Sam Allardyce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sam Allardyce

Allardyce in 2014
Personal information
Date of birth	(1954-10-19) 19 October 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth	Dudley, England
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Playing 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)
Teams managed
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
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Samuel "Sam" Allardyce (born 19 October 1954) is a well-known English football manager and former player. He played as a defender for 21 years, mostly in the Football League. He also had short times playing in the North American Soccer League and League of Ireland.

Allardyce started his career at Bolton Wanderers in 1969. He helped them win the Second Division title in 1977–78. After Bolton, he played for many clubs, including Sunderland, Millwall, and Preston North End. He helped Preston get promoted from the Fourth Division in 1986–87.

As a manager, he led Irish club Limerick to a league title in 1991–92. He also helped Notts County win the Third Division in 1997–98. His most famous time as a manager was with Bolton Wanderers. He led them to the Premier League in 2001 and even to the League Cup final and a spot in the UEFA Cup.

Allardyce has also managed other big clubs like Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, and Sunderland. He even had a very short time as manager of the England national team in 2016. He is known for his strong defensive tactics and for often helping teams avoid relegation.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Samuel Allardyce was born in October 1954 in Dudley, England. His father was a police sergeant, and both his parents came from Scotland. Sam has an older sister and an older brother.

He went to Sycamore Green Primary School and Mons Hill School. Later in life, he found out he has dyslexia. As a child, he loved Wolverhampton Wanderers and hoped to play for and manage them one day.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting at Bolton Wanderers

Allardyce began his youth career at Dudley Town when he was just 14. He quickly became a strong centre-half. At 15, he joined Bolton Wanderers as an apprentice. Before starting, he worked in a factory to earn money.

He quickly moved up through Bolton's youth teams. On his 17th birthday, he signed his first professional contract. He earned £14 a week.

His first game for Bolton was in November 1973. He became a regular player under manager Ian Greaves. In the 1974–75 season, he won the club's Young Player of the Year award.

Bolton almost got promoted in 1975–76 and 1976–77. Finally, in the 1977–78 season, Bolton won the Second Division title and moved up to the First Division. Allardyce was a key player in their defense. He left Bolton in 1980.

Time at Sunderland and Millwall

Allardyce joined Sunderland in July 1980 for £150,000. He was made team captain. However, he found it hard to live far from his home in Bolton. He asked to leave when the club wouldn't help him buy a house in Sunderland.

In 1981, he moved to Millwall, a team in the Third Division. He earned good wages there. Millwall's manager, who also developed properties, let Allardyce live in a large house for free. Allardyce played for Millwall until 1983.

Later Playing Years

After Millwall, Allardyce played 11 games in the North American Soccer League for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He learned a lot about modern training methods from American football.

He then joined Coventry City in the First Division in 1983. He was made captain. After one season, he moved to Huddersfield Town in 1984. He played alongside his old Bolton teammate, Paul Jones.

In 1985, he returned to Bolton Wanderers for a second time. However, the new manager did not play him often. He then joined Preston North End in 1986. Preston won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1986–87. Allardyce was even named in the PFA Team of the Year.

He later had short spells at West Bromwich Albion and Limerick before ending his playing career back at Preston North End in 1992.

Playing Style

Bolton fans called Sam Allardyce "Super Sam Bionic Man." This was because he was a tough defender who always got back up quickly after tackles. He was known for his strong heading skills and good awareness on the field. He might not have been the fastest player, but he was good at predicting where the ball would go.

Managerial Career

Early Management Roles

Allardyce started as a player-coach at West Bromwich Albion in 1989. He managed the reserve team before becoming a first-team coach. He left in 1991.

He then became player-manager of Limerick in Ireland. He led the team to win the 1991–92 League of Ireland First Division title and get promoted. This was a big success, especially with money problems at the club.

In 1992, he returned to England to coach at Preston North End. He briefly became caretaker manager but didn't get the job permanently.

Blackpool and Notts County Success

In July 1994, Allardyce became the manager of Blackpool. He signed some strong players. In the 1995–96 season, Blackpool finished third, just missing out on automatic promotion. They lost in the play-off semi-finals. Allardyce was let go after two years.

In January 1997, he took over Notts County. He couldn't save them from relegation that season. However, he led them to win the Third Division title in the 1997–98 season. They won the title by a huge 19 points, setting new records. He stayed at Notts County until October 1999.

Return to Bolton Wanderers

Promotion and Premier League Start

Allardyce returned to Bolton Wanderers as manager in October 1999. He took over a talented team. In his first season, Bolton reached the play-offs and the semi-finals of both the League Cup and FA Cup.

In 2001, Bolton won the play-off final against Preston North End. This meant they were promoted to the Premier League after three years away.

Staying in the Premier League

For the 2001–02 Premier League season, Allardyce signed French defender Bruno Ngotty. Bolton started strong, even beating Manchester United. In January, he brought in famous players like Fredi Bobic and Youri Djorkaeff. Djorkaeff and Bobic scored important goals, helping Bolton stay in the Premier League.

For the 2002–03 season, Allardyce signed Nigerian captain Jay-Jay Okocha and Spanish defender Iván Campo. Bolton struggled again but avoided relegation on the last day.

To avoid more relegation battles, he signed players like Emerson Thome, Stelios Giannakopoulos, and Kevin Davies for the 2003–04 season. Bolton finished eighth in the league and reached the League Cup final, losing to Middlesbrough.

European Adventures

Bolton became a strong Premier League team. Allardyce signed experienced international players like Gary Speed and Fernando Hierro. He also brought in El Hadji Diouf. Bolton finished sixth in the 2004–05 season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

In the 2005–06 UEFA Cup, Bolton reached the Round of 32. Allardyce's success led to him being considered for the England manager job in 2006, but the role went to Steve McClaren. Bolton finished eighth in the league that season.

For the 2006–07 season, he signed French striker Nicolas Anelka for a club record £8 million. Bolton had another good season, but Allardyce's relationship with the chairman became difficult. He resigned in April 2007.

Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers

On 15 May 2007, Allardyce became manager of Newcastle United. He signed several new players, including Mark Viduka and Joey Barton. Newcastle started well but then had a series of poor results. Allardyce left Newcastle in January 2008.

On 17 December 2008, Allardyce was appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers. The team was near the bottom of the league. His first game was a 3–0 win. He helped Blackburn improve and finish 15th that season.

In the 2009–10 season, Blackburn reached the League Cup semi-final. They finished tenth in the league. Allardyce was dismissed by the new owners in December 2010.

West Ham United

Allardyce became manager of West Ham United in June 2011, after they were relegated. He promised to play "attractive football." He signed several players, including Kevin Nolan.

West Ham were promoted back to the Premier League in May 2012 after winning the play-off final. Allardyce called this his best achievement.

In the 2012–13 season, West Ham finished tenth in the Premier League. Allardyce signed a new two-year contract. He signed Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing in 2013.

Some West Ham fans were unhappy with his team's playing style. They felt it was too defensive. Despite this, Allardyce won the Premier League Manager of the Month award in February and October 2014. He left West Ham in May 2015 when his contract was not renewed.

Sunderland and England National Team

On 9 October 2015, Allardyce became the new manager of Sunderland. The team was near the bottom of the Premier League. He was the first manager to lead both Newcastle United and Sunderland.

He signed new players in January 2016. Allardyce successfully led Sunderland to safety from relegation in May, which also meant Newcastle United were relegated. He was praised for his organized and strong defensive approach.

On 22 July 2016, Allardyce became the manager of the England national team. He won his only game in charge, a 1–0 victory against Slovakia. He left the role by mutual agreement on 27 September, after just 67 days.

Crystal Palace and Everton

On 23 December 2016, Allardyce signed a contract to manage Crystal Palace. He spent about £30 million on new players in January. He helped Crystal Palace avoid relegation that season. He unexpectedly resigned in May 2017, saying he didn't plan to take another club job.

However, on 30 November 2017, Allardyce was appointed manager of Everton. Everton was in 13th place when he arrived. He led them on a seven-game unbeaten run and helped them finish eighth in the league. Despite this, fans were not happy with the team's playing style. Allardyce left Everton in May 2018.

West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United

On 16 December 2020, Allardyce became manager of West Bromwich Albion. The club was in 19th place in the Premier League. He won his first game in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite some good results, he could not keep West Brom in the Premier League. They were relegated in May 2021. This was the first time a team managed by Allardyce was relegated from the Premier League. He stepped down as manager at the end of the season.

On 3 May 2023, Allardyce was appointed manager of Leeds United, with only four matches left in the season. Leeds was just outside the relegation zone. They lost his first game against Manchester City. Leeds drew one game but lost the other two, leading to their relegation. Allardyce left Leeds by mutual agreement in June 2023.

Managerial Style

Sam Allardyce is known for using sports science and modern methods in coaching. He uses computer analysis and even yoga to help his teams. Many people say his strong preparation helps his teams be well-organized and good at defending. Former players also praise his ability to manage players well.

He has a reputation for using long ball tactics, which means playing long passes forward quickly. However, he has said this idea is "totally and utterly wrong." He believes his teams play smart football. He is also known as a "survival specialist" because he often helps struggling Premier League teams avoid relegation.

Some managers, like José Mourinho, have criticized his tactics. But Allardyce says that when his teams play long passes, it's seen as "hopeful" while other teams doing the same is called "cultural." In 2021, Pep Guardiola called Allardyce a "genius" for his skill in saving clubs from relegation.

Personal Life

Sam Allardyce met his wife, Lynne Ward, when he was a youth player at Bolton. They married in 1974 and have a son, Craig, and a daughter, Rachael. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton in 2010.

Besides football, Allardyce has run several businesses, including a motor spares firm and a pub. He published his autobiography, Big Sam, in 2015.

His grandson, also named Sam, signed for Oxford United in 2019. Allardyce has also managed the England teams in the charity football event Soccer Aid many times. In 2021, he managed a team of Bolton Wanderers legends in a charity match.

Images for kids

• 

  Allardyce in 2007

• 

  Allardyce (left) as manager of Sunderland in 2016

• 

  Allardyce (front) as manager of Crystal Palace in 2017

• 

  Allardyce as manager of Leeds United

Career Statistics

Club

Source:

A.  The "Other" column includes games in the League Cup, Football League Trophy, and Full Members Cup.

Managerial Statistics

Honours

Player

Bolton Wanderers

• Football League Second Division: 1977–78

Preston North End

• Football League Fourth Division promotion: 1986–87

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 1986–87 Fourth Division

Manager

Limerick

• League of Ireland First Division: 1991–92

Notts County

• Football League Third Division: 1997–98

Bolton Wanderers

• Football League First Division play-offs: 2001
• Football League Cup runner-up: 2003–04

West Ham United

• Football League Championship play-offs: 2012

Individual

• Football League First Division Manager of the Month: January 2001
• Premier League Manager of the Month: August 2001, November 2003, January 2004, December 2006, February 2014, October 2014

See also

In Spanish: Sam Allardyce para niños