This article is about the professional English footballer. For other persons named Frank Allen, see the disambiguation page

Frank Allen (footballer)

Frank Allen was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward. Originally a coal miner by trade, he became a full-time footballer at the age of 24 and went on to play profesisonally for the next 11 years...

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Frank Allen (5 May 1901 – 30 October 1989) was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward

Inside forward

In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...

. Originally a coal miner by trade, he became a full-time footballer at the age of 24 and went on to play profesisonally for the next 11 years. He played for six different teams in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

, making over 230 league appearances in total.

Personal life

Allen was born on 5 May 1901 in Altofts

Altofts

Altofts is a village near Normanton, West Yorkshire, England. The village is usually quiet, having a mixed population of young and old. There are four pubs, two Working Men's Clubs, a handful of small shops, one post office and a few farms. Lower Altofts is the area at the lower end of the village...

, West Yorkshire and was brought up in a mining background, which was typical of the area at the time. He started working Altofts Colliery in 1919 and played part-time football for the colliery. After his retirement 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. In his later years, he lived in Ravenshead

Ravenshead

Ravenshead is a village and civil parish in the Gedling district of Nottinghamshire, England. It borders Papplewick, Newstead Abbey and Blidworth, and is part of Nottinghamshire's Hidden Valleys area, according to the 2001 census it had a population of 5,636....

 in Nottinghamshire. Allen died from pneumonia

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...

 on 30 October 1989 at the age of 88.

Football career

Allen left Altofts in 1925 to join amateur side Castleford Town, who played in the Midland Football League

Midland Football League

There have been at least two different football competitions in England which used the name Midland Football League.One existed until 1982 before merging with the Yorkshire League to form the Northern Counties 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 joined Football League Second Division

Football League Second Division

From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

 side Barnsley

Barnsley F.C.

Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

 in February 1926 at the age of 24. 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.

Upon his release by Barnsley, Allen joined Bangor City

Bangor City F.C.

Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....

 in August 1928, but remained at the club for only six months before transferring to Second Division outfit Clapton Orient. He failed to make a single first-team appearance for Orient as they were relegated in 1928–29 and left to sign for Football League Third Division North

Football League Third Division North

The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...

 side Southport

Southport F.C.

Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...

 in June 1929. He spent one season at Southport, scoring six goals in 31 league games.

In August 1930, Allen moved to fellow Third Division North club Nelson

Nelson F.C.

Nelson F.C. are an English football club, based in Nelson, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties Football League Division One, who played their home matches at Victoria Park, Lomeshaye Way. They are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.-Early years:...

 on a free transfer. He made his debut for the team on 30 August 1930 in the 4–5 away defeat to Rochdale

Rochdale A.F.C.

Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...

. He played 17 first-team games for Nelson and scored once, in an FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

 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 join Barrow

Barrow A.F.C.

Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...

 in January 1931. He was converted into a wing half

Wing half

In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...

 during his time at Holker Street

Holker Street

Holker Street, also known as the Furness Building Society Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a sports stadium located in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Currently and originally used as a football ground, it has also previously been used for speedways races...

 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. Prior to the start of the 1933–34 season, Allen signed for New Brighton

New Brighton A.F.C.

-Revived club:New Brighton A.F.C. were reborn in 1993, and joined the Birkenhead and Wirral League, which they won in their first season. In 1995 the club switched to the South Wirral League. After upgrading their new ground, the club were admitted to the Second Division of the West Cheshire League...

 where he played for two seasons, netting 18 times in 51 games, the most prolific period of his career. In 1935, Allen joined Le Havre

Le Havre AC

Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...

and subsequently had a two-year spell in France, before retiring from professional football in 1937.