Martin Allen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Martin Allen

Allen in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Martin James Allen
Date of birth	(1965-08-14) 14 August 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth	Reading, England
Height	5 ft 10 in
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1984–1989	Queens Park Rangers	136	(16)
1989–1995	West Ham United	190	(25)
1995–1997	Portsmouth	45	(4)
1997–1998	Southend United	5	(0)
Total		376	(45)
National team
1985	England U19	3	(0)
1986–1987	England U21	2	(0)
Teams managed
2003–2004	Barnet
2004–2006	Brentford
2006–2007	Milton Keynes Dons
2007	Leicester City
2008–2009	Cheltenham Town
2011	Barnet
2011–2012	Notts County
2012	Barnet
2012–2013	Gillingham
2014–2016	Barnet
2016–2017	Eastleigh
2018	Barnet
2018	Chesterfield
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Martin James Allen (born 14 August 1965) is an English football manager and former player. He was known as "Mad Dog" during his playing days.

He played as a midfielder for several clubs. These included Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United. He also played for Portsmouth and Southend United. After retiring as a player, he became a football manager.

Allen has managed many teams. His first full manager job was at Barnet. He has also led teams like Brentford, Milton Keynes Dons, and Gillingham. In 2013, he helped Gillingham win the Football League Two title. This was his first promotion as a manager.

Playing Career: Martin Allen's Football Journey

Martin Allen started his football journey with Queens Park Rangers in 1983. He played for six years at Loftus Road. In 1986, he played in the League Cup final. His team lost to Oxford United.

In 1989, Allen moved to West Ham United. He joined for £670,000. His first game was a 3–2 win against Plymouth Argyle. He even scored a goal in that match.

Under manager Billy Bonds, Allen helped West Ham get promoted. They moved to the First Division in 1991. Then, they reached the Premier League in 1993. Allen was known for his strong play. He often received yellow cards and was sometimes sent off.

In 1995, Allen left West Ham. He joined Portsmouth for £500,000. He had also spent a short time on loan at Southend United. After three years with Portsmouth, he stopped playing professionally. He then started a career in coaching.

Management Career: Leading Football Teams

Reading: Starting as an Assistant

Allen began his management career as an assistant manager. He worked at his hometown club, Reading. He joined Alan Pardew when the team was struggling. They improved a lot, winning 12 of their last 20 games. This helped them finish in the top 10. Two years later, they earned promotion to Division One.

Barnet: First Manager Role

Allen's first full manager job was at Barnet. This was a team in the Conference league. He took over in March 2003. He built a new team for the 2003–04 season. The team quickly moved to the top of the league. However, Allen left for Brentford before the season ended. This move disappointed many Barnet fans.

Brentford: Play-off Success

Allen exiting the Brentford team bus in 2005.

Allen became manager of Brentford in March 2004. He saved them from being relegated in his first few months. In the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons, he led Brentford to the play-offs. They finished fourth and third in the league. However, they lost in the semi-finals both times.

Allen's team was called a "two bob team" because it was built with a small budget. He used experienced players, free transfers, and young talents. He also led Brentford to the fifth round of the FA Cup twice. They beat Sunderland, a Premier League team, in 2006.

Allen was very popular with Brentford fans. He even swam in the Tees and the Solent to inspire his team. He left Brentford in May 2006. He felt the club was not ready to invest more in the team.

Milton Keynes Dons: New Challenges

After Brentford, Allen moved to Milton Keynes Dons. This team was in League Two. The club had strong financial support. Allen helped the team improve and reach the play-offs. But they lost in the semi-finals to Shrewsbury Town.

Leicester City: A Short Stay

In May 2007, Allen became the manager of Leicester City. This was a Championship side. However, his time there was very short. He left by mutual agreement in August 2007. He had been in charge for only four games. His relationship with the club chairman, Milan Mandarić, quickly became difficult.

Cheltenham Town: Financial Struggles

Allen was appointed manager of Cheltenham Town in September 2008. His father, Dennis Allen, had also managed the club years before. The club faced financial problems. Many key players had to leave. This led to poor results. Allen was suspended in October 2009 and left the club in December.

Barnet: Multiple Returns

Allen has managed Barnet five times!

• First Return (2011): He came back in March 2011 for a short time. He left after only three games to manage Notts County.
• Second Return (2012): He returned as caretaker manager in April 2012. He helped Barnet avoid relegation from League Two on the last day of the season.
• Third Return (2014): Allen was appointed head coach in March 2014. He led Barnet to win the Football Conference championship in 2015. This meant they were promoted back to League Two. He left in December 2016 to join Eastleigh.
• Fourth Return (2018): He came back to Barnet in March 2018. However, the team was relegated from the Football League. He left in May 2018.

Notts County: Manager of the Month

Allen took charge of Notts County in April 2011. He helped them avoid relegation that season. In September 2011, he was named League One Manager of the Month. He was sacked in February 2012.

Gillingham: Winning the League Two Title

In July 2012, Allen became the manager of Gillingham. His team had a fantastic start to the season. They also broke the club record for most away wins. On 6 April 2013, Gillingham secured promotion to League One. This was Allen's first promotion as a manager. They won the League Two title on April 20. Allen was named League Two Manager of the Season. However, he was sacked in October 2013 after a tough start in League One.

Eastleigh: A Brief Spell

Allen joined Eastleigh in December 2016. His first game was an FA Cup match. He helped Eastleigh win a replay and reach the third round. They played against his former club, Brentford, and lost. Allen was fired by Eastleigh in February 2017. He had only won two of his 14 games.

Chesterfield: Final Managerial Role (so far)

Less than a week after leaving Barnet, Allen became manager of Chesterfield. This team had also been relegated from the Football League. Allen was sacked in December 2018. The club was near the bottom of the National League table.

Personal Life: Beyond the Pitch

Family Connections in Football

Martin Allen comes from a football family.

• His cousins, Paul, Bradley Allen, and Clive Allen, were all footballers.
• His uncle, Les Allen, also played professionally.
• His father, Dennis, played for Reading and Charlton Athletic.
• His son, Charlie Allen, played under his management at several clubs.
• His nephew, Harry Grant, also played professionally.

Business and Journalism

Allen has also been involved in business and journalism.

• He ran his own soccer schools for young players.
• He created a company called Pro FC. This company helps find young people who could become footballers.
• He is a director for the football charity, Coaching for Hope.
• In December 2013, Allen started writing a column for the Daily Mail. It's called "Mad Dog on Monday."

Managerial Statistics: Martin Allen's Coaching Record

Honours: Awards and Achievements

As a Player

Queens Park Rangers

• Football League Cup runner-up: 1985–86

West Ham United

• Football League Second Division runner-up: 1990–91

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 1992–93 First Division

As a Manager

Brentford

• Supporters Direct Cup: 2004

Gillingham

• Football League Two: 2012–13

Barnet

• Conference Premier: 2014–15

Individual Manager Awards

• Football League One Manager of the Month: September 2004, February 2006, September 2011
• BBC Radio London Sports Personality of the Year: 2005
• Football League Two Manager of the Month: August 2012, January 2013
• LMA League Two Manager of the Season: 2012–13