackpool finished the1994–95 season in 12th place after falling out of the promotion race with just one win in their final 11 games.[60]
He spent £200,000 on strikerAndy Preece, and also brought in young defenderJason Lydiate and goalkeeperSteve Banks for the1995–96 campaign.[61] Blackpool finished third, missing out on automatic promotion on the last day of the season, and were beaten in the play-off semi-finals byBradford City.[62] They had won 2–0 away atValley Parade, only to lose 3–0 in the return leg atBloomfield Road.[63] ChairmanOwen Oyston, while he was in a prison cell, dismissed Allardyce shortly after the play-off defeat.[64] Allardyce then had a brief spell on the coaching staff underPeter Reid atSunderland, working as director of theacademy.[65]
We had missed promotion to the First Division by a point. Yet it had all been done on next-to-nothing, and during the months leading towards the end of the season, I hardly ever saw Owen Oyston. But he always assured me that, no matter what, my job would be safe. I turned up for that meeting having been told it was to discuss new terms. Instead, I was told that I was being sacked. It was cold, calculated, pre-planned, whatever. I walked out of there with £10,000, no job, and desperately worried that my reputation would be damaged forever.
— Five years after his sacking, Allardyce stated that he still had no idea why Blackpool relieved him of his position.[66][67]
In January 1997, Allardyce returned to football as manager of struggling Division Two clubNotts County.[68] He arrived too late to save them from relegation in1996–97, and in his autobiography, described how the players "would not respond" to his coaching methods as they went 18 games without a win and pressure mounted on Allardyce.[69] However, he held on to his job and led the club to promotion as champions of Division Three at the end of the1997–98 season, built upon a three-man defence and a mid-season run of ten consecutive wins.[70] County broke several club and national records, winning the title by a 19-point margin and becoming the first post-war side to win promotion in March.[70]
Despite the success, chairman Derek Pavis refused to spend money on transfers and, as a result, fell out with Allardyce.[71] Allardyce was eventually allowed to spend £50,000 on strikerKevin Rapley, who helped the club to steer clear of relegation at the end of the1998–99 campaign.[72] In the summer, he signed midfielderCraig Ramage and utility playerClayton Blackmore.[72] Allardyce remained in charge atMeadow Lane until 14 October 1999, when he resigned his post at Notts County to return to Bolton Wanderers.[73]
Allardyce was appointed manager of Bolton Wanderers followingColin Todd's departure, who had resigned in protest at the sale ofPer Frandsen as the club attempted to raise funds for the newReebok Stadium.[74] He inherited a talented squad, which includedEiður Guðjohnsen,Jussi Jääskeläinen,Mark Fish,Claus Jensen,Dean Holdsworth,Bo Hansen,Michael Johansen, andRicardo Gardner.[75] He was forced to sellAndy Todd, son of Colin Todd, after he broke assistant manager Phil Brown's jaw in a team-bonding session.[75] Despite being in the bottom half of the table when he took over, Bolton reached the1999–2000 Division One play-offs, losing toIpswich Town in the semi-finals, and had an eventful run to theLeague Cup andFA Cup semi-finals, only missing out on the2000 FA Cup Final after a penalty shoot-out defeat toAston Villa.[76] He blamed refereeBarry Knight for the play-off defeat, accused him of being biased against Bolton.[77] Allardyce was rewarded for turning the club around with a ten-year contract, though the terms of the contract only entitled him to a one-year's compensation pay if he was dismissed.[78]
In summer 2000, Guðjohnsen and Jensen were sold for £4 million each.[79] Allardyce focused on spending money to improve the club's facilities and backroom staff, believing that money spent in these areas would allow Bolton to compete with clubs who had bigger budgets and paid bigger wages than Bolton could afford.[80] On the playing front he spent £400,000 on strikerMichael Ricketts and £1.5 million to bring back Frandsen from Blackburn and also signed utility playerIan Marshall andBradford City loaneeIsaiah Rankin.[81] TeenagerKevin Nolan was also promoted from the youth team, whilst 35-year-old defenderColin Hendry arrived on loan.[82] Bolton reached theplay-off final at theMillennium Stadium in2000–01, where they beatPreston North End 3–0 to achieve promotion to thePremier League after a three-year absence.[83]
Building for the2001–02 Premier League campaign, Allardyce signedFrance international defenderBruno Ngotty fromMarseille in a loan deal which was eventually made into a permanent one after Ngotty established himself as a key first team player.[84] He also brought inHenrik Pedersen fromSilkeborg IF for £650,000, though otherwise remained loyal to the players that had won promotion the previous campaign.[85] They recorded a 5–0 win atLeicester City on the opening day, then beatMiddlesbrough andLiverpool to secure nine points from their first three games.[86] After six games without a win, Bolton then recorded a shock 2–1 victory overManchester United on 20 October.[87] However their form dropped, and so in the January transfer window Allardyce brought in Danish midfielderStig Tøfting, German strikerFredi Bobic (on loan), andWorld Cup-winning attackerYouri Djorkaeff.[88] Djorkaeff scored both goals in a 2–1 win overCharlton Athletic on 23 March and Bobic scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Ipswich Town on 6 April; the victory over Ipswich proved to be essential as Bolton ended the season in 16th place on 40 points, ahead of Ipswich who were relegated with 36 points.[89]
Allardyce managed to sign another big name on a free transfer for the2002–03 season, bringing in 28-year-oldNigeria captainJay-Jay Okocha, who four years previously had been purchased byParis Saint-Germain for £14 million.[90] He also brought in Spanish central defenderIván Campo on loan fromReal Madrid.[91] He sold 2001–02 top-scorerMichael Ricketts to Middlesbrough for £3.5 million, bringing inPierre-Yves André on loan as his replacement.[92] Bolton struggled all season but managed to avoid relegation with a final-day win over Middlesbrough.[93]
Looking to avoid another relegation battle, Allardyce made some signings in preparation for the2003–04 season, the most significant of which were Brazilian defenderEmerson Thome,Greece internationalStelios Giannakopoulos, and target-man strikerKevin Davies.[94] Allardyce's side finished eighth in the league and reached the League Cup final, in what was his first major domestic final appearance as a player or manager.[95] Bolton lost2–1 toMiddlesbrough in the final, though Allardyce blamed refereeMike Riley for not giving a late penalty for an alleged handball byUgo Ehiogu.[96]
Now an established Premier League club, Bolton signed veteran internationalsGary Speed andFernando Hierro, aged 35 and 36 respectively.[97] Speed and Hierro went into midfield, whileTunisia internationalRadhi Jaïdi was played at centre-back after arriving on a free transfer fromEspérance; he was played alongside another new arrival,Israel defenderTal Ben Haim, who was recommended by Allardyce's son Craig.[98] He also brought inSenegal strikerEl Hadji Diouf on a season-long loan from Liverpool, whom he would eventually sign permanently for £3 million.[98] After a good start to the season, Allardyce was offered the Newcastle United job, but turned it down and instead signed a new five-year contract with Bolton as he felt the Bolton squad to be more talented.[99] Bolton went on to finish in sixth place in2004–05 to win qualification to theUEFA Cup for the first time in theclub's history.[100]
Bolton reached the Round of 32 in the UEFA Cup in2005–06, beatingLokomotiv Plovdiv (Bulgaria) in the First Round and successfully negotiating through the Group stage after beatingZenit Saint Petersburg (Russia), and drawing withSevilla (Spain),Beşiktaş (Turkey) andVitória Guimarães (Portugal), before losing to Marseille (France) in the knock-out stages.[101] Allardyce's success with Bolton resulted inthe FA putting him on a short-list of four people to succeedSven-Göran Eriksson asEnglandmanager after the2006 FIFA World Cup, alongsideAlan Curbishley,Steve McClaren andMartin O'Neill.[102] He was interviewed for the position and was told by FA Chief ExecutiveBrian Barwick that the final choice would be between him and McClaren however the FA eventually decided to give the job to McClaren.[103] Allardyce was also again offered the Newcastle job and was this time to keen to take it, but Newcastle chairman Freddie Shepard broke off contract negotiations after electing to appoint caretaker-managerGlenn Roeder on a full-time basis.[104] Allardyce's team seemed unaffected by speculation on his future or by their European exploits and ended the season in eighth position.
Keen to strengthen Bolton for a European push in the2006–07 season, Allardyce signed France international strikerNicolas Anelka fromFenerbahçe for aclub record £8 million.[105] He also signedIvory Coast defenderAbdoulaye Méïté from Marseille, and in an unusual sequence of events made a £400,000 profit onDietmar Hamann, who changed his mind about joining Bolton and signed withManchester City a day after signing a pre-contract agreement with Bolton; Manchester City agreed to pay Bolton £400,000 in compensation.[106] Bolton had another good season: their 16 points from their first eight games was the last time for 14 years that two teams from outside the so-called 'big six' averaged at least two points per match in their first eight games (the other team being Portsmouth).[107] However, Allardyce's relationship with chairmanPhil Gartside became increasingly strained as Gartside refused to sanction greater transfer spending to finance a push forUEFA Champions League qualification.[108] On 29 April 2007, Allardyce resigned with the club in fifth place with two games of the season left to play, and the following day, his assistantSammy Lee was announced as his replacement.[109][110]
Allardyce was offered the Manchester City job, but the offer was withdrawn afterThaksin Shinawatra's purchase offer of the club was accepted.[111] On 15 May 2007, Newcastle United announced that Allardyce had signed a three-year contract to succeed Glenn Roeder as manager.[112] Coincidentally Newcastle then also had a change of owners, asMike Ashley completed his takeover of the club.[113] The sales ofScott Parker andKieron Dyer raised £13 million, allowing Allardyce to signAustralia international strikerMark Viduka (free transfer), utility manAlan Smith (£6 million), midfielderGeremi Njitap, controversial midfielderJoey Barton (£5.5 million), left-backJosé Enrique (£6.3 million), right-backHabib Beye (£2 million), and defenderAbdoulaye Faye.[114] Newcastle enjoyed a good start to the season, beating Allardyce's former club Bolton 3–1 on the opening day in a run of five wins and two draws from the opening nine league games.[115] However they then had a series of disappointing results in the run-up to Christmas, and after gaining only one point from a possible six from bottom-of-the-table Wigan and Derby[116][117] Allardyce parted company with Newcastle United on 9 January 2008.[118] He had gone into the meeting with chairmanChris Mort expecting to be told Newcastle had signed a new player only to learn he was being replaced byKevin Keegan in his second stint as Newcastle manager.[119]
On 17 December 2008, Allardyce was appointed as manager ofBlackburn Rovers on a three-year contract, succeedingPaul Ince, who left the club in 19th place with just three wins from 17 games.[120] Allardyce's first game in charge was a 3–0 victory overStoke City atEwood Park three days later.[121] This was the first game of a nine-game unbeaten run. He strengthened the team by spending £2 million on Sunderland wingerEl Hadji Diouf and brought in defenderGaël Givet on loan from Marseille.[121] Allardyce finished his first season in charge with a 0–0 draw withWest Bromwich Albion and a final league position of 15th.[122][123]
Blackburn were forced to sell talismanicParaguay strikerRoque Santa Cruz to Manchester City and defenderStephen Warnock to Aston Villa for a combined £21.5 million to balance the books.[124] Allardyce was permitted to bring in defensive midfielderSteven Nzonzi fromAmiens for £500,000,Croatia international forwardNikola Kalinić fromHajduk Split for £6 million, andPascal Chimbonda from Tottenham Hotspur for £2.5 million.[125][126] In the2009–10 season, Blackburn reached the League Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, but lost over two legs.[127] Blackburn remained mid-table for the duration of the season, and finished tenth with a final day victory away at Aston Villa.[128][129]
The club was put up for sale in the summer of 2010, and Allardyce was offered the job of managingShabab Al-Ahli Dubai but could not secure permission to leave Blackburn without paying compensation to the club and so remained in charge atEwood Park.[130] Allardyce was later dismissed by new owners theVenky's on 13 December 2010, with Rovers placed 13th in the league.[131][132] He was replaced by one of his coaches,Steve Kean, whose agentJerome Anderson was a highly influential figure with the Venky family.[133][134][135]
Allardyce was appointed as manager of then-recently relegatedWest Ham United on 1 June 2011, signing a two-year contract.[136][137] He vowed to play "attractive football" in getting West Ham back to thePremier League, according to the "traditions of the club", and rejected the claims that he played dull,long-ball football at previous clubs.[138] He signedAbdoulaye Faye,Kevin Nolan,Joey O'Brien andMatt Taylor.[139][140][141][142] Faye, Nolan and O'Brien had all played under Allardyce at his former club Bolton Wanderers while Taylor was a Bolton player who had joined after Allardyce left the club. He made strikerJohn Carew West Ham's fifth signing of the season, on a free transfer, followed by defenderGeorge McCartney from Sunderland on a season-long loan, strikersSam Baldock fromMilton Keynes Dons and midfielderPapa Bouba Diop on a free transfer.[143][144][145][146] He concluded hissummer transfer window signings ondeadline day by bringing in midfieldersDavid Bentley from Tottenham Hotspur andHenri Lansbury from Arsenal, both on season-long loans, as well as utility manGuy Demel fromHamburg for an undisclosed fee.[147]Nicky Maynard,Ricardo Vaz Tê andRavel Morrison followed in the2011 winter transfer window.[148][149][150] Over the course of the2011–12 season a total of 25 players left the club while 19 were signed.[151] In March 2012, despite standing in third place in theChampionship, Allardyce's style of football was again questioned.Fans called for morepassing of the ball and football played on the pitch and not in the air.[152] On 19 May 2012, West Ham were promoted back to the Premier League after only one season in the Championship after beating Blackpool 2–1 in theplay-off final. Allardyce described this promotion as his best-ever achievement.[153]
A busy transfer window for thesummer of 2012 saw Allardyce bring in eleven players, including his former Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jääskeläinen, midfielderMohamed Diamé,Mali international strikerModibo Maïga,Wales international centre-backJames Collins, defensive midfielderAlou Diarra, wingerMatt Jarvis, England strikerAndy Carroll (on loan from Liverpool) and Israel international midfielderYossi Benayoun.[154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161] West Ham finished the2012–13 season in tenth place, and Allardyce renewed his contract at West Ham by signing a new two-year deal.[162][163]
Allardyce's main signing of summer 2013 was Andy Carroll, for a £15 million fee from Liverpool, whilst he also spent an undisclosed fee on wingerStewart Downing, again from Liverpool, to provide crosses for Carroll to convert into goals.[164] He also signed goalkeeperAdrián on a free transfer fromReal Betis.[165] However, Allardyce's plans were disrupted when Carroll picked up a long-term injury, which left Allardyce regretting the transfer, especially as he had chosen Carroll instead of signingSwansea City'sWilfried Bony, who went on to score 16 league goals in the2013–14 campaign.[166] Allardyce was awarded thePremier League Manager of the Month for February 2014 following a run of four wins and one draw in their five Premier League games.[167] In April 2014, during an away game against West Bromwich Albion, a section of West Ham fans expressed their distaste at the style of football played under Allardyce by displaying a banner which read "Fat Sam Out, killing WHU".[168] The following month some supporters hung a banner bearing the legend "Fat Sam Out" outside the mansion owned by club chairman,David Sullivan, inTheydon Bois, Essex.[169] Despite protests, on 20 May 2014, the club announced that Allardyce would be staying as manager and would be supported by new attacking coachTeddy Sheringham for the2014–15 season to "ensure the team provides more entertainment" and to "improve the club's goal tally".[170][171]
In summer 2014, Allardyce signed midfielderCheikhou Kouyaté, left-backAaron Cresswell, attackerEnner Valencia, right-back (on loan from Arsenal)Carl Jenkinson, strikerDiafra Sakho, defensive midfielderAlex Song (on loan fromBarcelona), midfielderMorgan Amalfitano, and forwardMauro Zárate.[172] In October 2014, pundits like BBC'sRobbie Savage were commenting about the team's "more attractive and attacking playing style"[173] or "the statistics [that] show the progress that West Ham have made in the last few months."[173][174] Allardyce was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month for October 2014 after three wins for West Ham out of four games played that month.[175] Allardyce left West Ham on 24 May 2015, the final day of the season, after his contract was not renewed.[176] Allardyce stated that "I didn't want to stay. I suppose you could say it was mutual if they didn't want me to stay either".[177] His West Ham side had finished 12th in the 2014–15 season, one place higher than in the 2013–14 season.[178]
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On 9 October 2015, Allardyce was named the newSunderland manager, replacingDick Advocaat.[179] When Allardyce was appointed, Sunderland sat 19th in the Premier League table with three points from their first eight games of the season.[179] Signing a two-year contract, he became the first manager to have managed both Newcastle United and Sunderland. On 25 October, in his second game as manager, he guided Sunderland to a 3–0 win against rivals and his former club Newcastle United.[180] However, after a run of 5 defeats in a row in December, Sunderland headed into the second half of the season in the relegation zone with only 12 points from 19 games.[181]
In the January transfer window he signed centre-backsLamine Koné andJan Kirchhoff and attacking midfielderWahbi Khazri.[182][183][184] On 6 February 2016, Sunderland scored two late goals to draw 2–2 with Liverpool at Anfield, having trailed 2–0 with ten minutes remaining.[185] Later that week wingerAdam Johnson was dismissed by the club after pleading guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child and one charge of grooming.[186] Sunderland remained in the relegation zone for much of the remainder of the2015–16 season, before they boosted their survival chances by beatingNorwich City 3–0 atCarrow Road on 16 April, closing the gap on 17th-place Norwich to just one point.[187] Allardyce successfully led Sunderland to safety from relegation after beatingEverton 3–0 on 11 May, a result which also ensured the relegation of rivals (and one of his former clubs) Newcastle United.[188] Allardyce earned praise for his management of Sunderland from somepundits, particularly for his organized approach and emphasis on a strongdefence.[189]
On 22 July 2016, Allardyce signed a two-year contract to become manager of theEngland national team.[190] He won his first and only game in charge on 4 September, as anAdam Lallana goal deep into injury-time was enough to beatSlovakia on the opening day ofqualification for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[191] Followingallegations of malpractice, Allardyce left the role by mutual consent on 27 September, having managed the team for just 67 days and one match.[4]
On 23 December 2016, Allardyce signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to become manager ofCrystal Palace, a day after the dismissal ofAlan Pardew.[192] He strengthened in the January transfer window by spending around £30 million onJeffrey Schlupp,Patrick van Aanholt, andLuka Milivojević.[193] The "Eagles" confirmed their safety from relegation in the penultimate game of the2016–17 season with a 4–0 victory overHull City atSelhurst Park.[194] Allardyce unexpectedly announced his departure from Crystal Palace on 23 May 2017, saying he had no intention of seeking another job, in what was interpreted as a retirement announcement.[195][196] However, on 19 July 2017, Allardyce clarified that he would be open to an international management position, but not another club job.[197]
Despite announcing his retirement from club management, on 30 November 2017, Allardyce was appointed manager ofEverton on an 18-month contract. Everton were lying in thirteenth place in thePremier League table upon his arrival, following a poor start to the2017–18 season under previous managerRonald Koeman.[198] His first game in charge came two days later, when his side defeatedHuddersfield Town in a 2–0 victory.[199] He guided the "Toffees" to a seven-game unbeaten run at the start of his tenure, a spell which included five clean sheets.[200] Having steadied the defence, he stated that his next task was to bring in a consistent goalscorer.[201] Everton ended the season in eighth-position, but fans were dissatisfied with the style of play. Whilst under Allardyce's management, Everton were ranked 20th for total shots, 19th for total shots on target, 16th for passing accuracy and 17th for shots faced in the Premier League.[202] Allardyce left the club on 16 May 2018.[203]
On 16 December 2020, Allardyce was appointed manager ofWest Bromwich Albion on an 18-month contract afterSlaven Bilić was dismissed with the club 19th in the Premier League table.[204][205] His time as manager began with West Brom losing 3–0 at home tolocal rivalsAston Villa on 20 December with defenderJake Livermore being sent-off in the first half for a bad foul onJack Grealish.[206] BBC correspondent Simon Stone reported after the match that "Allardyce has his work cut out... the size of this task [avoiding relegation] cannot be overstated".[207] It took until his sixth game in charge for the Baggies to record a victory, when they won 3–2 away atBlack Country derby rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.[208] In the same month, he testified that it would "kill" him if he was relegated with West Brom and that he was aware of the health risks of returning to the managerial position.[209][210]
In January 2021, Allardyce said that three transfers had fallen through for West Brom as, followingBrexit, the players would not have obtained a work permit.[211] In the same month, it was reported that Allardyce could not get the hoped for reinforcements. He had wanted to sign another two players before the transfer window closed.[212] Despite picking up some notable results, such as a memorable 5–2 away victory against eventual2020–21 UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea, he was unable to keep West Brom in the Premier League, as they were relegated to the Championship on 9 May following a 3–1 away defeat against Arsenal.[213] This marked Allardyce's first relegation from the Premier League in his career.[214] On 19 May, following a 3–1 defeat to West Ham, Allardyce confirmed he would step down as manager at the end of the2020–21 season, despite the club stating their desire for him to continue as manager next season.[215][216][217]
On 3 May 2023, Allardyce was appointed as manager of Premier League clubLeeds United following the dismissal ofJavi Gracia, with four matches left to play of the2022–23 season. At the time of his appointment, Leeds were in 17th place, outside of the relegation zone ongoal difference.[218] In his first game in charge on 6 May, Leeds lost 2–1 away toManchester City.[219] Leeds drew their next game, against Newcastle United but lost the last two games of the season, 3–1 away to West Ham and 4–1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.[220] Leeds finished in 19th place in the Premier League and were relegated to the Championship.[221] On 2 June 2023, following the club's relegation, it was announced by the club that Allardyce had left by mutual agreement.[222] As such, Allardyce became the manager with the shortest tenure for a Premier League manager with just 30 days at Leeds, surpassingLes Reed atCharlton Athletic who previously held the record with a 40-day tenure.[223]
Allardyce is a keen proponent ofsports science and using technology and innovative techniques in coaching his teams,[224] such as computerised performance analysis andyoga.[225] Martin Hardy ofThe Independent described him as "one of the pioneers of sports science in English football".[226] Former players and pundits have cited his preparation as his main strength, which allows his teams to have better organisation and defensive stability.[225] Former Bolton playerKevin Davies also highlighted Allardyce's man-management skills as a strength.[225]
Allardyce has a reputation for usinglong ball tactics, though he has said that this perception is "totally and utterly wrong".[227] Former Newcastle playerLee Clark defended Allardyce from criticism of his tactics and said that Allardyce was right to work hard on set-plays and on the organisation of his team.[228] His talent for getting the best out of modest squads also gave him a reputation as a "survival specialist" who could steer a struggling Premier League club out of the relegation zone.[229][230]
Criticism of his perceived long-ball tactics became more intense as he managed West Ham United in the Premier League, including discontent from West Ham's own supporters.[231][232][233] In January 2014, following a 0–0 draw atStamford Bridge,Chelsea manager,José Mourinho criticised West Ham's football, likening it to "football from the 19th century".[234] In October 2014, Allardyce claimed his reputation for playing long ball football was "not founded in fact" and had been used as an excuse by opposing managers such asArsène Wenger,David O'Leary,Graeme Souness andRafael Benítez following defeats by sides managed by Allardyce.[6] Allardyce wrote in his autobiography that "when they hit a 50-yard ball it was a cultural pass; when we did it, it was a hopeful hoof".[235] In 2021, Allardyce was described byPep Guardiola as a "genius" for his ability to save clubs from relegation.[236]
He met his wife Lynne Ward while still a youth team player at Bolton Wanderers, and the pair married on 1 June 1974.[237] They have a son,Craig (9 June 1975), and daughter, Rachael (21 April 1979).[24][237] He was given an honorary doctorate by theUniversity of Bolton in July 2010.[238] In addition to his football career, Allardyce has also run several businesses, including a motor spares firm, a fast-food restaurant, a social club, apub, a piano bar, and a pub restaurant.[239] He published his autobiography,Big Sam, in October 2015.[240]
In January 2013, Allardyce received "substantial", but undisclosed, damages from former Blackburn Rovers managerSteve Kean. In 2011, Kean had been recorded in a bar in Hong Kong alleging that Allardyce had been dismissed from his post at Blackburn Rovers because he was a "crook".[241]
In May 2019, Allardyce's grandson, also named Sam, signed forOxford United having previously been a youth team player withManchester United andBury.[242]
Allardyce was the manager for the England teams atSoccer Aid in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020.[243][244]
On 14 November 2021, Allardyce took part in a charity match to help raise money for the mother ofBolton Wanderers playerGethin Jones, who had been diagnosed withmotor neuron disease. The current Bolton first team played against a team of legendary Bolton players, with Allardyce acting as manager of the legends team. The Bolton first team won 7–4.[245]
On 19 September 2006, aBBCPanorama documentary alleged that Allardyce and his son,Craig, had accepted payments from agents in exchange for signing certain players. Allardyce denied the allegations, and no formal charges were brought against him. Two agents, Teni Yerima andPeter Harrison, were secretly filmed, each separately claiming that they had paid Allardyce through his son. Allardyce denied ever taking or asking for a bribe.[246] Others implicated of wrongdoing wereHarry Redknapp,Kevin Bond, andFrank Arnesen.[247] As a result of the allegation, Allardyce refused to speak to the BBC.[248] While he also stated he was going to sue the broadcaster to clear his name,[249] Allardyce failed to issue libel proceedings as he was advised that suing for damage to reputation was a costly and time-consuming process.[250] The final report of theStevens inquiry published in June 2007 expressed concerns regarding the involvement of Craig Allardyce in some transactions, stating that: "The inquiry remains concerned at the conflict of interest that it believes existed between Craig Allardyce, his father Sam Allardyce—the then manager at Bolton—and the club itself."[251] Allardyce stated that the inquiry was apublic relations exercise and that the conclusion of a "conflict of interest" was "innuendo, without any facts".[252]
In February 2014,Daniel Taylor, chief football writer forThe Guardian andThe Observer, wrote that West Ham player andEngland prospectRavel Morrison felt he had come "under considerable pressure" from Allardyce to sign up with football agent Mark Curtis, who represented Allardyce himself and a number of other West Ham players, includingKevin Nolan,James Tomkins,Jack Collison,Matt Jarvis,Andy Carroll, andJussi Jääskeläinen.[253] Curtis had been charged and eventually cleared by the Football Association during the2008 investigation into Luton Town's illegal transfer dealings.[253] Curtis responded to the allegations by saying they were "nonsense", while Allardyce talked of Morrison complaining about "agroin injury" while the club's medical staff could find "no problem",[253] and made a reference to the player's "disciplinary issues in the past".[254] Morrison was eventually loaned out toChampionship sideQueens Park Rangers for the remainder of the 2013–14 season.[255]
In September 2016,Daily Telegraph reporters posing as businessmen filmed Allardyce, who had recently been appointed themanager of theEngland football team, allegedly offering to advise on how to get aroundFA rules on playerthird party ownership and negotiating a £400,000 deal, subject to FA approval.[3][256] Following the publication of the recordings, Allardyce left his role as England manager by mutual agreement with the FA, stating that he had made 'an error of judgment'.[257] Robert Sullivan, Director of Strategy at the FA, later confirmed to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee that Allardyce's comments were "a factual, correct statement around the laws of the English game and having third-party ownership".[258]
Following a review by City of London Police, Allardyce was cleared of any wrongdoing, withThe Daily Telegraph also clarifying that it "did not suggest that Allardyce had broken the law", though he agreed that he had been "a fool".[259] Speaking toThe Observer, Martin Glen, CEO of the FA, said that "it is a tragedy that we have ended up having to part company with him [Allardyce] over the, the – you know – entrapment".[260]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other[A] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 1973–74 | Second Division | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 1974–75 | Second Division | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| 1975–76 | Second Division | 40 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 6 | |
| 1976–77 | Second Division | 41 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 54 | 6 | |
| 1977–78 | Second Division | 41 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 51 | 5 | |
| 1978–79 | First Division | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| 1979–80 | First Division | 17 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 5 | |
| Total | 184 | 21 | 15 | 2 | 28 | 3 | 227 | 26 | ||
| Sunderland | 1980–81 | First Division | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
| Millwall | 1981–82 | Third Division | 36 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 3 |
| 1982–83 | Third Division | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| Total | 63 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 77 | 4 | ||
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1983 | North American Soccer League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Coventry City | 1983–84 | First Division | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| Huddersfield Town | 1984–85 | Second Division | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 1985–86 | Third Division | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Preston North End | 1986–87 | Fourth Division | 37 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 49 | 3 |
| 1987–88 | Third Division | 39 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 46 | 1 | |
| 1988–89 | Third Division | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| Total | 90 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 116 | 4 | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 1989–90 | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990–91 | Second Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Limerick | 1991–92 | League of Ireland First Division | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 3 |
| Preston North End | 1992–93 | Second Division | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career total | 479 | 32 | 35 | 5 | 64 | 5 | 578 | 42 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Limerick (player-manager) | 1991 | 1992 | 27 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 051.9 | [263][264] |
| Preston North End (caretaker) | 30 September 1992 | 30 November 1992 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 025.0 | [265][266] |
| Blackpool | 19 July 1994 | 29 May 1996 | 102 | 44 | 23 | 35 | 043.1 | [267] |
| Notts County | 16 January 1997 | 14 October 1999 | 145 | 56 | 39 | 50 | 038.6 | [267] |
| Bolton Wanderers | 19 October 1999 | 29 April 2007 | 371 | 153 | 104 | 114 | 041.2 | [267] |
| Newcastle United | 15 May 2007 | 9 January 2008 | 24 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 033.3 | [267] |
| Blackburn Rovers | 17 December 2008 | 13 December 2010 | 90 | 32 | 24 | 34 | 035.6 | [267] |
| West Ham United | 1 June 2011 | 24 May 2015 | 181 | 68 | 46 | 67 | 037.6 | [178][267] |
| Sunderland | 9 October 2015 | 22 July 2016 | 31 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 029.0 | [267] |
| England | 22 July 2016 | 27 September 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 | [267] |
| Crystal Palace | 23 December 2016 | 23 May 2017 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 037.5 | [267] |
| Everton | 30 November 2017 | 16 May 2018 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 038.5 | [267] |
| West Bromwich Albion | 16 December 2020 | 30 June 2021 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 015.4 | [267] |
| Leeds United | 3 May 2023 | 2 June 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 000.0 | [267] |
| Total | 1,064 | 411 | 284 | 369 | 038.6 | — | ||
Bolton Wanderers
Preston North End
Individual
Limerick
Notts County
Bolton Wanderers
West Ham United
Individual
General
Specific
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
